Mentorship is a very powerful way in which you can learn from those in your industry who have more knowledge, experience and skills. If you have completed your AMP PFQ qualifications but you are still a project manager who is in training, you may find having a mentor very beneficial. They will be able to guide and support you, whilst challenging you to grow both personally and professionally.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at home mentorship can help you to be a better project manager and how you can work effectively with a mentor.
The benefits of mentorship
There are a number of ways in which mentorship can help you to become a better project manager in training. A mentor can offer you valuable advice, feedback and insights on how to plan, execute and then evaluate all your projects as well as look at how you can work on the common challenges and risks. They can also assist you in developing your skills and competencies, not only in project management but also in areas like communication, teamwork, leadership and problem solving. Mentors can also help you to expand your network and connect you with other professionals and organisations that can help you with your career growth.
How do you find a mentor?
It isn’t always easy to find a mentor. You should start by looking at your goals, needs and what you expect from a mentorship. You can then match this against any possible mentors to see if someone has the right criteria. You can look for mentors within your industry, your organisation and even any online platforms that you use. You could also ask your colleagues and contacts if they can refer you to someone. When you have found a potential mentor, you should contact them in a polite and professional manner, to discuss thie possibility of mentorship further.
Working with a mentor
You need respect, commitment and openness to work with a mentor. It is important to ensure that you have a mutual and clear understanding of the goals and expectations, responsibilities, roles and boundaries you want from your mentorship relationship. The best way to work with your mentor is to set up regular check-ins, work out what method of communication works well for you both and make sure you are prepared for each session. This includes having any questions ready. It is important for the relationship to give feedback to your mentor and celebrate both your progress and achievements. If you want the mentorship to work you must be willing to learn from your mentor, apply your new learning, challenge yourself and work on your goals.
The challenges of mentorship
As with any relationship, mentorship is not without its challenges. Finding the right mentor can be difficult. You need someone you can trust and build a rapport with in order to maintain the mentor/mentee relationship over time. There may be misunderstandings, and disagreements along the way, and you may feel discouraged by feedback. Open and honest communication, much like you will have learned during any project manager course, and the ability to be flexible are important here in order to overcome these challenges.
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