Hi there,

This is definitely a tough situation, and I myself have seen multiple experienced hires struggle in their early days (and some never make it work).

I think the specific answer to your question will really depend on 2 aspects of your context, both of which are not entirely clear from what you described. *Note i will use BCG specific terminology but the concept applies to other firms

1. The official title you came in as
   • i.e. are you a Consultant (typically a Post-MBA role)
   • i.e. or did you come in as a Project Leader / Principal
2. The business unit/track you are entering in 
   • If you had joined a bigger firm with different ‘businesses’ or tracks, this will also shape your context
   • i.e. if you joined BCG traditional track (with maybe an industry specialization) OR if you joined BCG X (previously known as Gamma/Platinion/DV)
   • The reason is because ‘technical skills’ means very different things depending on your context

For now I will assume that you are coming in at the Manager/Project Leader level (based on what you have described), and for the Generalist/Traditional role (not a digital/technical expertise role). I will share some thoughts based on my time in consulting and having been a Project Leader/Principal

Qn: How can I regain partners' trust and get their buy in?

• Consulting is an outcome driven industry, the only way the partners will think you have what it takes is to start deliver results/impact
• As a Project Leader/Manager, the outcome is a successful project which is often a result of managing 3 aspects
  • Managing the process well
  • Manging the content well
  • Managing the stakeholders well
• I am not entirely sure of the nuances of your previous 2 projects, but for your next project, the partners will know that you are doing the job well if you can manage the 3 aspects
• At the end of the day, consulting is a client-focused and people focused industry. One way to think about what really matters is if you can make the client happy/satisfied - that often is the key outcome that partners will recognize and that matters to them (because it means its higher chance for a follow-on or new project)
  • E.g. in the past I have did things that the partners did not agree with or did not initially support, because I knew that would be what would address the clients concerns. In the end, after seeing the client's positive reaction, they changed their minds

Qn: Where to focus on my skill: should I focus on how to lead juniors and work streams (more of a consultant or manager role), or focus on developing key consulting hard skills (more of a junior / execution role)?

• Based on the description of the feedback from your partners, it sounds like you are in more of a Manager role than a consultant role
• In this case, you need to be able to focus on how to plan, lead and manage all the workstreams in the projects, and how to lead juniors
• Remember - as a Manager, you are responsible for the overall successful delivery of the project, but this does not mean that you get there all by yourself
• The key question (which you already kind of realized) then becomes “how do I lead my team if I'm not technically solid?”
• In the position of the manager, you need to be able to lead and manage the team, WHILE also being able to give them the right direction and critical inputs that play a role in getting to a good outcome 
  • One important point you need to come to realize too is what level of ‘technical skill’ is enough/required
  • You may not need to know a particular skill super deeply, but just enough or on the specific aspects of it to guide them where it really matters. This is very skill and context dependent
    • e.g. If you are not an expert in excel modelling, then you probably cannot tell them which formula is the most elegant one. But if you have good logical/critical thinking, you can still provide guidance over the structure and assumptions (which are often the most critical)
• There are 2 unfortunate truths to your situation
  •  #1 is that you are at a disadvantage having not gone through the ranks, versus a ‘homegrown’ Manager
  • #2 is that some of these skills actually do take time to build up, and is not something that is easily gained

So - where does that leave you? I think there are 2 practical steps you can do:

1. Leverage internal peers/mentors
   • I strongly recommend this to be your first and priority solution
   • Internal peers and informal mentors will be the most helpful and impactful form of support you can get
     • They know how the firm works
     • They know the expectations of partners
     • They have likely been through the similar struggles/problems you have
     • You worry less about confidentiality issues (vs using an external coach)
2. Adopt an ownership mindset
   • “If i dont know the answer/solution/what to do, I am going to do everything I can to find someone who can give me that answer/solution” → this is the mindset you need to have
   • Of course if its an answer that typically is answered by someone in your role, then it doesn't look as good on you, but in desperate times I think its better to marshal a good answer (even if you didnt come up with it yourself); than to try and do things yourself and get a bad answer
3. Leverage external peers/coaches 
   • This is another option, but if you do, strongly suggest you go for friends/peers/coaches who have at least spent sufficient time in consulting and have also gone through similar challenges/struggles

The above sounds abit bleak/harsh but assuming you are coming in at a Manager (or even if senior Consultant, pre-Manager role), the expectations are high and there is a reason why Manager (especially first year Manager) is the toughest role in consulting. There are a couple of other key tips and advice I can share based on my own experience, which includes a few more tactical aspects of managing expectations upwards (i.e. there are some types of incidents/events/actions that are quick wins in giving confidence to your partners), but I will share those privately if you are interested.

All the best!