Problem with Reverse Mentoring, and What to Do About It

In an era where the landscape of expertise is continually evolving, there emerges a compelling, slightly unconventional concept: reverse mentoring. Breaching the confines of traditional mentorship, reverse mentoring harnesses the vitality of budding professionals, imparting their insight and proficiency to seasoned veterans in the workplace–a true symbiotic exchange. 

Visualize this remarkable moment: Ingenious Gen Z protégés, born after 1996 and before 2010, offering their expertise to upper-echelon authorities. Swiftly surpassing age-old barriers–this novel technique enhances growth for not just mentees, but mentors too.

Just not this, there are more advantages associated with reverse mentoring. From integrating technological prowess gained by digital new joiners to nurturing an inclusive environment that challenges age-old assumptions, reverse mentoring wields myriad benefits in its wake. As the novel, practical technique is wholeheartedly adopted, corporate teams are invigorated with an enhanced atmosphere of togetherness and joint endeavors.

For instance: As if pulling the curtain back, a brilliant young Hispanic staff member enlightened Cisco’s chief, John Chambers, on the struggles diverse employees experience within office walls. Reciprocally, Chambers delivered expert advice on leading effectively; ascending the career ladder, and cultivating professional milestones to the employee.

However, embarking upon this trailblazing journey does not come without potential pitfalls; undeniably, reverse mentoring can be a double-edged sword. Problems with reverse mentoring may arise when bridging hierarchies and varying communication styles collide. In some cases, resistance from seniors may also encumber progress as they grapple with being guided by nascent team members. Thus to glean the rewards reverse mentoring holds, organizations must artfully traverse these turbulent tides.

Read Also: Understanding Reverse Mentoring

Problems with Reverse Mentoring Programs

Reverse mentoring problems can occur for multiple reasons and most of them are:

1. Misunderstandings and communication gaps
2. Ego clashes and resistance to change
3. Time commitment of both parties and logistical challenges

1. Misunderstandings and Communication Gaps: In the bustling realm of reverse mentoring, one nefarious adversary persistently rears its ugly head: misunderstandings and communication gaps during these invaluable sessions. One mustn’t also overlook the innate disparities that arise when engaging with someone from a diverse experience and background. Other reasons for misunderstanding can be differing perspectives and personalities.

Picture this: a seasoned professional, brimming with wisdom and expertise, sits down to take a humble sip from the fountain of youth. The mentee eagerly steps up as the mentor in this scenario, but then it’s like watching a swing-and-a-miss at a baseball game–the connection simply isn’t there due to a lack of mentees’ communication skills. 

Imagine another one: a scenario where a young savvy software engineer endeavors to impart wisdom to a seasoned marketing professional without any knowledge of technical know-how. 

The sheer divergence in expertise paves the way for confusion or impasse despite the participants’ shared objective to learn.

2. Lack of Cultural Understanding Between Mentors and Mentees: Compounding the aforementioned quagmire, an absence of cultural understanding between mentors and mentees casts a hefty anchor on the learning process. 

Envision two participants hailing from remarkably different cultural backgrounds, leagues apart in their values and customs. In such cases, navigating the treacherous waters of misinterpretation and possible offense can dampen the spirit of collaborative enlightenment. 

Fundamentally, it’s going beyond merely narrowing gaps between age groups and encompassing diverse cultural bridges too. What happens when the former go-getter of yesteryear can’t quite grasp where his tech-savvy protégé is coming from? So to forge ahead, bridging this cultural chasm through training becomes paramount and warrants due diligence. 

Importantly, having mentees from different cultural backgrounds can be beneficial as they have their own perspectives and help mentors to broaden their worldview. We shall delve into this aspect of narrowing cultural background reverse mentoring relationships later in the blog. 

In the intriguing realm of reverse mentoring, one may find themselves in a whirlwind of unanticipated challenges. 

3. Ego Clashes and Resistance To Change: In the intriguing realm of reverse mentoring, one may find themselves in a whirlwind of unanticipated challenges or unthought reverse mentoring problems. 

The primary stumbling blocks could be ego clashes and resistance to change in the form of: 

1. Difficulty in accepting feedback from younger generations: 
2. Mentors’ fear of losing authority or stubbornness
3. Junior employees feeling overwhelmed or intimidated
4. Coordinating Schedules and Workload With Reverse Mentoring
5. Time/Energy

1. Difficulty in Accepting Feedback From Younger Generations: Imagine seasoned professionals wrestling with the gnawing unease of suddenly swapping their usual mentor roles for those of eager learners. Clashing with grandiose self-images and inflexible mindsets gives rise to issues, such as being open to advice provided by emerging generations. This particular issue is exemplified when tenured individuals turn a deaf ear to the fresh insights imparted by their junior counterparts, thereby stonewalling potential growth. 

In such cases, mentors should maintain a restrained ego, remembering that the focus lies on the mentee’s growth, not the mentor’s achievements.

2. Mentors’ Fear of Losing Authority or Stubbornness: Another wrinkle in this seemingly perfect scheme is the mentors’ fear of losing authority or expertise. When these wise old owls are compelled to step out of their comfort zones and embrace new perspectives from fledgling employees, it’s not unheard of for them to secretly dread the prospect of being seen as less competent. This underlying anxiety could manifest as an unspoken barrier to fruitful exchanges in reverse mentoring relationships. 

An example of a manager’s fear of being a mentee: Tentative bosses might shy away from granting control to learners, amidst concerns that young employees would steal their thunder.

