Ever since Lukas applied for an internship, he’s been guided and mentored by Rolf. Read about their experiences and challenges together.
Lukas Herrmann is an Associate in Advisory.
Rolf Wehrli is a Manager in Advisory.
How did your working and coaching relationship come about?
Rolf:
I was keen to have young talents join our team and when we interviewed Lukas, I knew he was the perfect fit for the internship. It was quickly apparent that he was a young, bright mind interested in growing professionally.
During his internship, Lukas was a huge support and did great work. That’s why we soon offered him a position as Associate in our team, which he started shortly after finishing his Master’s thesis.
Lukas:
I’ve been working with Rolf since I applied and did the case study interview with him. He’s remained my coach ever since and has guided me through my first experiences in the world of consulting.
Since then, we have worked together on three projects and have become a great team. During our collaboration, Rolf has always passed on his knowledge, which has helped me enormously to develop professionally and personally.
Can you share some examples of how you’ve learned from each other?
Lukas:
Rolf has an excellent feel for how to present content in a graphically appealing way and make it interesting for the respective person. He always shares his principles and provides valuable tips and tricks.
I was able to learn a lot from him, especially in the preparation of management presentations. He always gives me constructive feedback and I can gradually take on more responsibility.
Rolf:
Our working relationship revolves around transparency and trust – we give each other direct and constructive feedback while focusing on common goals.
We have common, but then also rather individual characteristic traits, which we have built a solid foundation for our coach/coachee relationship on. On the other hand, Lukas’ honest feedback helps me become the leader I aspire to be.
What advice would you give to others about mentoring, coaching, and advancing their career?
Rolf:
Take your time to get to know your coachee well. If you want to inspire and enable an individual to excel, you need to understand their motivation, strengths and weaknesses. And from there, you can help that person to plan their future development, adequately position their strengths, and specifically address their development areas.
Additionally, it’s essential to take the coaching journey seriously as it’s an integral part of your job as a coach. Help removing obstacles, try to show possible ways forward, and represent your coachee professionally.
Lukas:
It was extremely valuable for me to find someone who was willing to take the time to discuss my challenges and questions with me. I particularly appreciated Rolf's openness and willingness to share his knowledge.
It helped me a lot that I always approached Rolf with an open and inquisitive mind and always tried to implement his advice in the best way possible. This openness and my curiosity helped us build a trusting relationship.
