Reversed Mentorship

Today I want to talk about reversed mentorship.

Traditionally we know mentorship as a more experienced individual that guides a young, new individual. I came across this article by Roland Innes and I must say I agree.  

In the words of Roland Innes CEO at DYNA Training

"Given the extraordinary rate of change in the last decade, this model of mentorship has changed. No longer is it just the protégé who has something to learn, and the mentor who can impart this wisdom. Now, the dynamic is completely different and younger entrants to the workplace can make a valuable contribution with the right structures in place, such as reverse mentorship. By pairing younger employees with experienced executives with the purpose of mentoring on trending topics of strategic and cultural relevance, it is clear that the power relationship has equalised. Both sides of the generational gap stand to learn important lessons from the other in addition to delivering real benefits to the business."

Do you agree that this is a tactic that businesses can use to stay relevant?

For one there is the digital side of the business that might be more challenging for older employees or business owners (here I talk about myself too). I think it is important to learn about these things myself, but how much easier if you have someone on board that can guide you.  

You can you this as a way to retain millennials. We all know they are known for job-hopping, and by the way, which is no longer frowned upon, but let's face it, you don't want to invest in a short-term relationship. 

According to Innes reversed mentoring takes care of the three R's:

 • Retention, 
 • Relevant conversations and 
 • Real trends

Additional benefits:

 • Improves connection to company culture
 • Drives technological change
 • Fosters deeper inclusion

It is however important to pair the right team for such a relationship. If used effectively it can bridge the generation gap, fuel innovation, and business growth.