Mentoring Through Generational & Digital Differences

Editor's Notes

• #3: What is reverse mentoring? Terms Real life examples of companies who have used reverse mentoring for technology training.   Generational considerations   What are their characteristics? Why this matters regarding reverse mentoring   How to set up a reverse mentoring system
• #9: What is reverse mentoring? Terms Real life examples of companies who have used reverse mentoring for technology training.   Generational considerations   What are their characteristics? Why this matters regarding reverse mentoring   How to set up a reverse mentoring system
• #10: FROM: Mutual mentoring across the generations Posted by AccountingWEB in on 03/04/2009 - 19:07 By Phyllis Weiss Haserot
• #11: FROM: Mutual mentoring across the generations Posted by AccountingWEB in on 03/04/2009 - 19:07 By Phyllis Weiss Haserot
• #12:   The concept of reverse mentoring is said to have begun a decade ago at General Electric when then-CEO, Jack Welch realized he and his management team had much to learn about the Internet. Welch required 600 top executives, himself included, to find younger mentors who were knowledgeable about the internet. Most of the mentors were in their 20s and 30s. FROM How 'Reverse Mentoring' Can Make Your Organization More Effective Posted 01/26/2009 - 10:05am by Diane Piktialis Diane Piktialis, Ph.D., is a research working group and program leader at The Conference Board .  
• #13: Time Warner formalized this information exchange with an unusual version of a mentoring program in which the traditional roles of older mentor and younger mentee are reversed. The Digital Reverse Mentoring program matches college students from outside the company with senior executives for one-on-one meetings about Web 2.0 applications and the many emerging — and mutating — technologies changing the media industry. Time Warner recruited Gen Y mentors from college students who were not only passionate consumers of digital technologies but also creators of it — writing blogs, posting videos on YouTube and making imaginative use of new media — not only to better understand how new technologies are impacting Time Warner but also to obtain fresh ideas on optimizing the company's online presence. " Executives felt that there was so much knowledge to be gained from these college students," says Vera Vitels, vice president of global people development. "They were impressed with the types of conversations they had and very satisfied with the overall experience." So satisfied, in fact, that the program has been extended from four pilot cities to larger groups of executives throughout the company. FROM: Let Gen Y Teach You Tech Harvard Business Review article "How Gen Y and Boomers Will Reshape Your Agenda" in the July/August 2009 issue. by Sylvia Ann Hewlett This post was co-authored by Laura Sherbin and Karen Sumberg.
• #14: FROM: ABA Journal Above the Trees Recipe For Growth Executives Learn From Employees Lower Down on the Food Chain Posted Apr 1, 2004 12:46 PM CDT By Terry Carter The idea took off. Reverse-mentoring programs have been popping up all over, including at such giants as Gen­eral Motors, Deloitte & Touche and Procter & Gamble. “ We started out on how to use Outlook and manage e-mail,” says James W. Wall, national managing director of human resources for Deloitte & Touche. But he soon learned that the relationship wasn’t limited to technology. Rather, that topic was merely a catalyst for substantive and more meaningful discussion, he says. Deloitte began an informal reverse-mentoring program in 2001. It began with the executive committee and later was extended to include geographic leaders throughout the company’s many U.S. outposts.
• #15: Saturday September 5, 2009 Reverse mentoring works Comment by ROSHAN THIRAN . Wharton Business School matches its executive MBAs with junior mentors – mostly students who have demonstrated an excellent grasp of technology. Each reverse-mentoring pair spends time exchanging knowledge face-to face, via e-mail and Skype. “ Executives are beginning to realise that knowledge isn’t a one-way street. It’s in everyone’s best interest to share expertise,” points Jerry Wind, director of the Wharton programme.
