The Complete Project Management Office Handbook, Second Edition (ESI International Project Management Series)

The presence of project management mentors in the project environment is representative of a concerted effort to reach for advanced maturity and performance excellence in project management. It draws attention to the level of regard that project management elicits as a professional discipline within the relevant organization.

Establishing a project management mentoring program enables the PMO to facilitate:

• A quick and focused application of project management skills: An assigned mentor will help the project manager and project team to begin using appropriate project management skills quickly and correctly. The mentor can guide the project manager toward the practices and techniques that are most appropriate for the current phase of the project and the current stage of team development. This eliminates wasted time on inappropriate and nonproductive activities.

• Introduction of new techniques and best practices: Because mentors are professional, experienced project managers, they are continually updating their knowledge and skills, and they bring that expertise to the prot g s they serve. Their independent study of best practices particularly makes mentors valuable players when new tools, advanced techniques, or revised processes are being introduced into the project environment.

• Dramatic reduction of trial-and-error approaches: Too often, new project managers waste time trying things that do not work and then trying something else again and again until they finally come up with the best way to approach a job. Mentors can guide and coach project managers in applying the right techniques at the right time, thus achieving the right results the first time.

• A quick and focused start for new projects: A qualified mentor can help the project team overcome the "what are we supposed to do first?" syndrome that is often encountered by ad hoc teams. Mentors know the process for moving a project through its entire life cycle and can particularly provide an accurate perspective on startup activities.

• Early development of project manager confidence: Mentors help increase a project manager's self-confidence when they demonstrate how to take advantage of new knowledge and skills. Increased self-confidence leads project managers to take active ownership of their projects at an earlier stage in their professional development.

• Maximum return on investments in training: Mentors encourage and assist project managers and project team members in applying the new skills and knowledge that they received in the classroom or other type of training program. They facilitate transfer and translation of concepts and principles learned in the classroom directly to the project workplace for immediate application and value to the project effort.

• Maximum return on investments in project management software: The practice of installing a software application package and then leaving it for casual use, underuse, or no use by project personnel is revisited. The mentor helps project managers and project team members take advantage of the full value of the features and capabilities of project management software application packages. Mentors provide guidance in using the software to perform the mechanical work of project management, leaving project managers with more time to actually manage the project.

Project management mentors apply established standards and help "set the goals bar" for individual success and achievement that characterizes the project management environment.