Comments on: Reverse Mentoring

By: Roger

Roger — Tue, 07 Jun 2005 12:31:30 +0000

I've done this once already and it's been a huge value-add for the recipient (who shall remain nameless except his initials are Steve Griffiths). Steve has about 20 different email addresses and to check email was a nightmare - because he had to sign in to his website 20 times to read all of his email. As you can imagine, this took AGES - kinda like having 20 post boxes and having to drive to each one to check if you have mail. So, chatting over Skype one day (Steve is in England and I'm in South Africa) he asked me if I could help him simplify his mail checking process. It took a while and I needed to send him screenshots to help him through the process of entering his mail server addresses correctly and all that, but now that it's done all he has to do to check mail from his 20 addresses is hit "Get mail." Quite the timesaver! So I've helped him increase him productivity, decrease his frustration level and in short, given him more time to write things about his chicken Didymus the Blind. In return, I've received his eternal gratefulness, free accomodation whenever I want to go to the UK (!) and the satisfaction of helping someone do something new. I'm sure many other Gen Xers would love the chance to help Boomers with their computer skills...

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 07 Jun 2005 08:17:23 +0000

THis is hugely significant in the changing work space – if leadership is really about significance and influence – which I think is a given now – then the level of leadership that can and should be displayed by the young turks is vast. We should really be pushing organizations to formally introduce reverse mentoring programs – after all it is smart and will add enormous value. Pity that the only think in the way is the ego of Boomers who can’t let go, or who think they know it all already.

By: mikestop

mikestop — Mon, 06 Jun 2005 12:17:11 +0000

I have a hunch that the vast majority Gen X-ers would simply jump at the opportunity to teach or mentor a “senior” colleague. Reason one: we relish any chance to share knowledge and/or experience. Reason two: therein lies an invitation to be significant, to be noticed, to be valued, or needed.

I am sometimes picked out to facilitate “training” at the office, whether it is a new employee learning our management system or, as was the case recently, facilitating small group workshops focused around ‘frontline professionalism’. Part of the “course” involved offering our fellow employees tips and hints for speaking on the phone – a critical contact point for many of our customers. Picture it – a 24 year-old snot implying that a 63 year-old purchasing manager that he is abrupt on the phone. Character building stuff!

The point is, for myself and my HR manager (maidenmole – who is 25), the experience was enriching, informative, challenging and in retrospect, hugely beneficial to all parties.

I guess credit should go to the powers that be for making available the opportunity for us to facilitate in the first place. Companies that do not allow for this kind of interaction will must be developing impenetrable walls between their generationally-diverse employees.