• #16: Saturday September 5, 2009 Reverse mentoring works Comment by ROSHAN THIRAN Procter & Gamble’s former CIO Steve David, a lifelong mentoring advocate – began a reverse-mentoring relationship with a staff scientist to learn more about how science and toxicology affect business decisions. FastCompany magazine notes, “It’s a situation where the old ‘fogies’ in an organisation realise that by the time you are in your forties and fifties, you are not in touch with the future the same way the young twenty-somethings are. They come with fresh eyes, open minds and instant links to the technology of the future.” If you consider it, reverse mentoring makes a lot of sense. Younger people know social media and latest trends but don’t have business experience or visibility in an organisation. Reverse-mentoring is not just limited to technology. Most senior leaders have limited insights to what happens at the manufacturing shop floor or in the front-lines customer service operations. Having these employees mentor senior leaders enables them to have quick access to what is happening on the ground and insights on operations or the supply chain.
• #17: What are some considerations in setting up a RM program? Next we’ll discuss generations in the workplace and then digital differences before we come back to how to set up a RM program.
• #18: Generational considerations   FROM: Are You Ready to Manage Five Generations of Workers? from HarvardBusiness.org by Jeanne C Meister and Karie Willyerd   This translates into a social phenomenon not yet witnessed: five generations are about to be working side by side.
• #19: Exact dates for the categories vary. *** Have people sort themselves by color code for generations? Generational Definitions Here are some quick definitions . Generations are defined by the similar formative influences – social, cultural, political, economic – that existed as the individuals of particular birth cohorts were growing up . Given that premise, the age breakdowns for each of the four generations currently in the workplace are approximately: FROM: Mutual mentoring across the generations Posted by AccountingWEB in on 03/04/2009 - 19:07 By Phyllis Weiss Haserot
• #20: FROM: Mutual mentoring across the generations Posted by AccountingWEB in on 03/04/2009 - 19:07 By Phyllis Weiss Haserot
• #21: The chart shows that Baby Boomers will cede the majority of the workforce by 2015 t o the Millennials. Right now in 2010 number of boomers and millennials about matched. But by 2015 more millennials than boomers . FROM: Are You Ready to Manage Five Generations of Workers? from HarvardBusiness.org by Jeanne C Meister and Karie Willyerd
• #22: Harvard Business Review July – August 2009 How Gen Y & Boomers will Reshape Your Agenda By Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Laura Sherbin, Karen Sumberg
• #23: Harvard Business Review July – August 2009 How Gen Y & Boomers will Reshape Your Agenda By Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Laura Sherbin, Karen Sumberg
• #24: FROM Harvard Business Review May 2010 Mentoring Millennials by Jeanne Meister, Karie Willyerd 88 Million Millennials 50 Million Gen X
• #25: Harvard Business Review July – August 2009 How Gen Y & Boomers will Reshape Your Agenda By Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Laura Sherbin, Karen Sumberg
• #26: Harvard Business Review July – August 2009 How Gen Y & Boomers will Reshape Your Agenda By Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Laura Sherbin, Karen Sumberg
• #27: What is reverse mentoring? Terms Real life examples of companies who have used reverse mentoring for technology training.   Generational considerations   What are their characteristics? Why this matters regarding reverse mentoring   How to set up a reverse mentoring system
• #28: Digital natives, those who grow up immersed in technology, relate to the world much differently than those who haven't. As digital natives become the core population that programs interact with, changes will be needed to recruit and retain new advocates and volunteers as well as serve client communities. Digital settlers - moderately technologically savvy – adapted technology w/ little resistance but there is not the familiarity that the Native has. Digital Immigrants – slow to adapt. Retain their ‘accent’, or footprint in the past. The digital immigrant ‘accent’ can be seen in such things as turning to the Internet for information second rather than 1 st , or in reading a manual for a program instead of assuming the program itself will teach us to use it. Digital settlers and immigrants – learning a new language. Examples: Print out an email to read it Printing out documents to edit them (rather than doing it on the screen) Prensky - Natives – kids born into any new culture learn the new language easily, and forcefully resist using the old. Prensky said that “smart adult immigrants accept that they don’t know about their new world and take advantage of their kids to help them learn and integrate. Not-so-smart (or not-so-flexible) immigrants spend most of their time grousing about how good things were in the “old country”.
