Your PMO Is Missing One Thing… and It Is Not What You Think.

Mentorship in the PMO is not optional. It is a responsibility.

One thing I have learned as a PMO Delivery Leader is that project managers do not grow from templates, playbooks, or dashboards alone.  They grow from people.

Real mentorship in a PMO is about more than answering questions or reviewing a schedule.  It is about creating an environment where PMs feel supported, challenged, and confident enough to own outcomes.

Here is what I think mentorship should look like in a PMO:

• Sharing lessons learned - veteran PMs need to be open about the wins, but especially about the moments that taught us what not to do.

• Creating clarity - PMs should understand why we do things, not just how.  When we know the ‘why’, it allows for a greater degree of growth.

• Building decision makers - empowered PMs are able to lead conversations, manage risks, and drive value without waiting for constant direction.  

• Modeling calm under pressure - we can't always control what happens, but we can always control how we react to it.

• Celebrating progress - We all know PMs should be making a big deal about project GO-LIVE milestones.  We should also be celebrating the smaller milestones, phase completions, and anything else that matters.  Celebrating the wins, even the small ones, shows growth in communication, confidence, and ownership.

But the real impact comes from the multiplier effect.

When you mentor one PM, you are not just helping one person. You are strengthening every project they will touch, every client they will guide, and every team they will influence.

A mentored PM:

• Runs stronger kickoffs

• Manages risks before they escalate

• Communicates with purpose

• Builds trust with stakeholders

• Raises the standard for the entire delivery organization

And here is where the multiplier truly accelerates:
Those PMs eventually mentor others.
Your influence becomes exponential.
One becomes three.
Three become a network.
A network becomes a culture.

Great PMOs are not built on process alone, they are built on people who invest in people.
That is how you turn a PMO from a support function into a strategic force that drives value, resilience, and consistency across the organization.

If you are in a PMO, you are already someone’s example.
Lead in a way that multiplies.

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