Issue #12 - I don’t think you need a mentor—here’s why
PROJECT MANAGEMENT MENTORS are, by far, the best way to develop effective project managers.
I don’t think you need a mentor—here’s why
Read time: 4 minutes
Today’s newsletter at a Glance:
✍️ Quote of the Week
🔑 You're uncomfortable changing
💡 I don’t think you need a mentor—here’s why
✍️ Quote of the Week
“You have to ask the questions you need to ask, admit without apology what you don’t understand, and do the work to learn what you need to learn as quickly as you can.”
🔑 You're uncomfortable changing
You're either uncomfortable staying the same or you're uncomfortable changing.
You decide.
I just found this quote on my phone as a screen shot I took from a Leila Hormozi post earlier.
And this quote hit me again today.
In project management the enemy is being comfortable.
You constantly have to challenge your boundaries. Better understand technical requirements. Staying on top of your cost. EAC/ETC calculations are the bread-and-butter of any projects. What each of your resources are doing. Identifying and managing risks on a daily basis. Learning new pm tools. You know how MS Project works, fine, learn JIRA. Be open minded to learn from your project manager colleagues.
In the past decade, I learned being comfortable will get you nowhere.
Show how you add value.
Keep going.
💡 I don’t think you need a mentor—here’s why
PROJECT MANAGEMENT MENTORS are, by far, the best way to develop effective project managers. Mentors must be seasoned project managers who have “been there, done that, messed up and lived to learn from the experience.”
Mentors must be accessible to work with project managers while the project managers perform their basic tasks such as planning, tracking and problem management. Mentors especially must be available during crises.
I find this in the PMI article library.
But,
While a mentor can certainly help build meaningful careers, I don’t think you need one to be successful.
NO ONE INDIVIDUAL HOLDS THE SILVER BULLETT OF YOUR SUCCESS
You can learn just as much from your boss, your coworker, your neighbor, or a panel presenter as you would from a traditional mentor.
CONNECTIONS MADE THROUGH MENTORS ARE “GOOD”, BUT?
Although a strong mentorship can help you move up the corporate ladder, it’s not a guarantee. When you’re introduced to individuals in your mentor’s circle, the connections typically aren’t as strong as the connections you make on your own because they’re secondhand. It’s more important to invest in making as many firsthand connections as you can, so you can grow your network on your own accord. —— Take the lead
ISN’T A WASTE OF TIME
If you don’t have anything you want to talk about, it might be a better use of your time to prepare for a presentation you’re giving, get ahead on a project you’re working on, or offer to support your boss or colleague with some work you could benefit getting your hands on.
CONCLUSION
Ultimately, mentors are incredibly important in the success of certain individuals, but if you want to learn something new or move up in your career, your biggest motivator is yourself.
source:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90452793/i-dont-think-you-need-a-mentor-heres-why#:~:text=Mentorship can literally waste your time&text=If you don't have,benefit getting your hands on.
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/what-good-project-manager-mentor-5021