Coaching your manager and lecturing your CEO about the way of the future might only seem like things that would happen in the wildest dreams of today’s young employees and interns, particularly in the hierarchical world of Hong Kong. In reality, however, this concept—known in the HR field as reverse mentoring—is becoming increasingly popular among organisations across Asia, which are striving to keep their finger on the pulse of new technology trends and remain at the forefront of the digital revolution.
But is turning the tables on traditional managerial roles really the answer to staying ahead of the game and cracking the digital world of business, or is it a recipe for disaster in the workplace? To find out, HR Magazine caught up with Karin Clarke, Asia Regional Director of recruitment specialist, font, who has taken the tried and tested approach to reverse mentoring.
In theory
The concept of reverse mentoring was first introduced by General Electric's former Chairman Jack Welsh in 1999 when he directed 600 of his top managers to pair up with younger workers to learn more about technology and the Internet. Welsh had realised that the younger generation, now commonly termed Gen-Y, was far more tech-savvy and adaptable to fast-paced advancements within the digital world, which some more senior leaders struggled to keep up with.
Welsh’s recognition of this knowledge gap led him to adopt the practice of reverse mentoring, or rather backwards learning, whereby less experienced or younger employees were given the chance to mentor more senior members of staff on certain skills, attitudes and even perceptions. This included business interests, such as trends in social media, technology and consumer culture, with a view to bringing key benefits to the organisation and the development of its future leaders. Turning the tables on traditional managerial roles, and taking a bottom-up—rather than top-down—approach, enabled Welsh to facilitate learning within the organisation by injecting fresh views and ideas to foster a more flexible and adaptable environment, better suited to the ever-changing digital world and able to change with the times.
The theory was that, over time, senior leaders would adopt a new culture whilst sending the message to less-experienced members that their opinions and ideas were valued. Even if their ideas were not adopted, workers would still have a chance to express their views and be heard by their seniors and peers. This experience also allowed junior staff to develop their coaching and communication skills, which they could continue to build upon throughout their career. Whilst this all sounds simple and successful in theory, does it really work in practice?
In practice
According to Clarke, reverse mentoring has provided immense benefits to the business’s productivity and morale. Putting theory into practice has not only enabled junior employees to mentor their seniors on social media, its various uses and the potential reach it has, but also tutor them on Apple Mac programs, apps and shortcuts that can be used to save time in the office.
Clarke herself confessed that she had never used Apple before, until the newest staff member in the office sat down with her to walk her through all of the tips, tricks and shortcuts. She found this so useful that she decided upon the top five must-know short cuts and had palm-sized laminated cards created for all staff in the office.
Reflecting on the experience, Clarke explained, “A manager may spend hours attending courses or teaching themselves to use Apple Mac shortcuts, but when paired with a Gen-Y employee for an hour, could have the most important ones mastered, as well as picking up a bunch of other handy tips. This can be quite an eye-opener and spur a generation of new ideas around communicating, with not only your staff, but also your wider customer base.”
Be open to change
As beneficial a concept as it is, Clarke admits that reverse mentoring is yet to be embraced by organisations in Hong Kong, largely due to the cultural norms surrounding superiority and set roles within the workplace. The idea of a superior seeking advice from a subordinate might be difficult for some businesses to accept, as this would require them to temporarily set aside the subordinate-boss relationship, which goes against the grain of how businesses have always operated in the past. Clarke insists, however, that reverse mentoring is still a formal relationship, as they are not simply ‘hanging out’, and it follows similar objectives and ground rules to a traditional mentoring programme that the HR department would ordinarily deliver.
What the theory does require to work successfully in practice, is for senior managers to be willing to learn and question with an open mind, and nurture mutual trust and respect within the mentee/mentor relationship. Once these elements have been established, the mentor can open up to give more candid insights into how the younger generation actually uses their smartphones, apps and online communities. These insights can go beyond technology and provide a glimpse into the mindset of the younger generation—a particularly useful process for organisations targeting a more youthful consumer base. Clarke explained that one of her major clients within the field of telecommunications actually uses its new graduates for brainstorming sessions on marketing campaigns aimed at younger audiences.
Building bridges
These valuable insights into the hearts and minds of Gen-Ys, may well be key to bridging the knowledge gap between the CEO and the fresh graduate, helping to build connectivity between generations within an organisation. In Hong Kong, where technology and new digital advancements play such a vital role in most companies, this is certainly a challenge that needs to be overcome.
Clarke explained, “Hong Kong businesses continue to invest heavily in their digital and creative teams and hire digitally-savvy, creatively-trained graduates, but they also need their CEOs and managers to be as clued-up as their young grads. In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, companies need to understand these employees’ expectations and needs in order to retain their best talent and ensure the growth of the organisation.”
Whilst reverse mentoring may not be every business’s answer to staying at the forefront of the digital revolution, it is certainly working for some organisations across Asia. Until the concept is more widely embraced in Hong Kong, however, it could be some time before fresh hires are running the place.
Tops tips for reverse mentoring:
1) Never assume knowledge and never let your ego get in the way. If you are a senior manager with 15+ years of experience, you can STILL learn from someone half your age or a recent graduate. The way that technology—and the world—is evolving today means that someone much more junior could be more advanced in areas beyond your expertise.
2) While teaching your colleagues, use terms that everyone can understand. If you are using jargon or brand new acronyms, explain what they mean.
3) Help to teach with practical examples and demonstrations. Then ask the team to try this themselves.
4) A short take-away document (with bullet points) is helpful. This can show staff how to perform this action again. Staff will use this the first couple of times and throw it away once familiar.
5) Avoid allowing staff to miss the sessions (this spirals and the importance given to them slowly diminishes). This also helps to build the morale of the staff who are chosen to train their seniors.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
