In last week’s blog, Turning the Tables, we explored the concept and inherent power to be found in the intentional practice of reverse mentorship, which connects younger team members with senior team members and encourages the sharing of generational experiences and understanding. Reverse mentorship programs offer organizations the opportunity to gain insight and new perspectives simply by viewing every team member as a valuable resource and a critical part of the larger vision and mission of the business. Companies that have instituted thoughtful reverse mentorship programs have seen gains in creativity, productivity, problem-solving, and morale.
As with all things organizational, the process of implementing a reverse mentorship program must be done carefully and thoughtfully. While organic generational experience sharing can absolutely happen, if you want to see meaningful and impactful byproducts of this practice, you can’t just sit back and hope it happens. In this week’s blog, we’ll show you how to implement a successful reverse mentorship program at your law firm.
The steps to success
Connecting your generationally diverse team through a reverse mentorship program will allow you to unlock hidden potential, uncover better communication, and introduce powerful new allies. The practice allows your whole team to fully utilize the individual experiences and knowledge each team member possesses.
The process of setting up a reverse mentorship program is similar to the process for other mentorship and coaching programs. Here are the steps you should take in order to implement a productive reverse mentorship program at your firm:
I believe strongly in the benefits of mentorship in general, and I have seen reverse mentorship in action. All successful mentorship programs are launched with the understanding that though there is a named mentor and mentee, the communication is bidirectional. It’s incredible to see the professional relationships that can develop as team members learn from and about each other, especially when those team members have different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. I began my career in a mentorship that spanned a 60+ year age difference!
The beauty of that relationship was that as I learned from my mentor, I believe he learned from me as well. One of the bedrock principles my mentor shared with me was the importance of having friends in every generation. He golfed weekly with a group that spanned a large age range. He believed the insight into younger generations helped his business and his communication, and he was open to understanding those perspectives without being dismissive. In fact, he became a pioneer in digital advertising in the early 2000s by listening to the perspectives of his younger team members and allowing them to take a chance on something new. He also built a culture of teamwork, success, and candor.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that this kind of program is best embarked upon once you’ve got some cultural foundations down and feel well tapped into what makes your unique team tick, but by following the steps outlined above, you can absolutely improve your organization through a reverse mentorship program. Happy learning and growing!