An instance of stubbornness: In a delicate dance between old and new, senior employees might find themselves holding onto outdated technological systems or methods out of sheer stubbornness, rather than embracing more efficient approaches suggested by their innovative protégés.

3. Junior Employees Feeling Overwhelmed or Intimidated: Far from being immune to the pressures inherent in such significant responsibility, these young upstarts might buckle under the weight of their newfound roles and falter. 

This will be just because they may have the fear that they have less experience in the field or owing to their assumption that they possess less knowledge compared to the senior members. To them, attempting to share insights with someone who has weathered many storms in their respective field can seem like trying to illuminate a lighthouse–an exercise in futility.  

4. Coordinating Schedules and Workload With Reverse Mentoring: This aspect can be particularly cumbersome when it comes to reverse mentoring arrangements. As the age-old adage goes, ‘Time waits for no man,’ and striking an ideal balance between mentors’ and mentees’ work priorities often proves to be an uphill task. 

Consequently, this tricky tightrope walk may inadvertently lead to neglecting one’s own responsibilities or shortchanging the learning experience. This harmonious dance of commitments is often encumbered by pressing deadlines, urgent meetings, and personal obligations outside the workplace. Simply put, both advisors and learners could hold numerous duties, enabling them to conveniently push back mentoring sessions.

5. Time/Energy: Mentoring sessions can yield results when both parties are not only physically present but also fully committed to bringing their A-game. This means merely ticking off boxes on the calendar for mentoring events is never enough in this delicate pairing; it demands devoted time and energy from both participants to maximize the program’s impact.

Solutions for Reverse Mentoring Problems

The solutions for addressing reverse mentoring relationship issues lie in:

1. Improving communication and understanding between both 
2. Promote Empathy and Cultural Competence 
3. Regular Check-Ins and Feedback Sessions
4. Promoting a Growth Mindset Within the Organization
5. Encourage Both Parties To Approach Meetings With Humility
6. Training and Microcrendetials for Junior Mentors and Mentees

Improving Communication and Understanding: Establishing clear expectations and boundaries from the get-go is vital to thwart potential misunderstandings during reverse mentoring between mentors and mentees. For example, setting tangible goals and expectations, and defining success metrics can lay the foundation for a fruitful partnership, with all parties being on the same page from day one.

Promote Empathy and Cultural Competence: Encouraging empathy and cultural competence within reverse mentoring dynamics paves the way for harmonious collaborations among disparate individuals. Gently nurturing a questioning mind, paired with attentive listening abilities, enables the exploration of diverse professional stories, identifying unity in the intricate workforce culture. A more profound affinity and open communication emerge when adopting this means between the counterparts.

Regular Check-Ins and Feedback Sessions: Maintaining momentum throughout the guidance voyage is paramount to ensure it renders the desired results. But facilitating momentum progress necessitates that mentors and mentees consistently communicate through regular check-ins and constructive feedback sessions within a timeframe–an environment ripe for setting milestones regularly without any friction. 

Thus, it is necessary to routinely circle back to discuss progress, address complications, and alter course if circumstances mandate. It’s akin to stirring the pot intermittently while cooking–not only preventing uneven boiling but also evenly distributing flavors.

Promoting a Growth Mindset Within the Organization: An outstanding modus operandi for nurturing consensus in your corporation is advocating a growth mindset. Guided by this viewpoint, each party endeavors to learn from their shortcomings and enhance their capabilities–a journey of self-improvement.

Still better, when employees on both sides of the mentoring spectrum adopt this progressive outlook, potential ego clashes melt away. Reason: Both parties become receptive to change–becomes their second nature, paving the way for synergistic relationships that transcend traditional boundaries.

Encourage Both Parties To Approach Meetings With Humility: The smooth flow of wisdom between two players depends on their willingness to engage in conversations with a humble demeanor. This means both advisors and protégés are ready to listen to each other’s viewpoints humbly. 

To illustrate this point, imagine a high-stakes boardroom negotiation where an up-and-coming whiz kid humbly sets aside their preconceptions and invites the seasoned executive to share their time-tested strategies. Concurrently, the executive, in a refreshingly unpretentious manner, actively listens and engages with the cutting-edge or novel ideas proposed by their youthful colleague.

Training and Microcrendetials for Junior Mentors and Mentees: Supporting junior mentors with training and resources is essential as they can learn from the training and implement the ideas on mentees. Engaging in such a forward-looking approach, these junior mentors indulge in the fine art of mentorship, sprucing up their skill set to better serve those who seek their counsel. Through this approach, mentees gracefully evolve into well-rounded individuals with heightened leadership skills.

Read Also: Six Keys to Make Your Reverse Mentoring Program Successful

Conclusion

By engaging in reverse mentoring, both mentors and mentees may partake in an enlightening exchange of wisdom, though they may experience some obstacles along the way; indeed, an intellectual and ego tangos between generations. Taking steps to resolve these clashes between the two parties can minimize tension between them and cultivate a harmonious atmosphere ideal for reverse mentoring.

One way to circumvent friction between both mentors and mentees and ensure successful mentoring is by opting for a virtual mentoring platform such as Mentoring Complete, as it executes precise matching of advisors and proteges. This matching is based on their viewpoints, habits, passion, and many more aspects so the rate of reverse mentoring success is high. The precise matching feature ensures that mentors and mentees are chosen based on specific parameters which would help them to get along with each other very well.