1. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Reverse Mentoring for
Business Leaders and
Executives
Leaders on a Smart Planet
Christian Carlsson
Digital Marketing Strategist
Social Software Evangelist
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2. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Introduction
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Reverse Mentoring
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3. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
About Reverse Mentoring
”Based on old paradigm mentoring where a more senior person (in terms of age, position or
experience) mentors a junior, reverse mentoring places the more junior person as the mentor. Usually
used when executives need to understand operations or technology that can be shared by shop floor,
front-line or tech-savvy employees. The key to success in reverse mentoring is the ability to create
and maintain an attitude of openness to the experience and dissolve the barriers of status, power and
position.
Source: Ann Rolfe, Mentoring Works, http://mentoring-works.com/reverse_mentoring.html
”Alan Webber, co-founder of Fast Company describes reverse mentoring: "It’s a situation where
the ‘old fogies’ in an organization realize that by the time you’re in your forties and fifties,
you’re not in touch with the future the same way the young twenty-something’s. They come
with fresh eyes, open minds, and instant links to the technology of our future". Jack Welch,
Chairman of GE, has ordered his top 600 managers to reach down into their ranks for Internet
junkies and become their students.”
Source: Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. http://www.coachingandmentoring.com
”Reverse mentoring
relationships are developed
to gain technical expertise
and a different perspective.”
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4. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Why for the mentee?
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5. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
True, executives use the web, but speed of
change is quicker than fast!
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6. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Office Traditionalists vs. Generation Collaborative
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7. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Bombarded in media…
Source: http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Politik/2010/05/08/222907.htm
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8. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Global competition….
Source: http://registrarism.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/globe-europe.jpg
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9. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Personal Branding
Source: Jane Scandurra, April, 2010 “Putting your strengths and personal branding to work in a socially connected world”
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10. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Why for the mentor?
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11. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Personal Branding
Source: Jane Scandurra, April, 2010 “Putting your strengths and personal branding to work in a socially connected world”
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12. Learn to formulate business value
“The connections in social media is
like ‘dark matter’ in the universe –
we know it’s out there but we can’t
quite see it all yet”
Source: Rob Key, Converseon
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13. Reverse Mentoring in IBM
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14. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Challenge
Is this
private or How do I How can I more
business? select my effectively help
How about
information change the way we
LinkedIn? I get so
sources? work in IBM?
many requests all
the time! Is
Facebook How do I
really for communicate
me? Why are we not better at
effectively with using technology in a
How can I keep up
my team? business setting?
with all new
technologies? Should I use Lotus
Should I? Must I? Connections,
If so, what? Cattail, Wiki, or....?
The business leader,
executive The front-line, tech
savvy employee
Recognizes the needs to be
in touch with ‘new’ ways of Passionate front-line or tech
working and using savvy employees who daily
technology in a business uses technology (like social
setting. software) in a private and
business setting.
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15. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
To be addressed by Reversed Mentoring
Information is exploding and it is in silos
How can we take advantage of the wealth of information
available real-time from a multitude of sources to make
more intelligent choices?
Everything is moving faster
How does one keep up with the development of
technology, and its usage in business? How do we make
our organizations and systems just as dynamic as today's
business climate?
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16. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Proposed process, high level
Mentees and Mentor pairing
Reversed Mentoring Agreement
Scheduling of monthly meetings (or more often if agreed)
Mentoring meetings take place. To do’s, discussion
topics, follow-up, etc. are collected and worked on using
Lotus Connections Activities (taking our own medicine).
Between each meeting the mentee should then try out or use
the discussed tools or concepts. Evaluate progress based on
Agreement.
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17. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Hints and Tips
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18. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
1. Read up on Mentoring
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19. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
1. Read up on Mentoring
2. Have a Contract
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20. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Reverse Mentoring Agreement
Mentoring Agreement Roles and Responsibilities
The following agreement outlines the mentoring partnership between The primary role of the mentor is to inspire and coach the mentee. Also
____________________ (mentee) and __________________ (mentor) practical advise on how to get started with new tools are expected.
The primary role of the mentee is to execute actions as agreed on
This agreement will begin ______________. Estimated completion meetings and documented in the action plan.
date______________.
