Reverse Mentoring-A Tool to Develop Future Leaders for Organizations

Abstract

The globalized era look for generations to work together and develop future leaders. One of the tools can be Reverse Mentoring. Reverse Mentoring is practiced where a young employee becomes a mentor for old employee. Both mentor and mentee exchange their skills and knowledge. This help to develop future leaders for an organization. This paper discusses the need for mentors and leaders, benefits associated with Reverse Mentoring and five steps to be followed for successful implementation of Reverse Mentoring.
Keywords: Mentor, Mentees, Reverse mentoring.

Full text

Jour of Adv Research in Dynamical & Control Systems, Vol. 12, 07-Special Issue, 2020
DOI: 10.5373/JARDCS/V12SP7/20202148
ISSN 1943-023X 605
Received: 09 May 2020/Accepted: 10 June 2020
Reverse Mentoring-A Tool to Develop Future
Leaders for Organizations
Dr. Muskan Nagi, Assistant Professor, Gulf University, Bahrain.
Abstract--- The globalized era look for generations to work together and develop future leaders. One of the tools
can be Reverse Mentoring. Reverse Mentoring is practiced where a young employee becomes a mentor for old
employee. Both mentor and mentee exchange their skills and knowledge. This help to develop future leaders for an
organization. This paper discusses the need for mentors and leaders, benefits associated with Reverse Mentoring and
five steps to be followed for successful implementation of Reverse Mentoring.
Keywords--- Mentor, Mentees, Reverse mentoring.
I. Introduction
In today's world, young employees are the future business leaders. Being an experienced leader, we have a
responsibility to shape future leaders by training, guiding and sharing our experience with young employees.
Although, there are many ways to do these but we consider Reverse Mentoring as an effective tool to develop future
leaders. How do we develop and retain the best young talent in an organization? The answer is again by using the
reverse mentoring program and practicing itin companies can help to retain and develop skills of both young and old
employees.
Most of people have perception that longer they work for an organization, more they know about work and less
theyneed to learn. However, the young employees that have joined the corporate world often have new talent,
energy with professional degrees and skills. The new joiners can provide fresh perspectives to old and experienced
employees about quick work through technology usage or any other non-traditional method of completing work.
Before we go into deep to develop leaders for future it‟s important to understand the concept of Reverse Mentoring.
The concept Reverse Mentoring was introduced by Jack Welch a former CEO of General Electric. In late 1990‟s
Jack Welch felt that he lacks technological skills and believed that young people joining the organization are better
than their managers. So, Mr Jack asked his 500 executives to seek out mentors from among fresh joined employees.
Whereas, in the concept of mentoring usually mentor is expected to be senior and more experienced than his/her
mentee. However, this is not the case in reverse mentoring. Reserve mentoring is reversal of traditional concept of
mentoring, to practice reverse mentoring, a mentor can be young and a mentee can be an old in age. Reverse
Mentoring does not give weightage to „AGE‟ but it gives more importance to learning attitude and transferring
skilled knowledge. For example – A young employee can transfer a new technological skill to old employees
whereas an old employee can guide for the career growth.
To be an effective mentor he/she must be good leader. Keeping this as a master objective in this research paper
discussedabout the reverse mentoring and how to develop future leaders with the help of reverse mentoring. This is
not an easy way of mentoring as young employees may have the attitude of not being the mentor of old employees
and vice-versa. There was a time when old employees considered young employees as a threat to their job and
position in a company.However, this was reduced after practising Reverse Mentoring in the organization and this
give a major opportunity to impart leadership skills through reverse mentoring.
II. Need for Reverse Mentoring Practise
To bridge the generation gap, there is a need to call for Reverse Mentoring. Before we discuss the need for
reverse mentoring, it is advisable to understand the generation division in India, as study is based on Indian
workforce prospective. The classification of the population is done on the bases of generation birth year.
The concept of Reverse Mentoring is important to bridge the gap between Proponent and the Propulsive
Generation. Proponent Generation – Born between 1947-1980, who were traditional, supporter and accepted the
things gracefully. Whereas Propulsive Generation - Born between 1980-2000, who were urging, passionate,
authoritative and also compelling. Believe in innovation, exploring and experimenting new thoughts. (Sharma &
Nagi, ISSN 978-93-80574-76-9, Vol. I). This has further stated that Propulsive Generation people are born with
silver spoon, more stubborn, less motivated and much self-centred andtheyalso consider Proponent Generation were

