Meet one of our colleagues
Morten Tang Christiansen holds a Master of Engineering degree from DTU in Business Analytics with a bachelor’s degree in IT and Economics.
He started as an intern at Novataris back in 2019. He has held positions such as Developer, Consultant and most recently Senior Consultant, a position he was promoted to in 2023. We spoke to Morten about the transition from Consultant to Senior Consultant and how his role at Novataris has changed.
My background with a Master of Engineering degree in Business Analytics and interest in software and data has meant that my assignments and projects at Novataris have often focused on cloud solutions, BI, data platforms, data warehouses and reporting.
I was quickly given responsibilities relating to the Senior Consultant role. I took over a role from a manager who was a team leader on a project, where I then took responsibility for another consultant from Novataris who was also in that team. So, the biggest change for me has probably been in working with the customer. As a Consultant, your primary tasks are analysis and implementation, where as a Senior Consultant you have more responsibility for communication with the customer and insight into their overall business, vision and strategy. I have greater knowledge of how solutions should develop in the future, and I share more of my views and opinions on a project's development.
During my time at Novataris, I have of course gained a lot of experience in different technologies and parts of solutions, which has helped me get a better holistic picture and understanding of the overall project. But one experience in particular has come with my role as Senior Consultant is having a greater overview across tasks.
I had an experience with a customer where there were many tasks with short deadlines from many different people and departments . When you’re in the moment, it can be easy to just say yes to an assignment or "I'll look into it right away", but that's not realistic in the long run. I've become better at maintaining an overview, being transparent with the customer and balancing expectations on when the task can be completed or being proactive and providing information if tasks are pushed back and why.
In general, my communication skills are something I have developed a lot. The contact persons on a project vary, but when working with people with a lesser technical background, I pay more attention to making myself understood. It's important for me and my work to understand their knowledge on the subject. Then I can talk about the technical part in a way where there's a consensus and everyone is on board with what's being discussed.
As a consultant, we often have to behave very professionally, which is reflected in both our dress code and our work. That's why I like to make room for the less professional in an otherwise professional everyday life. I think it's important to have good interactions with my colleagues that are not necessarily about work. Of course, it's exciting to hear about the projects my colleagues are working on, especially when it's in a different industry with different technologies. But I also think it's important to hear about my colleagues' private lives. After all, we're only human and we spend many hours together every day. It's easier to build good relationships when you know who people are and what they do outside of work. It makes for a lot more fun conversations than just chatting about the weather.
When I'm part of a team at the customer’s site, it can be difficult to maintain a relationship with my other colleagues at Novataris, and it becomes a lot easier when I know the person. I've also attended the many social events we have at Novataris. They are very good when it comes to maintaining a good relationship with my colleagues.
In fact, this also applies when I’m at the customer’s site. At times when I have worked alone on projects at the customer’s site, I try as far as possible to see the customer's employees as colleagues, so I become more a part of their team. It's something I've gotten better at over time which I didn't think much about at first.
In 2023 you were in the top 10 for Version2's IT Talent, where you came 9th in the IT Consultant of the Year category, where you were nominated by both your colleagues and a customer. What does that mean to you?
This is definitely a recognition from both the customer and Novataris. It's been rewarding and confirmation that I'm doing something that creates value and growth. So, I’m incredibly happy and proud about that.