The Role of Reverse Mentoring in Adopting Generative AI

What I Hope You Will Tell Others: Imagine a workplace where the youngest employees hold the keys to the most advanced technology. Welcome to the era of reverse mentoring with generative AI

I've had numerous discussions with leaders who -- like myself -- have been avid adopters of Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) since its early public release in November 2022. While there are an array of potential uses in fields like survey research and data collection, many have concentrated their use and learning around a single area: writing. Basic writing skills seem to have eroded over time as we’ve moved away from writing by hand to typing, and now to short social media bursts, where grammar, punctuation, and most importantly readability often play little role. It is also a task that some find daunting and can often dread. As leaders of professionals for whom writing is essential, they see generative AI as a game-changing tool.

The folks in these organizations – like my won -- are daily involved with writing compelling proposals to clients, detailed project reports, press releases, marketing and survey materials, let alone the thousands of emails sent annually. The true sweet spot of generative AI right now is providing assistance with text – as a basic editor, providing a detailed review of what’s been written, idea generation, providing clarity to overly verbose write-ups, and even a place to safely send those “flaming” emails (just use the prompt: “Edit for clarity and professionalism,” and press enter – you’ll feel much better and have something a bit less volatile to send as a response).

One leader was so confident in the power of generative AI to really boost and often transform writing abilities that they made a bold challenge to the staff: 'By July 1, 2024, we will all be using generative AI as ubiquitously as we use Word, PowerPoint, Excel or our favorite analytic package.'

After 12 months of a concerted push, where the expectation was that tech-savvy, forward-leaning staff would become the pride of the company in generative AI adoption, the surveys showed: 50% were using it monthly … that is, a person at least logged into the system at least once per month. Not a very robust metric. So, an internal “pulse” was conducted, asking more explicitly how often folks were using this regularly. Survey said: one-in-five. Nearly 80% of the staff were either not using generative AI at all or using it so little that there was clearly no positive habit being developed.

What went wrong?

As some digging was done – during 1:1 calls with direct reports and small group discussions with staff to hear what’s on their minds, it became clear: members of the leadership teams themselves had not bought into the use of generative AI and hence were not modeling positive behavior, let alone encouraging their staff to do the same. The reasons varied from: 'I don’t have time to learn this' or 'I tried it once or twice and wasn’t impressed' to jumping immediately to more complex use cases and being dismayed that it didn’t turn out the first time as they had hoped. And one which make me personally bristle: 'I don’t see how it can improve over what I and an expert at' – so, there’s nothing left to learn, eh? There were a couple of exceptions, and they were the “older” Gen-Z leaders; but among those of the Gen-X and Millennial generations, it was feet dragging.

So what to do?

This seems like a perfect opportunity to lean into “reverse mentoring.” The idea that there are skillsets that the younger generation have not only learned but been brought up with – it’s in their DNA. The use of generative AI while new as a tool, is right in line with the types of digital, AI-based tools these folks have grown up with. In fact, in many small group meetings this was borne out. It was the younger staff who confided that they were using generative AI regularly to improve their writing. Yet, often this was communicated with a bit of caution so as not to seem out of touch with the more senior folks in their group – an odd paradox given the goal.

So how to enlist this team? Leaders have taken some combination of 4 steps to promote this “role reverse” of a sorts:

1. Giving everyone explicit permission to learn, adopt, and spread the word (and their examples) of using generative AI. This seems perfunctory, but sometimes when the chief officer comes out and says: “You are allowed to do this, please do this and tell others” – it can have a liberating impact.

2. Pulling together an “AI Vanguard” of folks who have volunteered that they are either regular users or have a real interest in becoming so. They come from across all teams, so they are embedded already, and they meet regularly to share positive experiences; vet roadblocks or excuses they are hearing; and to develop ways to try to bring the rest of the team along.

3. Having a straight-up conversation with the leadership team – this is the road we’re on; as leaders, you set the tone and provide the example – folks are looking at you – how you speak about the uses of generative AI, promote its use, and most importantly use it yourself really matters.

4. Encouraging each leader to find 1-2 folks on their teams who are adopters of generative AI and ask them to mentor the leader; leads needed to come to those meetings as “students” – open minds, do the homework, put the lessons to use. Allow the more junior staff member to guide them and show them how using generative AI has helped them daily.

Reverse mentoring flips the traditional dynamic and hierarchical roles, placing the more junior employees in the position of mentoring more senior staff. This can have several benefits beyond transfer of specific skills. It encourages a culture of openness and collaboration, breaking down hierarchical and generational barriers. It promotes mutual, continued learning in which both parties benefit. And it helps build leadership skills. It can help more junior colleagues gain confidence and experience, and it helps the more senior leaders to learn active listening, dropping some of their barriers or guard, and embracing new approaches.

Will it work? We shall see … that’s a topic for a future blog. I’d love to hear how your generative AI adoption journey is going! Are you or are you not on that path? If you lead teams, what have you done to encourage adoption?

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