A number of businesses, such as AXA, Engie and Orange, have managed to convince their managers to take part in a rather unique form of coaching. The coaching sessions in question are given by junior employees from the famous millennial generation. The sessions, which aim to teach managers about new practices related to social media and new technologies, are proving to be extremely popular with company leaders.

Good practices when it comes to reverse mentoring

A number of conditions need to be met to allow such initiatives to take place smoothly and stand the test of time.

First, the young coaches should not be left unsupervised. Ideally, training should be provided to them beforehand, so that once they are one-on-one with their manager they have the confidence to express themselves and are not unsettled by the personality and behaviour of their mentee.

Secondly, for the coaching to be successful, it is better for it to take place in a one-on-one situation, in the form of an informal talk with plenty of opportunities for discussion. Such individual sessions are the preferred format because when company bosses find themselves with other people, they return to their managerial habits and their sense of management and competition takes over.

Finally, a manager’s agenda can be extremely full and it is sometimes difficult to free up the time necessary for coaching. That is why it is important for the mentor to be able to make himself available and that the mentee be flexible enough to free up time for sessions.

Benefits all round

When well managed, this type of scheme has numerous benefits. ‘Reverse mentoring rejuvenates the business’ explains Jean-Pierre Monéger, Managing Director of Cofely, a subsidiary of Engie. For the company, introducing reverse mentoring has helped all the members of the executive committee to improve how they manage social networking and to build a closer relationship with the younger employees. Similarly, the young engineers involved have come to realise that their managers are people ‘just like everyone else’ and have been able to share innovative ideas with them. The initiative is being continued and has been rolled out to the subsidiary’s regional divisions. It is also rewarding for these junior staff members to be able to make an impression on their directors or line managers.

 

What about you – would you be prepared to coach your boss?