Project Management Articles from the Project Management Advisor™

As leaders we have a responsibility to ensure that our area is managed effectively and that we are driving the organization to achieve its stated objectives.　 We also have a responsibility to grow the next generation of leaders to ensure that the great work we've done continues on after we've moved on.　 Keep some of these nuggets in mind as you ponder making the next generation of leaders great:　

• One of the best means of cultivating high-potential managers is one-on-one interaction and mentoring with a seasoned and respected senior executive.　 Having the one-on-one focus not only helps the high-potential manager get good quality mentoring and coaching, it also gives the senior executive better insight into the manager’s true potential.

• The most effective training combines a blended learning environment of teaching/counseling coupled with on-the-job experience.　 If the learning environment is too clinical or theoretical then the high-potential manager is less likely to pull the applicability out of the experience.　 Give the theory but balance it with application.

• Managers can be grown too quickly, and I’ve seen plenty of examples where young high-potential managers have been burned out because they have taken on too much too quickly.　 Assigning a mentor to a high-potential manager can help the manager grow at a reasonable pace and also help protect him or her from collisions around the bend.