Reverse Mentoring
Please note - we have had a great response to our call for mentees, so we are no longer seeking expressions of interest from mentees in the 2024 programme. However, if you wish to become a reverse mentor, please fill out the online form (see box to the right) to register your interest.
Reverse mentoring was introduced to Imperial in our first Equality Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
The Senior Leadership Boards committed to a Reverse Mentoring pilot after Inclusive leadership workshops run by Organisational Development and Inclusion in response to the Staff Survey.
After a successful pilot with the Boards, ODI extended the scheme to the wider leadership community. We continue to expand our offer as Reverse Mentoring gains in popularity.
Reverse mentoring is when a senior leader is mentored by a more junior colleague who, from a diversity and inclusion perspective, is different from them somehow and has a different experience of the organisation.
Previous mentees on the programme have found the experience to be highly impactful, helping them view our university's challenges and opportunities through a different lens and enhancing their understanding of and commitment to inclusivity. Mentors on the programme have also found the process highly beneficial in building their confidence in articulating their lived experience to senior leadership and growing their confidence more generally.
The programme runs annually, and we collect expressions of interest for the programme across the year, ready to launch in the spring of each year. Colleagues across all areas of the university are welcome to apply to be mentors.
We are particularly interested in hearing from underrepresented groups such as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff, LGBTQ+ staff, and neurodiverse and disabled staff.
Important information
If you are applying to be a reverse mentor, attending our 'Being a Mentor' session and being registered as a mentor is a prerequisite. We, therefore, require you to sign up for the general scheme via the course web page before applying to be a reverse mentor.
If you are a mentor and have attended the 'Being a Mentor' session, you can 'Apply to be a Reverse Mentor' (Blue button on the right-hand side of this page)
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What is reverse mentoring?
Reverse mentoring is confidential, voluntary and informal; it provides a forum for our diverse community to mentor and support the development of our leadership team around diversity issues in the workplace.
It cultivates a relationship where our leadership develops partnerships with people from all backgrounds contributing to a diverse, inclusive future at Imperial.
Who can be a reverse mentor?
- Staff at any level who can commit time and have flexibility in their availability
- Have attended the mentor briefing or are willing to do so
- Participation in the reverse mentoring briefing session
- Have experiences or perspectives of working at the College that they are willing to share to support the learning and growth of another
- Have no current conflict of interests with the College/senior leadership team
Benefits for the reverse mentor
- Offers insight and awareness of senior leadership structures, decision making and the context in which senior leaders are operating
- Provides an opportunity for their perspectives and experiences to be heard and valued
- Gives increased networking opportunities
Level of commitment
- A series of one to one conversations every 6-8 weeks, or as agreed by both parties, probably lasting no more than one hour
- Participation in a group briefing session (1/2 day)
- Participation in a group evaluation/learning activity
Key qualities of a reverse mentor
- Clear track record of modelling diversity and inclusion
- Good understanding of boundaries – personal and role boundaries
- Good active listening skills
- Able to build rapport
- Able to manage power differentials
- Able to maintain confidentiality
- Able to create a safe space
- Able to provide a sounding board for reflection and challenge
- Confident and compassionate
Information/Support Session for Reverse Mentors
The Information/Support Sessions are an opportunity to meet with a member of the Reverse Mentoring team for 45 minutes.
The sessions have been created for either Reverse Mentors or Mentees to book a 1-2-1 meeting to discuss their experience of the scheme, any challenges they might be facing or anything significant they think they should share.
Equally a space for anyone interested in becoming a mentor/mentee to ask questions or find out more.
You can book a session via our booking app.
Contact
If you need further information, you can contact:
- Kani Kamara (EDIC)
- Jane Sloan (POD)