Mentoring business is vast, comprising various types of mentoring techniques, one such kind of mentoring which has gained significant attention of the people is reverse mentoring. Reverse mentoring has many perks, making it grow rampantly over the past few years.
In this article, we will see what exactly reverse mentoring is, what are its perks and benefits and why people implement this kind of mentoring method in their organizations and businesses.
What Is Reverse Mentoring?
- As the name suggests, reverse mentoring involves the participation of two employees of an organization, one from the lower level and another from his superiors.
- Like any other mentoring type, the only difference here is the knowledge and guidance are passed from the junior member to the senior-level individual.
- The main objective of this reverse flow of learning is to help the senior to understand the junior’s lived experience of performing several roles and responsibilities in the market.
- The theory of reverse mentoring was suggested by the famous American business executive and CEO of General Electric, John Francis Welch Jr., commonly known as Jack Welch, who in his organization implemented it.
- Reverse mentoring promotes diversity and openness in the company and helps in the easy flow of communication. When the pupil teaches his mentor, it leads to the development of too much creativity.
- It is a valuable process that will determine the effectiveness and efficiency of every employee working in the company.
- Remember, the reverse flow can also cause reasons for many fights if not appropriately handled. In such cases, one must keep their ego out of business to gain maximum output from the mentoring platforms.
- Reverse mentoring allows people to disclose themselves and eliminate the overshadowing of staff and members working in a junior position.
- The seniors must respect the values of other people who are of lower rank than them. Instead of focusing on the sole personal objective, they must look towards the growth and sustainability of the overall business and trust the process.
- People must understand the importance of broadening their pool of network and employing new members with their unique skills and talents. It will boost the image of the business and help your business to always stay trendy with the diversity you have in your company.
As we now have a brief understanding of reverse mentoring, let us look at a few benefits individuals and organizations can derive from it when implemented and acted on correctly.
Advantages of Reverse Mentoring
Offer your business a fresh and new perspective
- As it goes, with modern problems, you need a modern solution; when you are dealing with business situations, reverse mentoring is one of the best strategies to save you and your business from it.
- It allows the company to have fresh minds with a much brighter perspective of the modern world business scenarios. So let them in and use their knowledge and experience as a tool to fight the hindrances coming in between you and your success.
- Time has changed, and strategies have changed.
- Thus, we need new insights into the business as well to make it successful and operational for a more extended period.
Empowering the upcoming leaders
- People might be well experienced and learned, but companies need to understand the importance of helping younger generations upskill their talents and perspectives.
- It will never be one person’s role in the growth of a company, it is a team effort, and people cannot remain always serving the company forever. Thus, we need new talents to follow the same path with more creativity.
- Empowering the younger generation and the newbies will help them to become the upcoming leaders of the company, making it survive the business situations accurately.
- Thus, reverse mentoring has become quite a helpful tool here for developing the new forces of skilled and knowledgeable employees of the company.
Break down generational stereotypes
- One of the essential aspects of reverse mentoring is breaking the general stereotypes in a company.
- When the communication and exchange of knowledge flow differently, people assume it is a violation of the norms of business relationships and hierarchy.
- They are unaware of the benefits it will provide them for their business in the coming years.
- It is a misconception that people have in their mind that the old staff works more diligently than the younger generations; both levels of workers, whether senior or new member, work hard and looks for the overall accomplishment of the firm’s goals.
- When you break these stereotypes, it becomes much easier to work in such a workplace with an encouraging environment where actually equality and freedom of speech are executed.
- Working becomes convenient, leading to the company’s and its employees’ healthy growth.
There are many other benefits that reverse mentoring offers, but these are the most significant ones that individuals and organizations should not neglect under any circumstances. You can apply the reverse mentoring technique for your business’s prosperity, and it will prove its worth.