Measuring Success
General Objectives Success will be measured by the following:
This mentor/mentee relationship falls into the Expert/Skills transfer • Mentor/mentee has created and published an article regarding the
category, and we call it "Leaders on a Smart Planet". The objective is to mentor relationship and outcome on w3 in _____.
leverage of the mentors insight into internet technologies and modern • Mentee has a clear plan for how to evaluate and embrace future new
communication, networking, marketing/sales tools, etc. The objective for technologies.
the mentee, a business leader, is to quickly get skills and practice in using • Mentor has at least one more Executive Manager as mentee by the
new technologies and tools and taking these into use. Questions to be end of ____.
addressed are
Meetings
Information is exploding and it is in silos - how can we take advantage of The mentee will schedule regular meetings (monthly)
the wealth of information available real-time from a multitude of sources to
make more intelligent choices? Relationship
The relationship must be build on openness and trust. The relationship
Everything is moving faster - how do we make our organizations and can be stopped at anytime by both parties by stating the reason for this.
systems just as dynamic as today's business climate?
It will be a mutual benefit for the mentor and the mentee to get a better The relationship will be determined as "off track" if i.e.
understanding of how new innovations can be used effectively in a • Mentee/mentor does not execute agreed actions
business environment. • Mentee neglect to book next meetings or cancels booked meetings
without a reschedule
Skills Objectives • Mentor/mentee finds outcome of the meetings unsatisfactory
Mentee skills to be developed:
• Use of Web 2.0 tools - understand feasibility, benefits and risks
• Use IBM internal productivity tools- understand feasibility, benefits
and risks
• Establish a working habit, where new tools and developments are
quickly evaluated and taken into use, if relevant. Source: Professionally prepared and kindly provided
• Build and manage personal network
by Kirsten Thygesen, 2008
• Act as role model/pilot for other leaders
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21. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
1. Read up on Mentoring
2. Have a Contract
3. Focus on their challenges
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22. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Focus on business challenges, something they
can relate to and find valuable; research
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23. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
1. Read up on Mentoring
2. Have a Contract
3. Focus on their challenges
4. Experiment
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24. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
It is very personal
Source: FredCavazza.net from http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredcavazza/3428921418/
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25. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
1. Read up on Mentoring
2. Have a Contract
3. Focus on their challenges
4. Experiment
5. Use what you teach
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26. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Use what you teach in between meetings
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27. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
1. Read up on Mentoring
2. Have a Contract
3. Focus on their challenges
4. Experiment
5. Use what you teach
6. Use all free stuff
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28. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Use all free, good stuff!
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/juntajoe/twitter-basics-for-business
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29. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
1. Read up on Mentoring
2. Have a Contract
3. Focus on their challenges
4. Experiment
5. Use what you teach
6. Use all free stuff
7. Track progress
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30. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Track progress
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31. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
1. Read up on Mentoring
2. Have a Contract
3. Focus on their challenges
4. Experiment
5. Use what you teach
6. Use all free stuff
7. Track progress
8. Mentor or Consultant?
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32. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Mentor or Consultant?
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33. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
contact | christian.carlsson@dk.ibm.com
www.linkedin.com/in/christiancarlsson
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34. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Back-up, appendices
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35. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
IBM social computing guidelines
In the spring of 2005, IBMers used a wiki to create a
set of guidelines for all IBMers who wanted to blog.
These guidelines aimed to provide helpful, practical
advice—and also to protect both IBM bloggers and
IBM itself, as the company sought to embrace the
blogosphere. Since then, many new forms of social
media have emerged. So we turned to IBMers again
to re-examine our guidelines and determine what
needed to be modified. The effort has broadened the
scope of the existing guidelines to include all forms
of social computing.
Below are the current and official "IBM Social
Computing Guidelines," which continue to evolve as
new technologies and social networking tools
become available.
http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html
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36. Reverse Mentoring – Leaders on a Smart Planet
Internet Survey Results: A larger number of executives responding to the survey
could change this conclusion. It is interesting to
The advice they would give the younger
mentor: twenty-eight percent said both
What is Unique about speculate why so few executives responded to the
survey, since this is the target population. Are they not
"patience" and "being open to your partner".
