Mutual Mentoring

?I wanted to mark the end of Black History Month by sharing my experiences as a mentee on Capita’s Mutual Mentoring programme. This programme provides a vehicle for leaders to gain a better understanding of heritage and provide an insight into the day-to-day lives of our Black colleagues.?Running over 12 months for a cohort, it involves 1-hour monthly sessions taking place between mentors and mentees on topics such as understanding racism, micro-aggressions and how to be an ally. Originally constructed as a reverse mentoring programme, we named the programme Mutual Mentoring, and both participants learn from the process.

Learning from each other

I’ve been mentoring for around twenty years, and I’ve always felt I’ve learnt more from the mentee than they have from me.? This programme is, however, unique in my experience. The structure of the programme, with well formed background reading and discussion topics, empowers the reverse mentor to really challenge the senior manager mentees thinking. I have gained new insights on the organisation, about the way different people are motivated and what systematic barriers colleagues are facing.?Mentors get to see the organisation and their opportunities within it from a perspective they might not have considered, so it is a fantastic way to help people with their careers too.

My experience so far

I want to learn, support and be able to challenge any behaviour that doesn’t support an inclusive world and I’ve realised there is no way of doing that without examining my own views and occasionally feeling uncomfortable. It’s great that my mentor is not afraid to give feedback on something I have said or challenge my way of thinking. Encouraging challenging feedback is even more important for people in senior leadership positions, as we have the power to do something about it.

It’s also helped me to address some of my fears of ‘saying the wrong thing’ by offering a safe space to learn how to say and do things differently. I especially enjoyed the session I have recently done on allyship and hope that I am an active advocate for change in my division and in my personal life.?

Following the insight I have received through the programme, I have introduced a new policy in my division to ensure we have one or more female and/or Black, Asian or minority ethnic shortlisted candidate(s) for every competitive recruitment for middle ranking and senior roles.

My mentor’s experience

Marsha Allen, Supply Chain & Transition Director, Capita Public Service explains: “I have always been apprehensive when it comes to taking part in diversity programmes, mainly because they have felt like token gestures which resulted in no real change.

“This felt different. The format provided me with an opportunity to challenge my mentor who is in a position of power and influence to see change. Empathy has been key throughout our discussions. I didn’t expect Andy to share my experiences, but often he was able to empathise, he listened, but not just that - he took and is taking action.

“I know that change won’t happen overnight and there is still more to do. However, I have seen the efforts to recruit a more diverse senior leadership team with the recent appointment of a black female leader in Andy’s division.”

Enabling a more inclusive and diverse workplace

We knew we needed to take action and launching the programme, which was piloted in my division and now has over 300 people taking part, was the right thing to do as part of our broader commitments around race and ethnicity. We are building a happier, more compassionate workforce that understands each other and the clients and communities they work in. And we’re listening to and learning from the experiences of colleagues and understanding their struggles to make Capita a better place for them.

Importantly, we also need inclusive and diverse workplaces and teams that can engage with anyone – regardless of background, culture, ethnicity, religion, working and thinking styles. Our division designs and delivers public services for citizens across the UK – we can only design excellent services if we address needs in an inclusive way.?

There are clear benefits

The programme is one of the things that can help break down barriers between the senior leadership and the rest of the workforce. It helps some minority ethnic mentors to develop confidence and their own skills by helping them to build their networks and give them exposure to leaders in the business they might not otherwise have had access to. We already have examples in my division where some relationships have already produced development opportunities for mentors as the programme helped to push them outside of their comfort zone and, in turn, step up to the next level.

We had a fantastic set of events in October to celebrate Black History Month, concluding with a brilliant awards ceremony created by our Black Employees Network (BEN). But as we exit Black History Month, we recognise we must challenge inequality all year and I'd encourage other to consider implementing programmes like Mutual Mentoring to do that. If you'd be interested in setting up your own scheme do feel free to reach out and I'll connect you to the fantastic Marcel De Jonghe who has brilliantly designed the detail of our programme.

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