Manager - Coaching the Rookie Manager

In last January’s Manager column, “Fear of Trying: The Plight of the Rookie Project Manager,” Roger Pressman asked a question critical to the future of our profession: “So, how do we grow a good project manager? What do we teach the rookie who has just been appointed to lead her first software project?” Instead of answering this question directly, Pressman focused his article on four key skills that every project manager needs for success: communication, negotiation, organization, and facilitation. Although I agree with his key points, Pressman failed to explore the central question he first raised: just how do you “grow” the skills of a “rookie” project manager? This article is an attempt to answer that question.