Two-way (or Collaborative) Mentoring

Mentoring has been a long established practice in societies and businesses alike. It existed in Ancient Greece and has been part of the Japanese business culture for years. It is something that schools are using to help students connect and I’m a proud mentor in a program to provide mentoring to school children both face to face and virtually.

In business, a mentor can provide guidance and support to new employees to get them onboard and integrated into the company quickly. However, there is additional benefits for us all to learn from each other, and the concept of two-way (or Collaborative) mentoring is something that is gaining popularity.

We all have skills and talents as well as areas of development and “blind spots” in our learning. What is easy to some, can be so difficult to others. Many of us in our 50s find the pace of change in technology and the need to constantly update our digital footprint a lot more difficult than those younger who manage these things almost instinctively. However, some of the lessons that we have learnt on our journey are less intuitive to our younger colleagues and the sharing of these experiences can be just as valuable to them, as an IT hint or advice on how new systems operate are to us. How to market or promote complex ideas in the workplace and how to manage the people who can make a concept work in practice.

To make this work effectively, there needs to be an environment of respect and trust - a psychosocially safe place, where people feel free to speak there mind and suggest improvements.

The partnerships (both mentors) need to be selected on the basis of what they can offer each other. They should also both be:-

• Open-minded

• Coachable

• Patient

• Respectful

Each needs to understand what they are bringing to the relationship and what they are gaining from it. They should also understand the purpose of their role in the organisation and how it fits with the overall business purpose. Knowing this will enable them to see how their roles intertwine and where the others knowledge can assist them in delivering success.

To make it work effectively, the mentoring sessions should be split in half so that each has an equal time as mentor and mentee.

Two-way mentoring enables new employees to feel engaged in the organisation and valued from the start. Interns can feel a sense of purpose and respect and feel a sense of belonging very quickly.

The benefits are very quickly realised, but to implement it, there needs to be the right environment and mindset across the organisation and that starts at the top. Why not start with the Senior Management team mentoring new starts.

After all, we can always learn and we can learn from anyone and everyone.