Jour of Adv Research in Dynamical & Control Systems, Vol. 12, 07-Special Issue, 2020
DOI: 10.5373/JARDCS/V12SP7/20202148
ISSN 1943-023X 606
Received: 09 May 2020/Accepted: 10 June 2020
less experimenting, resistant to change and lack smart skills but at the same time they were more committed, loyal
and prefer less job hoping.So, here it calls for a Reverse Mentoring to change this stereotypes thinking and help all
employees to get benefit from each other to achieve organizationalgoals.
It is undeniable fact that the Proponent Generation has much to share and create future leaders with their huge
experience. Whereas the Propulsive generation –a generation that hold the tag of being smart ,tech savvy and
professional degree holders can share their skills and art of doing work in an innovative and smarter way.
The Proponent Generation have the huge potential to overcome the limitation of developing future leadersby
adopting or practising the concept of reverse mentoring in an organization.However the important point is how to
carry or practice Reverse Mentoring Successfully. Following are few steps.
1. Search Potential Mentor/Mentee
A healthy relationship among mentor-mentee needs a good understanding and respect, so choose your mentor
very carefully. Never choose any mentor just because he/she is young. Choose a mentor that meets your need and
share his/her skills. You may also conduct a SWOT Analysis to address your strength and weaknesses. Selection of
mentor is not limited to your work field you can choose from any other profession but be wise while sharing any
confidential details.
Key rule- Have skill and willing to share.
2. Be Clear and Specific
A very important phase, you need to be clear what you want to learn, be committed to your timings and maintain
a formal relationship with each other. Never expect and trust much in your initial days. Be specific what you want
from this relationship? Which skills you want to learn, where you will meet and so on?
Key rule- No expectations and no disappointments.
3. Accessible Communication
Different generation like to communicate differently. So while choosing mentor one must accept the mode of
communication also. A young person may prefer to communicate over the phone or through an email while old
person might prefer to meet in personal. So, one must be ready to communicate in all possible ways in order to make
best outcome from mentor mentee relationship.
Key rule- Develop Communication Skills.
4. Be Patient, Open Minded and Respect
Both mentor and mentee in reverse mentoring relationship must listen to each other very patiently and both must
accept and respect other‟s opinion. No relationship is successful if there is no respect.The relationship does not end
here but it must be followed with care.
Key Rule- Be Patient, Acceptor and Give Respect.
5. Constructive Feedback
Always prefer to give and take constructive feedback. Check regularly the outcome of your relationship.
However, if you are not making best from relationship then you need to talk and do some brainstorming sessions to
discuss new ways to achieve mentor- mentee relationship goals.
Key rule- Provide True Feedback.
III. Similarity: Leadership and Reverse Mentoring
While reading various available literature reviews it was found that the leaders and the mentors do have
similarities. As leaders and mentors both are focussed, goal oriented, punctual, committed and last but not the least
visionary. There is also a similarity in attitude of a good leader and a mentor both of them motivates, encourages
team members to achieve the goal and promote learning attitude. Therefore, it can be said that when experienced
leaders and young mentors work together in an organization can achieve all possible dividends. As old leaders are
the pillars of organization and young mentors can be future leaders.

Jour of Adv Research in Dynamical & Control Systems, Vol. 12, 07-Special Issue, 2020
DOI: 10.5373/JARDCS/V12SP7/20202148
ISSN 1943-023X 607
Received: 09 May 2020/Accepted: 10 June 2020
IV. Benefits of Reverse Mentoring
Practicing Reverse Mentoring in an organization leads to many benefits and at same time it also has few
drawbacks. Implementing the concept of Reverse Mentoring in an organization can help to retain old employees as
they can act as old mentees to young mentors and learn advance skills as per current scenario, whereas young
mentors can learn about career growth, maintaining relation skills and being committed to one place from old
mentees. Both Mentors and mentees reciprocate their skills and act as beneficially partners. Further Reverse
Mentoring helps new joined employees to feel comfortable and old employees feels job security.
Reverse Mentoring benefits are not just limited to mentor and mentee but it also benefits the organization. For
example, the cost of recruitment and training is reduced, less conflicts, promotes healthy work environment and so
on.
V. Need for a Mentor
Employees seek mentors because they need it for their sustainable growth. When an employee join any
organization, he /she join with certain set of skills and work experience of years with given skill sets. But as the time
passes employee needs to update his/her skills. Now this becomes very challenging as after long office hour with
limited time left and not enough energy left to upgrade skills after the office hours. The situation becomesworst
when new employee with new skill set join the office and the old employee‟s starts feeling job insecurity. This is a
situation when an employee seeks for a mentor from an organization.
However, not just existing employees are seeking for a mentor but new joiners also look for mentors within the
organization. Both existing employees and new joiners seek mentors for career support, moral support and
enhancing their skills.
VI. Conclusion
It is very important to call for Reverse Mentoring to develop future leaders. As the paper suggests there are
multiple advantages of practicing Reverse Mentoring to thementors/mentees, future leaders and also to
organisations. The relationship of a mentor and mentee is very delicate, we must choose right person, communicate
regularly, be patient, give respect to each other and have open communication. Organization can have old, loyal and
committed employees who worked for years. This shows that benefits of Reverse Mentoring are not just limited to
mentors and mentees but the benefit is also extended to an organization.Reverse mentoring also results in improved
worked place environment and bridges the gap among generations and knowledge. Hence, this is the era that needs
Reverse Mentoring for sustainable growth of all young / old employees, developing future leaders and organization.
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DOI: 10.5373/JARDCS/V12SP7/20202148
ISSN 1943-023X 608
Received: 09 May 2020/Accepted: 10 June 2020
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