What is Reverse Mentoring? A Complete Overview

Reverse Mentoring is a challenge to the notion which believes that wisdom can only flow in one direction. It is a traditional thought and approach, where the workspace believes that only senior executives are eligible to offer value and knowledge to juniors.  

It is defined as a transfer of skills and knowledge typically from someone who has considerably less experience, or a junior, to a senior. Over the past few years, there has been a surge in Reverse Mentoring. It offers a plethora of benefits in the domain of career development. Explore every element, benefit, importance, and guideline related to Reverse Mentoring in this blog. 

Table of Contents 

1) Definition of Reverse Mentoring  

2) Importance of Reverse Mentoring 

3) How does Reverse Mentoring work? 

4) Examples of Reverse Mentoring in the workplace 

5) How to start a Reverse Mentoring Program? 

6) Guidelines for Reverse Mentoring 

7) Conclusion 

Definition of Reverse Mentoring 

Reverse Mentoring, simply put, can be defined as a situation when a junior Mentors someone senior. The idea behind this practice is the belief that the junior has greater expertise in technology, digital media, etc. A senior executive might not always possess expertise in these particular fields.  

When practiced correctly, Reverse Mentoring can be very effective in team development and reducing generational gap. This practice is an essential part of diversity, inclusion and leadership initiative.  

It also disrupts the idea of Mentoring as an elitist concept. The sole purpose of this practice is to share Mentoring Skills for professional development. 
 

Importance of Reverse Mentoring 

Reverse Mentoring is still comparatively a new concept, which is gaining more attention with passing days. Organisations often strive to promote inter-generational collaboration and mutual understanding. Thus, at its core, Reverse Mentoring encourages sharing without prejudices.  

With digital transformation becoming undeniable, it is established that change is good. Here are some examples that will help you understand the importance of Reverse Mentoring: 

1) Building a culture of transparency and trust 

2) Appreciating and supporting generational knowledge 

3) Supporting all generational inclusivity 

4) Promoting diversity 

5) Increase in employee engagement 

6) Developing future leaders 

7) Professional development of both generations 

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How does Reverse Mentoring work? 

One of the greatest elements of this Mentoring practice is that it does not deviate much from the classic Mentoring approach. Reverse Mentoring, in fact, follows the same guidelines as a traditional Mentoring method. However, the only key difference is that the Mentor is not the senior, and the mentee is the senior. Even with unlimited possibilities, there are some key areas which make Reverse Mentoring work: 

1) A strong understanding of emerging technologies in the industry 

2) Will of being involved in a diverse group  

3) Challenges that affect an individual or a group of seniors which they are unaware of 

4) Latest trends in the industry that the seniors know not about 

Some amount of friction was witnessed while practicing Reverse Mentoring. The biggest difficulty that arises is due to the generational differences and stereotypes. This problem can be fixed with open communication and instilling a sense of mutual respect. It is important to respect each other’s values, experiences and perspectives.  

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Examples of Reverse Mentorship in the workplace? 

Reverse Mentorship approach offers many benefits. Let’s explore some of the examples: 

Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion 

Inclusion and diversity have been a long-drawn issue in the corporate world for many years. Companies are in constant need to embrace diverse cultural leadership. Reverse Mentorship presents opportunities for under-represented employees to gain a certain degree of exposure to leaders. This practice does not only help the juniors but also gives leaders a fresh perspective.  

Bridging the generation gap 

This Mentoring practice closes the generational gap in the company. Seniors, too, get a platform to learn more about newer ideas, technology, and industry trends. Whereas the juniors too get access to perform a leadership act.   

Retaining millennial talent 

Recently, millennials are having negative feelings about the companies’ ethics and policies. One of the biggest reasons being, they feel neglected by the seniors. This leads them to leave the workplace, abruptly at times. However, when the Reverse Mentorship module is practiced in the workplace, it demonstrates management’s interest in millennial workers’ well-being.   

Empowering up-and-coming leaders 

It is essential to empower emerging leaders. This means that individuals require proper training and guidance to carry out leadership roles in the future. With this Mentoring style, youngsters develop needful communication skills and boost their self-confidence.  

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How to start a Reverse Mentoring program? 

Listed below are the steps that to start a Reverse Mentoring program:

Step 1: Establish clear objectives 

The first step is to describe the purpose of the Reverse Mentoring program. The goal of this step is to identify which use of the Mentorship style is most critical for the people. 

Step 2: Develop the Reverse Mentoring program structure  

Once the needful is mapped out, it is time to invest in the details. The outline needs to have certain details like: 

1) Selecting participants of the program  

2) Number of spaces available 

3) Length of the process 

4) How would people sign up for the program 

5) The expected commitment  

6) What is the monitoring process of the progress  

Step 3: Recruiting Mentors and mentees 

After fixing the program, it is time for onboarding Mentors and mentees separately.  the program now needs to be promoted through internal communication channels. It is better if you can identify target participants individually and send invites to them personally. Communicating the benefits of the program is necessary. 

Step 4: Match Mentors with mentees 

One of the most crucial parts of setting up Reverse Monitoring is deciding to match Mentors and mentees. This depends on how many participants there are in the program. Matches, typically, are made based on the skill set held by the Mentor and the required improvement spheres of the mentees. 

Step 5: Launch and oversee the Reverse Mentoring program 

Once the program is set and Mentor with mentees are matched, it is fit to be officially launched. The prime goal of the step is to build a sense of community amongst all participants. This, in turn, helps to increase the commitment of the employees. In order to get a good start, provide necessary resources and support to both sides – Mentors and mentees. 

Track the frequency at which the Mentor and mentees are meeting, and then create a system for receiving feedback from the participants. This will help you to understand if the program is really working towards your desired goal.  

Guidelines for Reverse Mentoring  

 As discussed earlier, Reverse Mentoring is not very different from standard Mentoring procedure. The Mentor and mentees roles are just reversed, where seniority is not a factor in being the Mentor. Here are the guidelines for this Mentorship program: 

Finding a suitable Reverse Mentor 

Finding the right Mentor in this setting might be a challenging task compared to traditional Mentoring styles. As a Reverse Mentor, it might feel intimidating Mentoring seniors. However, the aim is exactly that, Mentoring seniors helping them get upskilled.   

Establishing expectations 

It is crucial to set expectations at the beginning of the Mentorship program. A tendency to take control might be seen from the seniors' end, which needs to be controlled. It is important to set clear instructions about who the Mentor is in the setting.  

Providing experience-based guidance and Mentorship 

Learning curve is dependent on hands-on experience, the failures and the mistakes made. The more encouragement you show towards Mentoring, the more growth you can witness. It provides experience-based guidance that can help mentees to not repeat any previously made mistakes.  

Conclusion  

Reverse Mentoring can reap numerous benefits and help organisations grow. It is a powerful tool to support all employees. With uses such as inclusion, leadership development, upskill, if practiced properly, can be truly profitable.  

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