Reciprocal Mentoring

Course overview

While mentoring has undoubtedly made an impact in diversity and inclusion, traditional hierarchical approaches and reverse mentoring both have limited impact. Both focus on changing the mindsets of individuals, but don’t impact the systems, which create inequality and hidden discrimination. They may even reinforce existing systems, by creating examples of people, who have “worked the system”, as if that were the answer.

Reciprocal mentoring aims to change those systems. It brings together senior and junior employees in co-learning partnerships, which identify barriers to equality and diversity. The pairs come together to address those barriers at an organisational level, bringing about change from both above and below.

This unique programme, trialled in organisations in England, educates senior and junior co-learners to work together to stimulate deep and lasting change both for themselves and for the organisation. Topics covered include how to manage power distance in the relationship, how to recognise and illuminate systemic barriers and how to bring about collaborative change. Participants also gain an extensive toolkit of advanced mentoring practice.

The programme is accompanied by a guide for programme managers and extensive materials for participants. Participants also receive one-year free access to the Coaching and Mentoring Resource.

Course Details