Workplace mentors used to be older and higher up the ranks than their mentees. Not anymore….

…So begins an intriguing piece in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal.

“In an effort to school senior executives in technology, social media and the latest workplace trends, many businesses are pairing upper management with younger employees in a practice known as reverse mentoring. The trend is taking off at a range of companies, from tech to advertising.

The idea is that managers can learn a thing or two about life outside the corner office. And companies say younger employees not only gain a sense of purpose but also a rare glimpse into the world of management and access to top-level brass.

Reverse mentoring was championed by Jack Welch when he was chief executive of General Electric Co. He ordered 500 top level executives to reach out to people below them to learn how to use the Internet. Mr. Welch himself was matched with an employee in her 20s who taught him how to surf the Web. The younger mentors ‘got visibility,’ he says.”

“There’s an assumption that if you’re senior, you have a lot to teach, and if you’re junior, you have a lot to learn…but one CEO says ‘let’s challenge the status quo’.”

The piece does mention that not all older workers embrace the concept of being mentored by someone younger.

And it raised the question in my mind…in an environment where younger employees are teaching older employees…when layoffs occur, is it “age discrimination” when the older employee is the first to go? Or is it a simple economic decision based on who is bringing the more value – with a lower paycheck – to the organization? (Of course, it’s important to remember that the article is only touting the enhanced value of younger workers in terms of their technology and social media know-how. There are many areas in which a more experienced worker will trump a junior employee in terms of overall value to the organization.)

Here is a link to the piece, written by Leslie Kwoh: click here.

---

In Uncategorized