The advice they would give the older partner:
Reverse Mentoring, engaged in reverse mentoring relationships; don’t have
time to complete surveys; or, don’t surf the internet?
forty-one percent said "have an open mind
and attitude". Thirty-three percents said "listen
Survey Results What is the purpose of a reverse mentoring
and learn".
relationship? Summary
Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. (2001) Forty-one percent selected "To gain technical expertise" Reverse mentoring relationships are developed to gain
and 25% selected "To gain a younger perspective". This technical expertise and a different perspective. They are
supports the notion of capitalizing on the technical not a younger to older person thing for this group it was
knowledge base and younger perspective of the mentor. more a peer-to-peer relationship where both people
An intense relationship is indicated by fifty-two percent have a lot to teach and lot to learn. In line with our
Alan Webber, co-founder of Fast Company describes
stating they met once a week with an additional forty- earlier survey, planning and management of the
reverse mentoring: "It’s a situation where the ‘old fogies’
one percent meeting once a month. Although twenty- relationship are critical. A commitment of time, having a
in an organization realize that by the time you’re in your
five percent expect the relationship to last 1-5 months game plan/goal and rules of engagement as well as
forties and fifties, you’re not in touch with the future the
and twenty-percent expect it to last longer than a year. listening, being open minded and patient seem to be
same way the young twenty-something’s. They come
central ingredients for any mentoring relationship not
with fresh eyes, open minds, and instant links to the
What is the satisfaction level with the reverse just a reverse relationship. These results indicate that
technology of our future". Jack Welch, Chairman of GE,
mentoring relationship? there is nothing unique about reverse mentoring. These
has ordered his top 600 managers to reach down into
There were two groups of people, twenty percent said same challenges need to be managed in any mentoring
their ranks for Internet junkies and become their
they were "very dissatisfied" and sixty-eight percent said relationship. The operative word is mentoring.
students. What if anything is unique about a reverse
they were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied". Did how
mentoring relationships? Fifty-nine people responded to
the reverse mentoring relationship occur affect their (http://coachingandmentoring.com/mentsurvey.htm)
an on-line survey during the first quarter of 2001. Thirty-
satisfaction? No, although fifty-two percent were
seven were mentors (the person doing the mentoring)
assigned while forty-eight percent sought out either the About the Author
and twenty-two were partners (the person being
mentor or partner—being assigned or freely choosing a Matt M. Starcevich, Ph.D. CEO, Center for Coaching &
mentored). They were from such diverse organizations
mentor or partner did not make a difference in the Mentoring has over twenty years experience in training
as Government, Consulting, and Financial Services.
satisfaction level of the respondents. and organization development, as an internal change
Only 9% were Executives while 40% were Middle
agent and external consultant. For comments or
Managers, 25% First Level Managers and 26%
What would make the reverse mentoring additional information email Matt from the selection
Individual Contributors. The results are based on the
relationship more satisfying? below.
limitation that this was a voluntary survey, with no
Fifty-three percent-said "a clear game plan" while
attempt to obtain a representative sample. Although we
twenty-two percent felt "clear rules of engagement".
did not control for gender or racial differences no
Clarity on what we will accomplish, our commitment,
respondents chose as the biggest challenge in making a
how we will go about it and how we will relate to one
reverse mentoring relationship productive, "getting over
another emerge as clear indicators of a satisfying
our gender differences" and only one chose "getting
mentoring relationships. This conclusion is supported by
over our racial differences". Subsequent inquires from
answers to other questions in the survey:
journalists about the survey results suggests that there
Thirty-three percent felt "finding time to meet",
may be some challenges in these areas and worthy of
twenty-eight percent "opening up and
further study.
considering different ideas/perspectives" and
Is it a young to old thing?
twenty-five percent "listening without forming http://www.coachingan
judgments" were the biggest challenges in
No, fifty percent of both the mentors and partners were
26-35 years of age with none over age 55. For this
making the reverse mentoring relationship
productive.
dmentoring.com/revers
group reverse mentoring appears to be a peer-to-peer
relationship not one for the ‘old fogies’.
If they could start anew, fifty-two percent
stated that "having a game plan and goal"
ementoringresults.htm
would be what they would do differently to
improve the reverse mentoring relationship. 36