Reversed Mentoring for Innovative Leadership

What is reverse mentoring?

When you think of mentoring, you imagine a Senior Colleague taking a Junior under their wing and showing them the ropes of the organization. Senior Colleagues have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to share, and Junior Colleagues can benefit from career guidance and professional development (Kaše et al., 2019). However, when the roles are swapped, and the Junior Colleague takes the lead, Senior Colleagues (and the organization) benefit from new perspectives, retained talent, and improved communication (Murphy, 2012). This structure is called Reverse Mentoring and has provided meaningful intergenerational knowledge sharing and professional support in an evolving workspace.

Started as an initiative by General Electric CEO Jack Welch in 1999 to teach senior management the internet, reverse mentorship programs are a form of leadership development that purposely "capitalizes on building bridges between generations," leading to understanding and innovation (Murphy, 2012). This approach to mentoring also differs from the traditional approach as it intentionally addresses and solves problems in the organization (Gadomska-Lila, 2020).

Junior Colleagues gain:

• Increased job satisfaction
• Mentorship and communication skills
• Business insights
• Positive attitudes of older generations
• Increased respect

Senior Colleagues gain:

• Renewed workplace enthusiasm
• New and novel knowledge
• Expanded technical skills
• Generational perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion

Connecting different generations in the workforce in a structured meaningful program, organizations that are more inclusive of different races, ethnicities, and gender identities (Frey, 2021). Relationships developed by reverse mentorship create economic and symbolic social resources that benefit from reciprocity for both Junior and Senior colleagues (Murphy, 2012). Implemented well, the intergenerational knowledge exchange in a reverse mentorship program can support innovation and increase social capital for the mentor and mentee through reciprocity and respect (Gadomska-Lila, 2020; Murphy, 2012).

Reverse Mentoring in Practice

Technology was the original basis for the development of reverse mentoring practices. With the rapid growth of new technologies, building a reverse mentoring program with technology skills outcomes is beneficial and drives innovation (Kaše et al., 2019). Since many junior colleagues may be digital natives, having access to the internet most of their lives, they are uniquely positioned to teach new technology tools for problem-solving and management (Frey, 2021; Frey et al., 2021). This approach can be beneficial to organizations navigating change, such as moving to a virtual format of work or challenges presented by rapidly changing technology (Clarke et al., 2019; Frey et al., 2021).

Reverse mentorship is not limited to technology. This approach can lift-up junior colleagues who exemplify inclusive strategies with peers and clients and contribute to an organizational culture where concerns can be raised (Clarke et al., 2019). Organizations looking to build intergenerational relations that support a changing workforce and diversification of teams can benefit from reverse mentorship programs focused on creating organizational models of diversity, equity, and inclusion (Gadomska-Lila, 2020; Murphy, 2012). For example, reverse mentorship can improve leadership’s understanding of critical social issues such as those faced by people of color and people in the LGBTQ+ community (Gadomska-Lila, 2020).

Tips for bringing reverse mentoring to your organization

Select matches carefully, there should be commonality but not homogeneity. Find a balance between what can be learned and what is shared with matches where the mentor and mentee have areas in common that they can build on in problem-solving.

Ensure both parties are interested in learning from each other in this dynamic.

Develop goals and outcomes to guide the relationship purposely.

Set ground rules early and agree not to switch roles during the program.

Reflect and reward success, giving equal credit to the program’s outcomes to all participants.

Reverse mentorship is a program that can help promote leadership skills in junior and senior colleagues, and work produced by the team should reflect both parties’ contributions to the organization.

Resources

Clarke, A. J., Burgess, A., van Diggele, C., & Mellis, C. (2019). The role of reverse mentoring in medical education: current insights. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 10, 693–701.

Frey, T. K. (2021). Overcoming Technological Barriers to Instruction: Situating Gen Z Students as Reverse Mentors. Frontiers in Communication, 6.

Frey, T. K., Tatum, N. T., & Cooper, T. B. (2021). Using the Basic Course to Prepare Digital Natives for New Role as Reverse Mentors. Basic Communication Course Annual, 33(18), 342–345.

Gadomska-Lila, K. (2020). Effectiveness of reverse mentoring in creating intergenerational relationships. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(7), 1313–1328.

Kaše, R., Saksida, T., & Mihelič, K. K. (2019). Skill development in reverse mentoring: Motivational processes of mentors and learners. Human Resource Management, 58(1), 57–69.

Murphy, W. M. (2012). Reverse mentoring at work: Fostering cross-generational learning and developing millennial leaders. Human Resource Management, 51(4), 549–573.