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A different perspective: reverse mentoring
A different perspective: can you help with our reverse mentoring programme?
We are seeking colleagues from across our organisation to share their perspectives with our executive directors as part of an innovative new programme.
The reverse mentoring scheme is an opportunity for those in nonmanagerial/junior roles (Agenda for Change bands 2-5) to regularly meet with an executive director to discuss their experiences. Dates will be published as soon as the initiative is rearranged, following its postponement due to the COVID-19 response. The aim of reverse mentoring is for a more junior colleague to mentor a senior colleague, with both gaining a new perspective on the organisation. Both can benefit from personal development, learning from one another. The programme sets out to provide an insight into any difficulties and barriers junior colleagues may have faced, with opportunities to explore how the more senior colleague could learn from and adapt their leadership approach in response. In the first instance, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, which is running the scheme, is seeking eight colleagues to take part. All of the executive team will be participating in the first wave of the reverse mentoring programme. You will be asked to seek agreement in principle from your line manager and to send an expression of interest to the team. They will then evaluate all applications to find the best match between mentor (colleague in a non-managerial/junior role) and mentee (executive director). If there is a high demand and the team are unable to match you in the first instance, you will remain on the reserve list for the next wave of the mentoring programme. Those who are selected on this occasion will be asked to attend a three-hour workshop, followed by six meetings at approximately one hour each, over a period of six to eight months. Arrangements for how this will be carried out will be reviewed at a later date in light of the COVID-19 response. During this period, both the mentee and mentor will complete a handbook recording topics discussed and developments from their conversations. At the conclusion of the programme, they will have the opportunity to decide if they wish to continue the reverse mentoring arrangement outside of the formal programme. The time commitment is approximately as follows:
