By breaking down barriers and stimulating a cross-generational workforce of all ages to guide one another, companies will create a synergy of abilities and skills and boost productivity, says Laura-Jane Silverman
Reverse mentorship is the process of flipping the traditional dynamic of mentoring on its head with a junior employee taking the ‘lead’ in the rapport. Through communicating and collaborating to both pass on and receive knowledge and expertise, participants can develop and thrive within their roles, challenge biases, and encourage innovation and diversity in the workplace. Cross-generational reverse mentoring is one example that is currently disrupting more standard mentoring methods by encouraging Gen Zers to mentor their millennial and boomer colleagues and break down the generational barriers that exist in the workplace.
The ‘life-cycle’ model of mentoring
When we think of mentoring, we tend to envision an experienced employee taking a junior employee under their wing and teaching them. Instead, reverse mentoring pairs individuals from different generations with the objective of mutual learning and growth and is designed to empower Gen-Zers to share their skills and perspectives. This revised approach creates a two-way learning flow and embraces an inclusive, diverse work culture.
By reinventing conventional approaches to mentoring in this way can provide a fresh perspective and a necessary yet exciting departure from the traditional definition. In recent times, mentoring has evolved to fit the demands of a new generation emerging in the post-pandemic workplace. This is embodied by the new ‘life-cycle’ model that challenges more traditional methods by bringing reverse mentoring to the fore.
A growing number of educational institutions, such as LSE Generate – The London School of Economics home for entrepreneurship – have begun to implement and promote this method. Through its recently launched ‘Mentorpreneurship’ programme in partnership with OakNorth bank, LSE Generate has established the first university-run initiative of its kind designed to support the development of socially conscious startups and inspire entrepreneurial thinking, by focusing on the fundamental role of mentorship – and reverse mentoring more specifically – in business.
The initiative is the first of its kind to engage past, current and future student entrepreneurs in a ‘life-cycle’ of mentoring, helping to develop businesses and creative ideas. The idea is that participating school students are mentored by university students, early-stage entrepreneurs can receive support from alumni entrepreneurs who will have access to senior innovators, who will in turn be ‘reverse mentored’ by school students, thus creating an environment in which Gen Zers benefit from learning from older generations and vice versa. The London School of Economics recently adopted a similar approach by introducing virtual reverse board meetings that involve school children from across the country speaking with CEOs to help them make critical business decisions with new ideas and fresh perspectives.
How disruption enables development
This kind of human-to-human collaboration and mentorship is fundamental in problem-solving and navigating the ups and downs of innovation as well as creating lasting change for the future. The emergence of Gen Z has caused more senior employees to rethink the way they interact with more junior colleagues and adopt a more stimulating and progressive approach to mentorship. Moreover, the fallout of the pandemic has forced businesses to reconsider the type of support they provide their employees for them to thrive and make a difference in wider society.
For companies to foster an environment of growth and learning, businesses must match workers of different generations to allow employees to break out of their comfort zones and create a thriving, engaging workplace. Whilst it may not always be easy for a senior employee who’s been at a company for fifteen-plus years to take advice from a seemingly inexperienced colleague, Gen-Zers have a lot to offer in the form of different skill sets, such as their tech and social media savviness.
Reverse mentoring also helps to break down generational stereotypes between employees and provide subsequently improved collaboration throughout a business. In an innovative work culture where generations share experiences, knowledge and skills, businesses can develop a more skilled, learned and adaptable workforce that enables teams, and each employee, to thrive.
Mentoring is a key part of a company’s culture to promote diversity and inclusion, which can benefit productivity, team satisfaction and employee retention. Generational reverse mentorship fosters this kind of inclusion – while Gen Z employees look to their senior colleagues for feedback, coaching and training, they in turn bring the enthusiasm, directness and forward-thinking ideas needed to spark new and important discussions.
By breaking down barriers and stimulating a cross-generational workforce of all ages to guide one another, companies will create a synergy of abilities and varied skills and boost productivity as a result. Furthermore, by businesses introducing the design of generational reverse-mentorship at an early stage, experienced leaders can help the next generation of entrepreneurs prepare for the future, whatever that may look like.
Laura-Jane Silverman is Head of LSE Generate, the London School of Economics entrepreneurship department.