• #29: Digital Natives Harris Interactive and CTIA The study was conducted in July 2008 among teenagers who are part of the Harris Interactive Online Panel. The study was conducted online among a nationally representative sample of 2,089 teenagers across the U.S. who have cell phones (13-19).  More than 100 questions were asked on mobile phone usage, attitudes, behaviors, and teens' desires and aspirations for the future including mobile communications and entertainment.  Prensky … “ Students’ think and process information differently from their predecessors.”
• #30: Twitch Speed vs. Conventional Speed: video games and streamed media; learning environments need to meet this pace and exploit opportunities in this space Parellel vs. Linear Processing: multi-tasking more prevalent; IM'g, downloading and texting while studying, listening in the classroom, or surfing the web Random Access vs. Linear Thinking: linear path too boring; hyperlinks, the internet = flexibility in navigation; create access points to breadth and width of resources; ; linear=one way street to get there, there is a “right” way of doing things vs. various ways and paths Graphics First vs. Text First: Marshall McLuhan-"medium is the message"; graphic were an aid that reinforced the message - now the reverse is true, text is merely an aid to support audio and visual messages (think youTube, podcasts) Connected vs. Stand Alone: from telephone to the www (e-mail, chat rooms, etc..); new learning tools available as a result: wikis, blogs, twitter, podcasts, listservs, etc. Active vs. Passive: "we now see much less tolerance for passive situations such as lectures, corporate classrooms and traditional meetings. As the younger generation progresses up the managerial ranks, it is likely that such old-fashioned managerial standbys will be replaced by more active experiences such as chat, posting, surfing for information and interactive learning." Payoff vs. Patience: why video games work: feedback and payoff; challenge= "interactive rewards dynamics for learning content" Fantasy vs. Reality: "fantasy elements...pervade their lives" - companies responding to this include play rooms and crazy job descriptions Technology as Friend not Foe: "actively search out ways to use technology to construct a new cognitive environment" - not merely a means to an end or just something to be tolerated --Culligan, M. (2003). Digital natives in the classroom. In  B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/digitalnatives/start.htm (quoting Marc Prensky, Digital natives, digital immigrants . (Prensky, October 2001).)
• #31: Native = born post Internet, lifetime access to computers and technology Settler = born pre-internet but fast and eager tech learner. Immigrant = feel a little left behind. Preferring to do things in a familiar manner but can adapt.
• #32: From: http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/06/25/what-generation-are-you-part-of-really-take-this-test/ What generation are you part of, really? Take this test. June 25th, 2007 Here's an idea: We should determine our generation not by our age but by how we use media. This comes from  Margaret Weigel , who has worked at Harvard and MIT doing research on  digital media engagement :* "We should not judge people rigidly by the years they were born," she says, "If we want to define people by categories, it should be by behaviors because this is something each of us chooses."   Add up your points to figure out what generation you're really a part of: Do you have your own web page? (1 point) Have you made a web page for someone else? (2 points) Do you IM your friends? (1 point) Do you text your friends? (2 points) Do you watch videos on YouTube? (1 point) Do you remix video files from the Internet? (2 points) Have you paid for and downloaded music from the Internet? (1 point) Do you know where to download free (illegal) music from the Internet? (2 points) Do you blog for professional reasons? (1 point) Do you blog as a way to keep an online diary? (2 points) Have you visited MySpace at least five times? (1 point) Do you communicate with friends on Facebook? (2 points) Do you use email to communicate with your parents? (1 point) Did you text to communicate with your parents? (2 points) Do you take photos with your phone? (1 point) Do you share your photos from your phone with your friends? (2 points) 0 - 1 point –  Baby Boomer 2-6 points –  Generation Jones 6- 12 points –  Generation X 12 or over –  Generation Y (Note: This post contains the views of Weigel and not necessarily those of Harvard and MIT.)
