Reverse mentoring becomes a two-way street: case study of a mentoring project for IT competence
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on the experiences of a large Australian Government department in the successful trialling of a formal reverse mentoring project for developing information technology (IT) competence in executives.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study approach was used to collect data from interviews with the organization’s project leader. Data were also sourced from relevant internal documents and appropriate literature.
Findings
The results suggest that formal reverse mentoring projects can have additional reciprocal benefits for both parties such as leadership development, knowledge creation and relationship building. Furthermore, it emerged that clear procedures, effective structures and time spent on participant preparation contributed to the project’s success.
Research limitations/implications
Findings from a single case study may not be generalizable to all contexts.
Practical implications
This paper provides guidance to trainers and leaders in the planning and delivery of an innovative reverse mentoring project for IT competence and beyond.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to an understanding of leadership development through mentoring and offers practical assistance to leaders, managers and trainers.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
My thanks to Carol Mills, Carol Mills and Associates, for her valuable insights and to Professor Tricia Vilkinas for her continued guidance.
Citation
Burdett, J. (2014), "Reverse mentoring becomes a two-way street: case study of a mentoring project for IT competence", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 13-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-01-2014-0001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited