Project Mentoring - Critical to Execution of Business Transformation
What is Project Mentoring?
You don’t see this term in Project management or in Lean Business Transformation projects or training booklets – but it exists all the same and can be the vital lifeblood and create the difference to make projects work and deliver specific outcomes on time and budget.
Facilitation rather than Formality
Project Mentoring is not a formal process that is pre-defined but instead is a very powerful process to bring energy and drive to projects which may lack the leadership of project sponsors to make them work.
Real World Challenges for Project Sponsors
Project sponsors can often get a hard time – because they may seem to lack the wherewithal to turn challenges into deliverables. But, you have to be able to see things from their perspective. Often, projects have not been carefully designed by those who have to take ‘ownership’ for them.
Most often is the case that project sponsors have had projects ‘dumped’, ‘pushed onto’ or allocated to them by their seniors. Consequently, the projects are not of the sponsors’ own design, and are a very poor fit in their programmed agenda of things that need to be done. Further, they may not fit immediately on their own agenda – but they do fit on the agenda of those things which are important to the organisation in the immediate and the medium term.
Project ownership in the Real World
I am a pragmatist. There is, and never will be an ideal time when challenges in project terms are welcomed in the organisation – especially by those tasked to deliver. (This includes Project Sponsors and Facilitators). However, you can create the circumstances where projects can be precisely defined, promoted and pursued with energy, and executed and delivered with zeal.
Nothing happens by Accident
If you want to achieve specific ‘desired outcomes’ you have to develop strong working relationships with sponsors and facilitators to create the atmosphere, the relationships and the structure, team process and personal motivation to make them work.
Many like the intuitive - feeling alternative to project delivery but in these days of challenge and stretch they don’t tend to work. You can trust in the Universe all you like – but things do not materialize, nor actions and behaviours happen out of thin air.
My experience is that the more focus and energy you put into things the luckier you get with delivering specific outcomes.
Focus and Energy in Project Mentoring
In every project there comes a time when things get tough or sticky – where the momentum for change grinds to a halt, or where people see barriers they cannot overcome without support from seasoned experts.
Project mentoring is something I developed with my clients in many businesses including General Electric, Diageo, Clydesdale Bank and Volkswagen Financial Services. It works where the organisation requires resources other than those within their own business to shape and make things happen.
I have been engaged as a Project Sponsor when:
How Project Mentoring Works
Although a well-planned process – it is positive OD (Organization Development) without the formality – it’s a more empathetic approach to executing change – working closely with sponsors, facilitators, stakeholders and team players.
It is developed by carefully ensuring that the change agenda is delivered by providing support for sponsors facing the challenges. It is collaborative and not adversarial, ad-hoc because the use of a ‘project mentor’ although focused and direct, is delivered through an adaptive and non-threatening project delivery style.
Project Mentoring: Key Characteristics
How can you make it work for you?
For further information email Philip Atkinson
You don’t see this term in Project management or in Lean Business Transformation projects or training booklets – but it exists all the same and can be the vital lifeblood and create the difference to make projects work and deliver specific outcomes on time and budget.
Facilitation rather than Formality
Project Mentoring is not a formal process that is pre-defined but instead is a very powerful process to bring energy and drive to projects which may lack the leadership of project sponsors to make them work.
Real World Challenges for Project Sponsors
Project sponsors can often get a hard time – because they may seem to lack the wherewithal to turn challenges into deliverables. But, you have to be able to see things from their perspective. Often, projects have not been carefully designed by those who have to take ‘ownership’ for them.
Most often is the case that project sponsors have had projects ‘dumped’, ‘pushed onto’ or allocated to them by their seniors. Consequently, the projects are not of the sponsors’ own design, and are a very poor fit in their programmed agenda of things that need to be done. Further, they may not fit immediately on their own agenda – but they do fit on the agenda of those things which are important to the organisation in the immediate and the medium term.
Project ownership in the Real World
I am a pragmatist. There is, and never will be an ideal time when challenges in project terms are welcomed in the organisation – especially by those tasked to deliver. (This includes Project Sponsors and Facilitators). However, you can create the circumstances where projects can be precisely defined, promoted and pursued with energy, and executed and delivered with zeal.
Nothing happens by Accident
If you want to achieve specific ‘desired outcomes’ you have to develop strong working relationships with sponsors and facilitators to create the atmosphere, the relationships and the structure, team process and personal motivation to make them work.
Many like the intuitive - feeling alternative to project delivery but in these days of challenge and stretch they don’t tend to work. You can trust in the Universe all you like – but things do not materialize, nor actions and behaviours happen out of thin air.
My experience is that the more focus and energy you put into things the luckier you get with delivering specific outcomes.
Focus and Energy in Project Mentoring
In every project there comes a time when things get tough or sticky – where the momentum for change grinds to a halt, or where people see barriers they cannot overcome without support from seasoned experts.
Project mentoring is something I developed with my clients in many businesses including General Electric, Diageo, Clydesdale Bank and Volkswagen Financial Services. It works where the organisation requires resources other than those within their own business to shape and make things happen.
I have been engaged as a Project Sponsor when:
- Forming Virtual Companies which had a business plan, structure and process which would support the sale of automotive finance in the UK
- Creating Work-Out teams for various companies within the General Electric empire in the UK, Europe and the USA
- Shaping and Chairing company and plant wide quality improvement initiatives in an automotive manufacturer in the USA and Europe
- Facilitating change projects in various Financial institutions including leading UK Banks, Finance Houses and Professional services businesses
- Coaching employees in various public sector and third sector organisations in implementing business transformation and delivering customer and consumer outcomes
How Project Mentoring Works
Although a well-planned process – it is positive OD (Organization Development) without the formality – it’s a more empathetic approach to executing change – working closely with sponsors, facilitators, stakeholders and team players.
It is developed by carefully ensuring that the change agenda is delivered by providing support for sponsors facing the challenges. It is collaborative and not adversarial, ad-hoc because the use of a ‘project mentor’ although focused and direct, is delivered through an adaptive and non-threatening project delivery style.
Project Mentoring: Key Characteristics
- An ad-hoc use of external resource to be used on an “as and when needed” basis – so it’s not about attending workshops or a course – rather more informal ‘drop in’s or ‘project reviews’ (with energy and focus)
- It is flexible and probably used at two key stages in projects – at their inception, when ideas, focus and outcomes need clarifying and defining with precision, and often, in implementation when the tough people or behaviourial issues must be overcome, and results delivered quickly.
- It is about making all project constituencies sing in unison and win commitment to their ownership, shared intent and the deliverables. This is a behaviourial intervention where team and personal agendas are overcome to achieve the project deliverables
How can you make it work for you?
- Decide what you want to achieve and when. The ‘how’ can be agreed through managing opportunities and possibilities
- Discuss opportunities, possibilities in tangible terms with your most favoured Project Mentors – these include how it can work, relationships with internal change teams and facilitators, overcoming potential road blocks and developing strategies, methodologies and tools to make projects materialize by design, rather than by accident
- Decide on a relationship that works for your organisation – probably a loose and flexible working relationship – to be utilized as and when required
- Be selfish in wanting delivery but selfless in believing in the outcomes
- Forget long term strategic ambition for now – think tactics, be short term focused – usually at project inception and project execution that support pipeline urgency
For further information email Philip Atkinson
