Organisations are increasingly looking for their younger employees to serve as mentors to their more senior coworkers. However, putting these plans into action might be difficult, especially in certain parts of the world. What steps can firms take to ensure a fruitful partnership?
When it comes to mentoring, things have changed dramatically in recent years. Reverse mentorship is becoming increasingly popular in the corporate sector, when senior leaders are mentored by millennials and new hires. This is part of a rising effort to develop a more diversified workforce and an inclusive employment strategy. It's a reflection of the increasingly diverse workforce, which now spans three or four generations, with workers ranging in age from 18 to 80.
It is a response to the current VUCA (volatility uncertainty complexity and ambiguity) atmosphere that reverse mentoring is on the rise, according to CEO of Lloyd's of London Inga Beale.
According to Beale, who meets with an apprentice mentor from the insurance firm on a monthly basis, the goal is to create a workforce that represents the diverse society in which we live. To this, she responds, "We need to be reminded of what's going on around us, as well as how the younger generation is behaving and thinking," When it comes to getting new ideas, I look to all of the children I get to work with. Using this information, I'm able to conceive of ways in which we can appeal to this generation."
So, what are the millennials' thoughts on these shows? It's no secret that Hayley Smith is the owner of Boxed Out PR and serves as a mentor to millennials at the Central Research Laboratory (CRL). The reverse mentor programme is a way for millennials to pass on their expertise, according to her. This generation is less risk-averse, according to Smith. What sets us apart from others is our ability to anticipate the future and our entrepreneurial spirit. As a result, we're able to take advantage of better chances than previous generations."
Create A Culture That Values All People.
Beale argues that in an ever-evolving and complex environment, the ability to think creatively is critical. A moment when many people have lost faith in the political and economic structures of the globe is an ideal opportunity to find solutions to the problems that people face.
According to Beale, many people feel that their sociological and economic issues, such as globalisation, equality, and declining social norms, are being disregarded. "We need to find a way to fix this." In addition, the decisions we make on employing a diverse workforce can have a profound impact on the society in which we live."
Reverse mentorship, according to Beale, is about cultivating a more open and inclusive culture by learning from others around you. Numerous other forward-thinking employers agree with her.
An advantage of reverse mentoring, according to former Channel 4 HR Director and current CEO of consulting firm Mindshift Diane Herbert: "It sends a really clear message that learning and development are life-long processes and not related to one's age or the amount of years' experience a person has." According to Herbert, this shows that no matter where ideas and viewpoints originate from, a corporation values them.
Adapt To A Constantly Changing World
Senior executives benefit from this, according to Air Partner's Interim Group HR Director Kathy Poole. "Young people frequently bring fresh perspectives, open minds, and an intuitive attitude to new technology and ideas. This enormous resource may be used through reverse mentorship initiatives, to the advantage of everyone."
Richard According to Daniel Curtis, CEO of The Mentoring School, demand for reverse mentoring training has increased significantly over the past few years. As he puts it, "I think many organisations are intrigued because it gives them a unique perspective into how the younger generations view their products," operations, or the usage of technology. "We believe this will lead to more employee involvement and happiness, as well as a better understanding of the company's needs."
There are a lot of things that financial services and other businesses may do to better connect with the millennial generation. This generation of workers wants to be engaged in their work and fulfilled, but they also have a lot to contribute to their companies.
The millennial generation, she says, "is uniquely positioned to advise on how we mix new technology and thinking with the old-world hierarchy" since we are the last to remember the pre-digital era, but we are also young enough to embrace digital innovation.
Boost Morale And Productivity At Every Level Of Your Organisation.
Almost by accident, according to Enterprise Rent-A-European Car's HR Director Donna Miller, the company's reverse mentoring programme evolved out of the company's top-down mentoring initiative, which began six years ago.
In her own words, "this entailed our largely baby boomer top-level leaders teaching predominantly millennial junior to middle manager females." she says. This programme was originally conceived as a high-potential development opportunity for women in their early to mid-career stages.
Currently, the programme is open to all female applicants. Senior executives realised the value of spending an hour a month with younger team members, who were at the operational coalface and brought insights from different life experiences as well as different ways of working, particularly around innovative methods to communicate more effectively using technology. In fact, the programme was so well-received that it was made available to the senior head office staff and all regional general managers as well.
Getting Through Cultural Boundaries
These programmes face some difficulties, especially in some regions. It is possible that reverse mentoring will raise uncomfortable questions about seniority in cultures such as China and India, which place great value on experience and maturity. Programming changes may be necessary in these situations.
"During our experience rolling out the global mentoring programme at jewellery business Swarovski, we were cautious and conscious of the subtleties and influence of cultural contexts," says Emily Cosgrove, co-founder of the Conversation Space.
For example, in their first meeting with mentees in the Asia Pacific region, they had to get them to think about how they may approach their mentor in a more "adult-to-adult" setting rather than a "parent–child" one. Cosgrove explains that in the real world, this meant being aware of the language one uses and the power imbalances that exist.
Putting Theory Into Practise
She also advises gathering in a safe, neutral place where the participants can overcome their hierarchical roles. Additionally, it has the power to change people's viewpoints because of its ability to serve as an equaliser.
According to Cosgrove, "the more generational gaps there are, the greater the impact." In other words, try to imagine yourself in the shoes of someone else. Imagine being a member of an ethnic minority at work and not seeing anyone else in a position of authority who looks like you. Unless you inquire, you'll never know for sure.
"Generations are constantly changing," Miller adds. Understanding and teamwork can be improved through mentorship and reverse mentoring between different age groups." Even if some of the company's more senior, long-serving employees may have taken offence at being mentored by someone who wasn't even born when they were applying for a mortgage, she points out that the oldest employees at Enterprise Rent-A-Car have reaped the greatest benefits.
"Our younger, often millennial, employees are now closest to our customers at the branch," she says. "Our older employees have been with the company for a long time and started working at a branch many years earlier." As a result of reverse mentoring, "their experiences and views are crucial in shaping the company's strategy."
Consulting with Experts in the Field
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