Share

Reverse mentoring – what is it and how does it work

Written by
Julia Gumeniuk
Published on
June 25, 2021

Do you think that mentoring can only work when a more senior professional teaches the junior one? Not at all! Reverse mentoring brings the exact opposite when junior professionals take the lead and help senior professionals and executives to widen the horizons and become tech-savvy. But why and how does it work? Let's dig in together.

Why reverse mentoring

The idea of reverse mentoring was introduced back in the late 1990s when the younger employee taught senior executives about internet technology. Nowadays, reverse mentoring serves the same purpose. Companies introduce reverse mentoring so that juniors can connect with seniors, update them on the current technologies, possible shortcuts, and show different points of view.

If introduced within one company, reverse mentoring can bring many benefits, starting from bottom-up feedback to inclusion support. This way, the program covers many more touchpoints than just educating senior colleagues with new technology, also working as a mediator between different age levels in the company and addressing ageism.

Reverse mentoring is also beneficial for both mentee and mentor coming from different companies and areas of expertise. The initiative broadens the horizons of a mentee. It brings in new perspectives, as a mentee gets to talk with a mentor from another generation and another work environment. A mentor can also introduce a mentee to their network of professional contacts, connecting with new people from a different generation.

How does reverse mentoring work

The program of reverse mentoring is identical to one of traditional mentoring. Mentee (who is a senior professional) defines development goals, and as next mentee is matched with a mentor (who is a junior professional with a full skill set). Then mentee and mentor regularly meet and get to work on the set goals.

Mainly, reverse mentoring helps to tackle the gap in the digital area between younger and older professionals. Mentees can dig deeper into separate tech areas, such as exploring social media channels or understanding various tech tools (Asana, Trello, MS Excel or Word). Based on the goals, it's also possible to learn the whole product management package, explore the tools supporting Agile, or apply new design technologies instead of old handmade techniques. The options are limitless.

What it takes for successful reverse mentoring

Same as with traditional mentoring, it's essential to keep in mind several conditions that make reverse mentoring successful. Both mentor and mentee need to remember about the equal amount of responsibility and respect. It's the mentee's responsibility to set goals and be motivated, and, in reply, it's the mentor's responsibility to be patient and explain technicalities in detail.

To sum up, there are many benefits available both for mentor and mentee enrolled in the reverse mentoring program. While a mentor can strengthen their leadership and teaching skills, a mentee gets to broaden its horizons, understand another generation, meet with totally new people, and learn tech skills.

Do you think that reverse mentoring is something you need right now? Check out the Femme Palette Reverse Mentoring program, where you'll get matched with one of our professional mentors.

Join our newsletter
Receive the newest blog posts, event invites, and more
Read about our privacy policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Popular guides
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
See more guides

Latest blog posts

Career

How to build a career in difficult & unstable times

How should one plan their career amidst such uncertainty regarding the future of companies and entire industries? Is it better to sit calmly and wait until the crisis passes, or could a crisis be an opportune time for growth? ‍Here are strategies to consider.
Irina Veligan
August 13, 2023
Mentoring

Mentoring to Navigate Career Change: Meet a handful of mentors who can help you switch to a different field

Looking to switch to a different field? A mentor will give you an insider view, equip you with skills, and help you land your first job. At Femme Palette, we have a global mentor community from different backgrounds making every mentoring experience unique. To give you a glimpse of our diverse mentor community, we introduce to you some of our mentors who can help you transition into a different career successfully.
Femme Palette
August 13, 2023
Mentoring

Femme Palette mentee Mai Wakasa on her journey towards becoming a Senior Manager

Mai Wakasa was a Femme Palette mentee who has finished her Mentoring program. She is a Senior Manager at Computer Futures. In this spotlight interview, we asked Mai about her journey towards becoming a senior manager, the biggest challenges she faced and lessons she learned along the way, and so much more!
Rose Smith
August 13, 2023

Sky rocket your career now!