• #37: Generations within LSC funded programs Info from LSC In 2004 from 145 LSC funded programs Blue = under 40 Yellow = Over 40 Avg yrs in the proffesion for LSC Ex Dir – 27.7 Deputy Director/Litigaiton Dir were similar
• #38: LSC Fact Book 2009. Yrs of profession for Ex Dir = 29.9. Dept Dir 26.9, Dir of Lit 28.1, Staff atty = 10.5 yrs
• #39: 2009 LSC fact book More ethnicity and gender diversity in non-executive positions ED’s 70% White Staff Attorneys 69% White
• #40: What is reverse mentoring? Terms Real life examples of companies who have used reverse mentoring for technology training.   Generational considerations   What are their characteristics? Why this matters regarding reverse mentoring   How to set up a reverse mentoring system
• #41: How to set up a reverse mentoring system Audience Q – has anyone tried this?
• #42: One-on-one assistance is important. Adult learners are often afraid of practicing in a group setting. They do not like making mistakes. And, there is always the challenge that when the training includes practice (which it should) not everyone is going to prefer or need the same pace. In addition, one-on-one assistance is usually garnered when the need for the knowledge becomes relevant. It’s important that people be able to access training when relevant, because there is a higher degree of learning that takes place. For the most part, people make up their own informal networks. But, they aren’t always as advantageous as they could be. Employee A may really like Employee B and rely on them all the time to help out when they are stuck on how to do Tables of Authorities, but really Employee B doesn’t know as many tips and tricks about how to do them efficiently as Employee C. This is where assessment is really necessary. Perhaps A and B are clueless that C has some great knowledge to share. If you knew who the experts were on each topic, and could motivate the experts to share their knowledge, then you can make other employees aware of who the experts are.
• #43: We are going to talk specifically about some aspects of these 10 steps. Avoiding Pitfalls in Mentoring Relationships, Part II of III 2tweets retweet In the March newsletter, I shared my story regarding my experience with a mentoring program through ABC Organization. The following is a continuation of that newsletter. The following are the first five tips to consider when creating a mentoring program: Tip One: Define The Purpose I invite you to define the purpose of the mentorship program, what the participants will get out of the mentoring relationship, and what you ultimately want to achieve by offering such a program. Tip Two: Ensure Leadership Engagement Leaders set the stage for every initiative. When they are engaged, it is seen by others as important and worth getting involved. Likewise, if leadership is unwilling to participate, the program is less likely to be successful. Tip Three: Mentors must be opt in only Tip Four: Advise Mentors To Be Patient With Mentees Tip Five: Training for Mentors Mentors must get training on how to be a mentor and how to receive reverse (cross generational) mentoring, regardless of experience. Many times, people who volunteer to mentor have no real understanding of how to mentor successfully. Some think mentoring is simply about giving advice and many do not understand how to deal with certain situations, regardless of experience level or age. Set the stage for success by providing your mentors with a strong training workshop on being a mentor. Tip Six: Support for Mentors Many times, mentors come across situations with their mentee that they do not know how to address. Having a professional coach available to mentors for support is enormously helpful and assists mentors to feel supported in the mentoring process. Tip Seven: Training for Mentees Mentees must get training on how to be mentored and how to offer reverse (cross generational) mentoring. As with their mentors, mentees can make assumptions about what it means to participate in a mentoring program and what they can expect. Some mentees might think their mentor is supposed to help them get a promotion or tell them exactly what to do. Many will not even know what questions to ask or how to ask the questions. Providing your mentees with training on how to best utilize their mentor, will remove the guesswork and help them get the most out of the program. Tip Eight: Create a Solid and Specific Program When people understand what to expect, they are more likely to get involved. Simply saying “sign up to be a mentor” without saying what it means to be a mentor, will leave people feeling confused and less apt to get involved. On the flip side, when you set out a specific program indicating exactly what both the mentor and mentee can expect, they will know what they are opting into. To get started, I recommend a program like the following: • Mentors and mentees can expect to meet as a group four times per year on ___ dates for ___ time. Two of these meetings are half day trainings (how to be a mentor/how to be a mentee) • Mentors and mentees are expected to meet for one-hour every month for one year o Topics to cover in one-on-one mentoring meetings include:  Career planning  Challenges that mentees may be encountering  Individuals who may be useful business connections  Strategies for gaining exposure/experience • The mentor program will end on X date with a final award/recognition program. Tip Nine: Appropriate Pairing While the mentee’s direct supervisor can provide guidance and certainly some mentoring, it is important that the mentor for this program not be the mentee’s direct supervisor. Instead, the mentor needs to be in a higher position than the mentee and in a different chain of command, when possible. The mentor needs to be in a position to provide ideas/suggestions, make introductions and provide support for the mentee. There is a great deal more freedom to share frustrations and gain important feedback when the mentor is not in a direct management position. Tip Ten: Have Fun!
