Author: Georgios Vlasakakis, PhD Published on 1/11/2018 9:49:00 AM

Reverse mentoring has been around for decades. In contrast to a “typical” mentoring experience, reverse mentoring is where a leader gains a different perspective of the business from someone in a less senior role and from a different functional area. 

The two main forms will normally evolve around either an educational or a diversity way of a reverse mentoring. Either way, reverse mentoring is a dynamic, two-way flow of learning with the duality of roles being at the forefront of its nature.

I, as the Director of Clinical Pharmacology and Life Cycle Management at GSK, have experienced being a Reverse Mentor.

It was early 2017 when I decided to get involved in a Reverse Mentoring program and it didn’t take long until I found myself partnered with a senior executive within the company. The driving force was a desire to share my personal experience and at the same time learn something new and from a different functional area. Throughout this journey, I have been providing my mentee with a deeper understanding of my part of the business and in return I get a better understanding of the company’s strategy more broadly and how decisions are made at the executive level.  

My Reverse Mentoring experience evolved toward the following main pillars:

1. Willingness to learn:  In a reverse mentoring relationship, both parties act in the capacity of a mentor as well as a mentee; so they must both "genuinely want to learn from and share with the other. 
2. Trust:  Reverse mentoring requires the trust of each party.  The goal is to "push one another outside of their comfort zones and try new ways of thinking and working."
3. Transparency:  Both parties must be open with their feelings and with what they are thinking.  They must be able to overcome differences in communication style (since different generations communicate differently) and be open to seeing situations from different angles.
4. Mutual benefit: The more senior person will benefit by being on track with emerging technologies or science whereas the more junior person will get to learn about what it takes to become a good leader.

I have really benefitted from Reverse Mentoring and would recommend such a process to anyone. Reverse Mentoring gave me the chance to step out of my comfort zone and learn something different. I now feel I can implement the company’s strategy and share its morals and ethics in an even more committed and engaged way than before. I would highly recommend Reverse Mentoring as it gives everyone the opportunity to learn, share knowledge and grow.