Using reciprocal mentoring as a progressive tool within a DE&I strategy
Insight
The challenge
Reciprocal mentoring has emerged as a progressive alternative to traditional mentoring. This method seeks to create the exchange of perspectives and mutual learning through the participation in non-hierarchical pairs.
At Lodestar, we have seen this work powerfully to unlock long-held beliefs and transform attitudes, as illustrated below in this summary of a case study set within a global engineering company.
Our approach
The issue of female representation and slow progression through to senior positions is not new. However, a raft of government backed reporting requirements, e.g. The Davies Report (2014), The Hampton Alexander Review (2016) and the UK Gender Pay Gap (2018), have raised the profile of the problem. This has intensified focus within organisations who have been frustrated by the seeming lack of traction of multiple strategies to accelerate progress, including sponsorship programmes, diversity training, women-only leadership programmes, women’s networks, coaching etc.
Mentoring has been a tool often deployed in this armoury, but several studies have challenged its effectiveness and implied that it is unintentionally becoming part of the problem by perpetuating the status quo (Ely and Meyerson, 2000; McKeen and Bujaki, 2007; De Vries, 2011; Harvey, McIntyre, Heames and Moeller, 2009; Chandler and Kram, 2005; Webb and Eveline, 2006).
McKeen and Bujaki (2007, p.218) specifically reviewed gender and mentoring research and concluded that mentoring can be a powerful process but that it currently ‘seems intended to assimilate women into the dominant masculine corporate culture’.
The solution
The reciprocal mentoring programme in this case study aimed to enable senior level male executives and middle management women in non-hierarchical pairings to experience a mutual exchange of learning, stand in the shoes of their partner, and see the world from their perspective. It took a while for the reality of non-hierarchy and mutual exchange to sink in, as opposed to the traditional approach of giving advice. When it did, the learning and insight was surprising and impactful both for the individuals involved, and more broadly, as the main themes challenged some long held organisational assumptions and revealed some barriers to change. These included:
- The perception of the role of women in the workplace
- A bias towards “high drive” leadership
- The stigma attached to flexible working
- Organisational readiness for equality
If you are interested in introducing reciprocal mentoring into your organisation for similarly positive results, please contact us.