#reversementoring

If you are a baseball fan, like me, last week’s play-offs provided a lot of thrilling moments.  With the Oakland A’s in the mix last week, it reminded me of terrific movie, “Moneyball.”  Based on the true story, Brad Pitt stars as the A’s general manager, Billy Beane, who on a strict budget puts together a new lineup based on  computer-generated analysis versus traditional scouting recommendations.

What has this got to do with mentoring? Beane is the experienced former player and now GM, who would normally be in the mentor role – he’s the boss, after all.  However, Beane reverses the mentoring roles and gets a young financial analyst, played by Jonah Hill, to help him learn this new way of building a club.    

Reverse mentoring means being open to learning from someone younger, with less experience or at a lower level than you.  It is often a situation where both parties learn from each other and the mentoring roles go back and forth.

Companies that have implemented formal reverse mentoring programs have found that younger mentors are more engaged and feel their voices are being heard, while the more experienced mentees gain new skills (think social networking and the latest apps) and insights into employee needs and issues.

Taking a cue from “Moneyball”, here are some pointers to consider:

Learn to recognize and value the special knowledge and talents of those around you

Don’t use age or job level as a gauge of competence or value

Get comfortable with acknowledging when you don’t know how to do something and ask for help – even from a younger colleague