*Originally published on the blog for the Greater Toledo Area Chapter of the Association for Talent Development (GTAC-ATD) in 2016.
There is a long-standing adage that states: “You can’t teach
an old dog new tricks.” While this saying has been widely accepted across many
generations, is it completely accurate?
Sure, learning to do something new can be quite the
challenge. As humans, we have a number of habits and patterns of behavior—of
course, there is a long-standing adage for that, too. As we become locked into
these habits and routines, any deviation from the norm can add stress to all
parties involved and lead to mistakes being made. As a result, people not only
fear making mistakes but also fear the concept of ‘change’.
It should be noted that these difficulties in learning something
new occur regardless of age or experience level. In the workplace, it is
critical to continue to believe in employees and not give up on their ability
to learn new skills and responsibilities.
As stated in a video interview (which can now be found on YouTube), Jack Welch discussed
learning about “reverse mentoring”
while meeting with a business colleague in London in 1999. Impressed by the
concept, he quickly introduced reverse mentoring at General Electric. He said
that this “tipped the organization upside-down”. Instead of having only
traditional top-down organizational structure, Welch emphasized the advantages
of having newer, younger employees share their experiences and knowledge base
of technology and other key items with more experienced, higher-ranked
officials.
Clearly, Welch did not heed the long-standing adage that
“you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Rather, his reverse mentoring
initiative reflected that you should teach
‘old dogs’ new tricks. There is a lot of untapped potential, and it is
two-fold. First, the more experienced, higher-ranked officials are capable of
learning new technologies, new processes, and other new ideas. Second, the
newer, younger employees are capable of teaching and advising their peers—even
peers with more experience than they have. Both parties grow as a result of
reverse mentoring; they become better professionals and, in turn, become more
valuable to the organization. At the same time, traditional mentoring
relationships can also be developed, with the more experienced, higher-ranked
officials sharing their experiences and knowledge base of various issues with
their newer, younger employees.
Today’s business climate has challenged business leaders to
make tough staffing decisions. Should they let go of older, more experienced,
and higher paid workers when dealing with payroll and budget limitations? Do
they need to displace long-standing executives and managers in order to change
long-standing practices and revitalize their organizational culture?
Yes, there will always be times when a change in
direction—including a change of personnel—is needed in order to help a business
grow. However, if the issues at hand are emerging technologies or other
contemporary trends, business leaders should remember to consider reverse
mentoring in order to meet the challenges of these issues. Learning is not
restricted to youth. Rather, learning is a process—and a gift—that can continue over the course of one’s career and beyond.