• #44: follow this cycle: preparation, establishing agreements, enabling, and closure. In the preparation phase, the mentor and mentee have a conversation about their expectations, confidentiality, and the boundaries of the relationship. In the establishing agreements phase, the mentor helps the mentee work out a plan, with clear tasks, for achieving his or her goal. The enabling phase is when the work happens . The mentor supports the mentee in following his or her plan as well as provides feedback and accountability . "They provide a mirror so that the person can see where they are and what the possibilities are," Zachary says.  FROM: How to Start a Mentoring Program By  Sarah Kessler  |  Apr 6, 2010 Inc.  Newsletter
• #47: FROM: A guide to preparing for a mentoring relationship: http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt08042.html Preparing for a Mentoring Relationship  by Dan Pinnington  August 2004 A mentoring contract The form that a mentoring contract or agreement takes is not as important as its contents. Although a formal contract is not necessary, the very act of putting something in writing can help the partners better understand what the relationship is to accomplish, and agree on the practicalities of how it will actually work. In the best case, a mentoring agreement should set out: the goals of the relationship, including what the mentee wants to learn; the ground rules for the relationship–including how often and in what manner communications and meetings will occur; any special or specific responsibilities that either partner is to assume; any boundaries on the relationship–what topics or issues are not to be dealt with; what is to be treated as confidential information, and the circumstances, if any, in which this type of information can be disclosed to others; a release and hold harmless clause; how and when the relationship is to end; any other terms agreed on by the parties; and, an acknowledgement of the guidelines required by the Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company to allow a mentor to avoid a deductible and claims levy surcharge in the event of a claim arising from the relationship (See the next section). Here is a  simple one page mentoring agreement . This agreement can be easily adapted to suit the specifics of your mentoring relationship. This is an excerpt from the  Managing a Mentoring Relationship  booklet, published by the  Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company . A Simple Mentoring Agreement The undersigned do hereby agree to enter into a mentoring relationship for a period of xx years The Mentee’s goals for this relationship are: To become a better personal injury litigator; To improve skills for conducting examinations for discovery; To improve skills for cross-examining expert witnesses. The parties hereto agree and acknowledge: To be available for consultation by telephone or e-mail during regular business hours, and occasionally in person; To meet in person quarterly to review the progress of the relationship, and to discuss how the relationship can be improved; That the Mentor will look for opportunities to introduce the Mentee to other members of the local bar; That they will meet in person to deal with any events or circumstances that make continuing the relationship difficult or awkward; That all matters discussed in the course of the relationship shall be confidential, unless both parties agree that disclosure can occur; That the Mentor will not assist the Mentee on following types of matters: Direct involvement in dispute resolution; Acting as an advocate for career advancement; and The lending of money or financial matters; That the Mentor will not have any contact with the Mentor’s client that would create a solicitor/client relationship; That the Mentee understands that she was responsible for individually and independently satisfying herself of the soundness of any suggestions, recommendations or advice-like comments made by the Mentor; That the Mentee will hold the Mentor harmless for any professional liability claim arising on a matter that the Mentor provided advice to the Mentee; and, That the Mentor will not be subject to any deductible or claims levy surcharge on any claim against a Mentor arising out of this mentoring relationship. _____________________________ as “Mentor” Date:_______________ ______________________________ as “Mentee” Date:_______________
