Facilitated Discussion by Alysia Kehoe, Kehoe Consultants
This Spring 2022, I attended a SHRM meeting in Augusta, GA, where our mini–conference, made me more aware of what needs to be done in the workplace. The conference focused on 3 topics:
- Diversity, “Creating a Workplace of Belonging”
- Equity, “Access is the Key”
- Inclusion, “Making the Mix Work”
My further awareness of DEI was heightened, when I read the article about “Reverse Mentoring”, which I will share with you in this blog.
Businesses still struggle to establish effective DEI work environments, and the makeup of global leadership pipelines has only started to change. According to a survey, 76 percent of organizations say DEI is a priority, while only 26 percent have DEI goals for their leaders.
It’s not surprising then, that most DEI initiatives aren’t making a dent in this current state.
If the past two years were the time of making commitments, then this must be the year of action. For DEI to penetrate leadership roles, middle management, and new hires, organizations need to find new inroads for DEI to get into the organizational goals. Because the pipeline won’t change overnight, organizations need a new approach.
Reverse Mentoring Is Key
As companies struggle to attract, retain, and advance diverse talent, many have turned to mentoring as a powerful strategy. There are countless benefits to standard mentoring formats, but to meet DEI objectives, it’s best to put the power of mentoring directly into the hands of an underrepresented employee.
That’s where reverse mentoring comes in. What is reverse mentoring?
In a typical reverse mentoring program, young employees mentor older, more seasoned employees. This isn’t just about young workers teaching senior business professionals technology. Instead, this format encourages mutual learning and gives each participant the belief that their perspective matters at an organizational level.
This can increase retention, promote advancement, and help senior executives become more aware of cultural and systemic issues within their own organization. By having a younger employee mentor an older one, senior leaders are exposed to more diverse perspectives to help them become aware of and better understand cultural differences, business challenges, and evolving customer needs.
Big Hint / Ideas from Alysia #1:
Recognition Programs – Provide Operationalize Gratitude
“Gratitude is the key to happiness in the workplace and everywhere else.” Dr. Robert Emmons (UC Davis)
Big Hint / Ideas from Alysia #2:
Multi-Generational Conversations
When was the last time you had an “upward” conversation with a Boomer or Traditionalist over lunch, OR a “downward” conversation with a Gen X / Millennial / Gen Z person?
Ask: What are their interests? What do they do for fun?
Ask: What are the ages of their children? Where will they be going for vacation this year? Just an enjoyable conversation to engage individual employees.
Ask: Have they explained to their families what they do as a profession?
My Traditionalist mother never really understood what I did as a Coach, and when I wrote my book, “Reinventing Yourself,” she was really puzzled. When I explained that I coach by asking questions, listening and leading from behind (I follow the individual’s direction, as to where they want to go during our coaching sessions), she was really perplexed!
It’s helpful to verbalize your pitch and how it is received by others.
Fosters a Sense of Belonging
“Feeling isolated or unseen can directly affect diverse populations within any organization. Employee retention and productivity are at higher risk when these feelings begin to creep into your employees’ day-to-day. Research shows that when people feel like they belong, they are more productive, motivated, and engaged.”
Big Hint / Ideas from Alysia #3:
Psychologically Safe Environments – Develop a Culture Where:
- Employees thrive and bring their full-self to work
- See a path to grow in the organization
- Mutual respect and trust between individuals, team members, and leaders
- Managers give personal care to their employees
- Employees also need to show respect to their leaders
- Review salary ranges for each job title, to be competitive
Disrupts Traditional Power Structures
Organizational power structures influence how employees behave and interact with one another. The way they talk, create, share ideas, and engage in conflict is all swayed by the hierarchy established within companies. As a result, historical power structures can limit creativity and collaboration, especially as it pertains to advancing and promoting underrepresented minorities.
This ultimately impacts business outcomes and the productivity of its people because, as we know, companies in the top quartile for diversity on executive teams are 25 percent more likely to have above-average profitability than their industry peers.
Big Hint / Ideas from Alysia #4:
Cultural Change to Give & Get Mentoring
Be open to try reverse mentoring, for several months as a pilot program, at all levels, between generations, on special projects; some people may enjoy receiving the mentoring; some people may enjoy giving the mentoring.
- Decide ahead of time how you will measure the effectiveness of the program.
- Ask individuals how it was to mentor another person, and how it was to receive mentoring (and tally up the results)
- Analyze what changes should be made to make the program even stronger?
Innovation is a product of creativity. Creativity is born through freedom of expression. To foster a culture where the freedom to share perspectives is encouraged, employers must think of a new way to build relationships with their people.
Because of its unorthodox format, reverse mentoring is a vessel for disrupting the norm. This mentoring format ignites participants to get outside of their comfort zones and share their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences. From here, organizations are given granular data that can help them identify the blockers that impede their people from performing their best and recognizing others’ talents. As a result, traditional power structures that once impeded innovation can be diminished or dismantled.
Big Hint / Ideas from Alysia #5:
Getting out of Your Comfort Zone – How will you do that?
Create a forum to share thoughts on products, processes, beliefs and experiences between individuals, as well as lessons learned (learnings from situations that did not have positive outcomes, but had teachable points, and made a negative into workable solution).
Have younger and older employees compare their situations. What wisdom can both groups of employees share? What has each learned that they can share?
Encourages New Perspectives
If done right, reverse mentoring can enable diverse perspectives to permeate the organization.
Cultivating progressive innovation is imperative within the workplace because of its ability to drive new and previously overlooked perspectives.
For reverse mentoring to be effective, participants need to feel supported from the top down. Just because an employer enacts a reverse mentoring program where junior employees give older employees feedback doesn’t mean that those involved will automatically feel comfortable with the situation.
The program must prepare, train, and assist participants to be able to receive constructive feedback and express opinions on sensitive topics. Reverse mentoring is a two-way professional development strategy. As the relationship grows, so will comfortability and trust.
Big Hint / Ideas from Alysia #6:
Constructive Feedback
Get “criticism” out of your vocabulary –
There is no good way to useconstructive criticism.
The word “criticism,” in any form, only turns people off and belittles them.
Instead say, “I’d like to give you some constructive feedback; let’s discuss some ways to make this project even better.”
Leveraging a reverse mentoring program can help leaders significantly increase their understanding, awareness, and appreciation of differences while empowering emerging diverse leaders.
Enjoy the Process!
– Alysia Kehoe, Kehoe Consultants
From Alysia: Latest news!
‘Job Market Grows, But Shows First Signs of Cooling’ – by SHRM stats (6/3/2022)
- Employment is still down 800,000 jobs from the pre –pandemic level in 2020.
- Today the unemployment rate held at 3.6 percent; while employers are offering higher wages to attract talent, the gap between job openings and available workers has remained at 5.5 million in April 2022, or about two jobs for every unemployed worker.