Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2019 - 34

REVERSE MENTORING IS A
TREND WITH STAYING POWER,
AS WELL AS A FANTASTIC WAY
TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE.

experience requires giving feedback,
as well as listening to that feedback.
To make this less awkward, mentees
and mentors should put in writing
that they will strive to be honest, fair,
compassionate and candid when giving
and receiving feedback. This will give
them the opportunity to talk through
and create a process that works for them.
Mentees and mentors who trust and
respect one another will find it easier to
listen to their partner without judgment.

RULE #4: BE AUTHENTIC
Authenticity goes hand-in-hand with
trust. When people trust their mentoring
partner, they can be more open and
genuine with them. And by being open
and genuine, trust is established because
their partner accepts their authentic
selves. It's a cyclical pattern that creates a
positive connection.
Being authentic can mean anything
from speaking up about the issues that
matter to them and showing their sense
of humor while at work to sharing parts
of their personal story in order to foster a
connection with their mentee or mentor.

| 34

When people present themselves with
sincerity, they form a stronger bond
and foundation for their mentoring
relationship, and they create a richer
mentoring experience for themselves and
their partners.

RULE #5: SET GOALS
Most mentoring relationships focus
on the goals that the mentee sets and
works toward accomplishing. Mentors
will need to agree that the goals are ideal
for the relationship, which can be tricky
for junior mentors in reverse mentoring.
They may not feel suited to voice
their opinions on what the executive
mentee's goals should be. Some
mentoring program administrators set
up goals for the pairs in the form of an
overarching mentoring program goal,
such as having the executive learn about
a new technology. Having a program
goal as the basis for the relationship can
help individual mentees and mentors
gain a clear focus on where they can set
additional or interrelated objectives.
When setting mentoring goals, it is
important that both parties have a

voice. This can offer a great opportunity
for mentees and mentors to practice
authenticity, respect, listening, confidence
and many other behaviors that will be
necessary throughout the relationship.
Goals can also be adjusted over time,
which means mentoring partners need to
have solid lines of communication open
in order to evaluate ideas, assess progress
and make changes as needed.
Reverse mentoring is a trend with
staying power, as well as a fantastic way
to share knowledge. There are many
senior leaders out there who could
use mentoring and plenty of junior
employees out there who are willing to
share what they know. And for all the
mentoring program administrators out
there, your reverse mentoring program
can be a positive experience for all
involved by helping your participants
understand what is expected of them,
the goal of the program, the focus of the
relationship and the best techniques for
managing the relationship.
Laura Francis is vice president of marketing for
River, a mentoring software company based in
Denver, CO. Email Laura.

https://www.riversoftware.com/designing-mentoring-programs/ https://www.riversoftware.com/mentee-mentor-advice/how-to-set-priorities-in-mentoring-relationships/

Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2019