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We've always thought of mentoring

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as the older generation[br]passing down wisdom to the young,

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but there's a huge benefit[br]to flipping that around

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and allowing the novice[br]to teach the master.

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[The Way We Work]

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[Made possible[br]with the support of Dropbox]

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The workforce currently consists[br]of up to five generations

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and it's becoming more diverse

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across all spectrums[br]of underrepresented groups.

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But that change[br]is not arriving nearly as fast

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in C-suites and in boardrooms.

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Which means there's a growing gap

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between leaders and their people

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in regards to their[br]perspectives and experiences.

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Our organizations can fall[br]right through that gap

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into the trap of stale[br]thinking, blind spots

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and having policies that could alienate

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these underrepresented groups,

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not only in regards to age,

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race or gender,

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but all different kinds of viewpoints.

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Reverse mentoring could be an antidote[br]to that tunnel vision.

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But making reverse mentoring work,

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isn't as simple as finding a mentor

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and pressing go.

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You have to be genuinely curious

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about learning from that individual.

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And you have to be intentional[br]about the relationship

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in order to make it valuable.

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I know this because I was asked

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just a year into my career[br]at Virgin Atlantic

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to be the first ever reverse mentor

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to mentor CEO Craig Kreeger.

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I'd met Craig a few times

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and presented to him in meetings,

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but this, it was a whole[br]different ball game.

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Craig had revealed[br]that he had no black women

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in his inner circle

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and he was keen[br]to understand my perspective

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on how to build a more inclusive[br]culture at Virgin Atlantic.

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No pressure.

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Here's what I learned

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about how to make reverse mentoring work.

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Lesson one, make your match thoughtfully.

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Find someone who has a pulse

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on the key spokespeople[br]in the organization

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to help you make your match.

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This doesn't have to be[br]someone in human resources,

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just someone who knows you[br]and your teams well,

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because chemistry really matters.

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The VP of people experience chose me

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because I was open to sharing my ideas

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and also my enthusiasm[br]for leadership development.

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Also make sure

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that your mentor isn't a direct report[br]or part of your team,

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because it will be really difficult[br]to elicit honest feedback

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from someone who you also have to review

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at the end of the year.

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If you're in finance,

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find someone creative in marketing,

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or if you're in engineering,[br]find someone in customer service.

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This will ensure[br]that you develop perspectives

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from outside of your immediate team

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and different perspectives[br]make better leaders.

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Lesson two,

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to make things simple,[br]set some ground rules.

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The first meeting should be offsite[br]in a neutral location.

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If you're the mentee,[br]you should set the agenda.

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What is it that you really want to learn?

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Maybe you'd like to understand

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your mentor's career journey

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or perhaps whether[br]they've had any major obstacles

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they've had to overcome,

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or maybe you'd like to understand

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how specific company policies impact them

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either directly or indirectly.

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Agree that your conversations together

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will be confidential

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and whether there are any topics[br]which are off limits,

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such as family life

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or specific feedback on individuals.

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Lesson three, start with an icebreaker.

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I like to think of this

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as a long elevator pitch[br]of your life stories.

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Who are you?

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Poignant moments in your life.

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What are your hopes and dreams?

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Pivot to seek differences[br]and not similarities

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because that's the real power[br]of reverse mentoring.

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Craig and I found

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that we had formative[br]experiences in common.

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Both of us immigrants,

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him a second generation[br]growing up in the US

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and myself first generation

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arriving in the UK from Jamaica

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at the age of three.

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But from there,

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our stories are quite different.

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Lesson four, beware of role reversion.

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There were a few times in our conversation

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where Craig slipped[br]into giving me career advice.

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And I had to say,[br]"Craig this is really interesting

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and I'd love to come back to this later,

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but in our limited time together,

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is there anything else you'd[br]like to understand from me?"

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Now this was quite hard,

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but you have to remember that as a mentor

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for this very short period of time,

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your insights are actually more valuable[br]to the organization.

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Lesson five, make time for reflection.

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Agree the key takeaways[br]from each of the sessions,

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either at the end[br]or through follow-up email

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and schedule your sessions

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to allow time between for reflection.

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We found that three to four weeks[br]provided a great rhythm.

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And finally,

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give credit where credit's due.

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In the traditional mentoring relationship

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the mentor isn't expected[br]to be given credit.

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However, in reverse mentoring

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where the mentee actually[br]holds a lot of the power

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accurate credit really counts.

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Forward-thinking organizations

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use reverse mentoring as one of the tools

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to help them build[br]a more inclusive environment.

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And studies have shown

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that when organizations[br]embrace reverse mentoring

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members of those underrepresented groups

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feel more confident[br]in sharing their perspectives.

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And when accompanied[br]by a comprehensive diversity

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and inclusion strategy,

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it leads to higher retention[br]amongst these groups.

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Personally, I found

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that my reverse mentoring[br]relationship with Craig

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enabled me to have a sense[br]of ownership and leadership

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in building an inclusive[br]culture at Virgin.

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And for Craig, it showed

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that even when you're[br]at the pinnacle of your career,

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there's still more you can learn.