The "reverse" gear of mentoring

Almost everyone knows how Jack Welch’s “Vitality Curve” stormed the industry and got adopted by most companies as a part of their performance management philosophy. Recently, I discovered that it was Jack Welch who was the brand ambassador for the Reverse Mentoring concept too. In 1999, at GE, he paired around 500 of his seasoned managers with the company’s tech-savy young staff to drive down the internet learning philosophy and earn his competitive edge.

Sometimes when I go down the memory lane, I fondly remember the coaxing conversations, or was it coercion :) with my parents to purchase their first mobile handset. Though it took them time to treat their new possession beyond just being a “call device”, once they got latched on, there was no turning back. They had discovered a new way to keep themselves updated on what was happening, not only in the country or the world, but more importantly in the lives of their loved ones and friend circles.

Today, my twins educate me on the latest trends in almost everything...be it technology, music, travel, fashion or food. This technology orientation for my parents, and what my kids continue to update me on, is a classic example of reverse mentoring at home.

Coming to the corporate space, the makeup of tomorrow’s workforce may seem daunting as it is undergoing a seismic shift. By the end of this decade, we all know that the Millennials and Generation Z may account for more than 50% of employee strength.

Every employee, regardless of their age, gender or experience has unique things that the others can learn from & that’s where the two-way street of reverse mentoring comes into play. As managers and leaders, we need to find avenues to provide development opportunities to this younger cohort. We must also get them to teach the old horse some new tricks. Understanding latest trends from the generation which grew up with “smartphones-in-their-hands” is a big enabler to bridge the generational gap too.

The benefits of Reverse Mentoring which flips the traditional methodology of veterans taking the youth under their wings are multi-fold.

• The Organization: Organizations which practice reverse mentoring are seen to be progressive and makes them a talent magnet for younger talent who is seeking out fresh doors to share their expertise. While reverse mentoring is a contrast to the conventional mentoring, workplace hierarchies slowly disappear thus creating a culture of diversity of thoughts. Reduced employee turnover is an added benefit as the young, ambitious employees start to feel valued for the exposure and feel recognized for their knowledge and insights.
• The veteran employee:?Reverse mentoring helps the senior folks sharpen the saw and keep it sharp by staying updated of the latest trends (predominantly in the technology space). It also sensitizes them to tune in with the younger lot as the interactions give a better understanding of what it’s like to be a millennial and helps uncover the unconsidered perspective. Upward training makes conversations more effective and businesses see newer ideas and perspectives as an outcome of these mentoring relationships.
• The young mentor:The young mentor gets a closer access to leaders and thus benefits from the lessons through “shadow-training” at a very early stage of his/ her career. Needless to say, these young mentors now see things differently and get to see the bigger picture and garner a better perspective around the ways of working. Understanding macro-level management scenarios reduces conflicts and helps to reduce the “us-versus-them’ mindset.

Though reducing the generational stereotype by combining years of experience and wisdom with digital transformation is a dominant space for reverse mentoring, there are other key areas wrt gender/ LGBTQ/ differently-abled diversity groups, where the concept may bring out substantial benefits for the under-represented communities. Today, in most companies, there is minimal representation of these cohorts and hence organizations struggle to appreciate problems or devise support systems to enable their performance. Conversations in this space through the reverse mentoring format may help appreciate the unconscious bias and suggest ways on how to confront the pre-existing stereotypes.??

While the advantages of reverse mentoring far outweigh the disadvantages around time, cost, sustainability etc, one important watch-out area is to prevent the leader from taking the dominant position. The junior employee needs to feel comfortable in “speaking truth to power” and hence the rules of the mentoring relationship need to be clear and on the same plane for both the parties.

The beauty behind reverse mentoring lies its conceptual design and execution. The more solid the bond, the more likely will be the exponential change derived from this non-traditional way of mentoring. Greater insights, challenging the status quo through out of the box ideas develop when both- the mentor and the mentee appreciate the value of the mentoring conversations.

The key to success of a successful reverse mentoring relationship lies in how well the barriers of status, power and position are dissolved. A culture where reverse mentoring is valued shifts the "elitist" approach of mentoring as it's no longer an experienced senior taking someone under their wing, but it is a relationship with the sole objective of skill sharing. Hence to create the right win-win, it’s not only important to start the ball rolling, but equally important to let the "switching of roles" sustain.