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Leadership Tip of the Month

July 2004

Copyright 2004ã weLEAD, Inc.

What is “Reverse Mentoring”?

For well over a decade, organizations have been encouraged to institute formal mentoring programs! In these programs the senior and more experienced managers spend time with less experienced individuals to accelerate their learning concerning job skills, values and the organizational culture. In this environment the senior managers often become role models for the younger or less experienced generation. The June 2002 weLEAD Leadership “Tip of the Month” discussed this important topic and you can find out more information here.

However, this may not be the only effective form of mentoring! This traditional model works well for most organizations and can be a powerful tool to develop the future leaders of an organization. Another valid form of mentoring is called reverse mentoring or backward learning. In this arrangement the younger or less experienced juniors or “newbies” mentor certain skills, attitudes or perceptions to the senior members. They are given an “open forum” to provide fresh views or perspectives of the existing organization as they see it. Reverse mentoring is a bottom up approach rather than the traditional top down mentoring approach.

Here are just a few examples for you to consider. Former General Electric Chairman Jack Welch used reverse mentoring in 1999 when he directed 600 of his top managers to pair with younger workers to learn more about technology and the Internet. Other successful organizations, such as Procter & Gamble, have also used reverse mentoring as a strategy.

What are the benefits of reverse mentoring?

1. An organization’s culture should be constantly evolving for the better. It must be flexible enough to adapt higher standards and new ways to increase learning. Over time senior leaders simply adopt and accept an existing culture. They mentally establish certain assumptions and typically only listen to those who are at the top of the organization’s hierarchy. Though this can provide a sense of stability and continuity, it can also “choke off” or stunt needed self-analysis or examination in a rapidly changing environment or marketplace.

2. Reverse mentoring sends the message to the less experienced members that their opinions and ideas are valued and really matter. Even if many of their opinions are not adopted, they at least know that they had the opportunity to candidly express their views. This promotes a deeper sense of commitment and “buy-in” toward various corporate strategies. This experience also helps the newbies to more quickly develop coaching, counseling, communication and mentoring skills.

3. Senior members really can learn a lot from junior or less experienced members of the organization! Each generation has its own unique strengths and weaknesses and we can all learn from one another. The newcomers to an organization usually have only a brief period when they can offer fresh approaches, insights, and ideas to senior management. This is an excellent time to tap into their alternative perspectives before they slowly lose these qualities and become merged into the existing culture.

4. Reverse mentoring can only be effective when senior managers are teachable and humble about the process. They must temporarily set aside the subordinate-boss relationship and be willing to learn and question with an open mind. If this environment exists the senior managers will be able to develop greater self-awareness, examine some obsolete assumptions and expand their technical skills. Again, this is only possible when the senior managers have an unassuming mind-set about the purpose and benefits of reverse mentoring.

Reverse mentoring can be an important and effective tool to validate or change an existing culture. Not all ideas, perspectives, opinions or insights provided by the less experienced members will be valid or legitimate. Perhaps most of them will not be embraced, but many of them will be beneficial and offer the opportunity for the corporate culture to change for the better!

For weLEAD, this is Greg Thomas reminding you that it was Sam Rayburn who said, “You cannot be a leader and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.”

On the weLEAD Website you will find over 70 other free helpful leadership tips. They are all available in a text version or as an MP3 audio!