• #48: How to Start a Mentoring Program: Pairing "As a researcher, I can tell you that how you best match people is probably the issue where we know the least about," says  Tammy Allen , a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida  and co-author of  Designing Workplace Mentoring Programs: An Evidence-Based Approach ." You can almost think about this as some type of dating service. There are some companies that actually purchase from vendors that have created these algorithms that are used to match mentors and protégés almost like an  eHarmony  system for dating." She's also seen companies use random processes for matching, such as picking names out of a hat. But she says the programs in which the participants have some input are usually the most successful. One way of allowing input might be to have mentors and mentees fill out an information sheet about what they hope to offer or obtain from a mentoring relationship. McGraw-Hill has a system for making mentoring matches that includes a questionnaire, phone interview, and committee recommendation for each mentor and mentee. Another way may be to offer the mentor or mentee several options for a partner and allow them to choose one.  Dr. Liz Selzer , a consultant with a  California -based consultancy called The Mentoring Group, oversees leadership development for more than 30,000 leaders in the non-profit sector. She suggests matching people based on who they'll get along with best. "If people get along, they'll stay in the pair longer," she says.  But just in case a pair doesn't click, one of the most important things to remember is to set up a way for people to get out of the relationship and find another match without hurt feelings. One way to do this might be to set up a "check-up" or evaluation soon after the relationship begins. If there is a serious problem, find the mentee a new mentor. FROM: How to Start a Mentoring Program By  Sarah Kessler  |  Apr 6, 2010 Inc.  Newsletter
• #49: How to Start a Mentoring Program: Pairing "As a researcher, I can tell you that how you best match people is probably the issue where we know the least about," says  Tammy Allen , a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida  and co-author of  Designing Workplace Mentoring Programs: An Evidence-Based Approach ." You can almost think about this as some type of dating service. There are some companies that actually purchase from vendors that have created these algorithms that are used to match mentors and protégés almost like an  eHarmony  system for dating." She's also seen companies use random processes for matching, such as picking names out of a hat. But she says the programs in which the participants have some input are usually the most successful. One way of allowing input might be to have mentors and mentees fill out an information sheet about what they hope to offer or obtain from a mentoring relationship. McGraw-Hill has a system for making mentoring matches that includes a questionnaire, phone interview, and committee recommendation for each mentor and mentee. Another way may be to offer the mentor or mentee several options for a partner and allow them to choose one.  Dr. Liz Selzer , a consultant with a  California -based consultancy called The Mentoring Group, oversees leadership development for more than 30,000 leaders in the non-profit sector. She suggests matching people based on who they'll get along with best. "If people get along, they'll stay in the pair longer," she says.  But just in case a pair doesn't click, one of the most important things to remember is to set up a way for people to get out of the relationship and find another match without hurt feelings. One way to do this might be to set up a "check-up" or evaluation soon after the relationship begins. If there is a serious problem, find the mentee a new mentor. FROM: How to Start a Mentoring Program By  Sarah Kessler  |  Apr 6, 2010 Inc.  Newsletter
• #50: FROM: Benefits and Pitfalls of Mentoring Catheryn Mason, Elizabeth Bailey The following factors contribute to a successful mentoring model: · Partnership · Clear and respectful communication · Openness · Trust · Genuine interest · Risk-taking and managing fear of failure · Clear and realistic goals and priorities · Focus · Commitment · Alignment · Feedback · Advocacy
• #51: Power differential is a real issue. Enabling the mentors to have their own support group or committee would provide support and empowerment.
• #52: Methods: Setting expectations for the relationship and the training.
• #54: Evaluate . When you find a goal, find a way to measure whether or not your program is making progress toward it. Ask mentors and mentees how their experiences went. Look at productivity and measurable improvement in the areas that your program was targeting. FROM: How to Start a Mentoring Program By  Sarah Kessler  |  Apr 6, 2010 Inc.  Newsletter