How reverse mentorship can help create better leaders | The Way We Work, a TED series

Transcriber: TED Translators Admin Reviewer: Ivana Korom

We've always thought of mentoring

譯者: Biing-Horng LIn 審譯者: Helen Chang

我們所認為的教學

as the older generation passing down wisdom to the young,

是老一輩的將知識傳遞給下一輩，

but there's a huge benefit to flipping that around

但若是反過來， 讓知識的傳遞不再是單向的，

and allowing the novice to teach the master.

或是讓菜鳥指導老鳥， 我們將獲益良多。

[The Way We Work]

［我們是這麼做的］

[Made possible with the support of Dropbox]

[使用Dropbox，讓一切都有可能]

目前的工作環境最多是由五個世代所組成的，

The workforce currently consists of up to five generations

and it's becoming more diverse

隨著少數族群的加入，

across all spectrums of underrepresented groups.

使得勞動族群變得更多元。

But that change is not arriving nearly as fast

然而，這樣的改變在主管階級或是會議室

in C-suites and in boardrooms.

卻很難被看見。

Which means there's a growing gap

這代表著，領袖與其員工

between leaders and their people

在理念與經驗上的隔閡

in regards to their perspectives and experiences.

越來越大。

Our organizations can fall right through that gap

我們的組織會將這些間隔接上，

into the trap of stale thinking, blind spots

不論是片面的認知、盲點

and having policies that could alienate

或是會造成種族孤立的政策。

these underrepresented groups,

not only in regards to age,

不只是年紀、

race or gender,

種族或性別，

but all different kinds of viewpoints.

而是所有抱持不同意見的人。

Reverse mentoring could be an antidote to that tunnel vision.

反向教導可以讓我們看的更廣。

But making reverse mentoring work,

然而，反向教導

isn't as simple as finding a mentor

不僅僅是找到一位導師

and pressing go.

那麼簡單。

You have to be genuinely curious

你需要發自內心的對導師感興趣，

about learning from that individual.

想更進一步的認識他。

And you have to be intentional about the relationship

為了使反向教學更有價值，

in order to make it valuable.

你需要刻意這麼做。

I know this because I was asked

我知道這些，是因為

just a year into my career at Virgin Atlantic

在我進入維珍航空工作後的一年，

to be the first ever reverse mentor

我被指派指導執行長-克雷格．克里格，

to mentor CEO Craig Kreeger.

而且還是他的第一位反向教導導師。

I'd met Craig a few times

在此之前，我們在會議室

and presented to him in meetings,

見過幾次面，

but this, it was a whole different ball game.

但這次，和以往的報告可不同。

Craig had revealed that he had no black women

克雷格提到，在他的小組內 沒有任何一位黑人女性，

in his inner circle

and he was keen to understand my perspective

而且，他也很想知道我對於

on how to build a more inclusive culture at Virgin Atlantic.

在公司內建立起多元文化的想法。

不要覺得有壓力。

No pressure.

Here's what I learned

接下來，我會提供六個

about how to make reverse mentoring work.

讓反向教學成功運作的小技巧。

Lesson one, make your match thoughtfully.

第一，謹慎的配對導師。

Find someone who has a pulse

找個熟悉組織各部門的人幫你配對。

on the key spokespeople in the organization

to help you make your match.

This doesn't have to be someone in human resources,

不一定要在人資部，

just someone who knows you and your teams well,

了解你和你的團隊的人就可以了，

because chemistry really matters.

因為「頻率」真的很重要。

The VP of people experience chose me

前任的人事主席 之所以會選我作為他的導師，

because I was open to sharing my ideas

是因為我願意分享我的想法，

and also my enthusiasm for leadership development.

還有我對發展領導能力的熱情。

Also make sure

此外，導師是不需和你

that your mentor isn't a direct report or part of your team,

或是與組員一起分擔風險的，

because it will be really difficult to elicit honest feedback

因為，你很難從一個

年底也要被你檢討的人 獲得最真實的回饋。

from someone who you also have to review

at the end of the year.

If you're in finance,

如果在金融業，可以找 對市場開發充滿想像力的人，

find someone creative in marketing,

如果你是工程師， 可以找客服人員。

or if you're in engineering, find someone in customer service.

這麼一來， 你能從隊員以外的人

This will ensure that you develop perspectives

獲得不同面向的見解，

from outside of your immediate team

而這些見解能使你成為更好的領導者。

and different perspectives make better leaders.

第二

Lesson two,

設立簡單的規則，讓事情更順利。

to make things simple, set some ground rules.

The first meeting should be offsite in a neutral location.

第一次見面地點不宜在公司內。

If you're the mentee, you should set the agenda.

如果你是學生，你應該設定議程。

What is it that you really want to learn?

你到底想學什麼？

Maybe you'd like to understand

也許你想知道導師

your mentor's career journey

工作的心路歷程，

or perhaps whether they've had any major obstacles

抑或是他們是否有克服過

什麼重大困難。

they've had to overcome,

or maybe you'd like to understand

也許，你想了解

how specific company policies impact them

有沒有什麼公司的政策

either directly or indirectly.

對他們直接或間接造成影響。

Agree that your conversations together

保證彼此的談話內容會被保密，

will be confidential

and whether there are any topics which are off limits,

不論談話過程中，是否有主題， 通常不會限制，

such as family life

比方說，家庭生活

or specific feedback on individuals.

或是別人給的特定回饋都該被保密。

Lesson three, start with an icebreaker.

第三，來點破冰活動。

I like to think of this

我喜歡把破冰活動當作

as a long elevator pitch of your life stories.

一個快速回顧人生的小遊戲。

Who are you?

你是誰？

Poignant moments in your life.

一生最痛苦的時刻是？

What are your hopes and dreams?

你的希望與夢想是？

Pivot to seek differences and not similarities

尋找彼此之間不同的地方 而非相同之處，

because that's the real power of reverse mentoring.

這才是反向教導真正厲害之處。

Craig and I found

我和克雷格發現

that we had formative experiences in common.

我們有相似的人生經驗。

Both of us immigrants,

我們都是移民，

him a second generation growing up in the US

他是出生在美國移民家庭的第二代，

and myself first generation

而我是移民的第一代，

arriving in the UK from Jamaica

三歲時，我從牙買加

at the age of three.

來到了英國。

But from there,

除了這些相似處，

our stories are quite different.

我們有很多不同的地方。

第四，注意角色的轉換。

Lesson four, beware of role reversion.

There were a few times in our conversation

談話的過程中，克雷格幾次

where Craig slipped into giving me career advice.

嘗試給我工作建議。

And I had to say, "Craig this is really interesting

我說：「好的，克雷格 你給的建議很棒，

and I'd love to come back to this later,

待會我也想再做進一步討論，

but in our limited time together,

然而在這有限的時間內，

is there anything else you'd like to understand from me?"

你有沒有什麼關於我的問題想問呢？」

這其實有點難，

Now this was quite hard,

做為一位導師，

but you have to remember that as a mentor

且是短時間內的導師，

for this very short period of time,

對組織來說，你的見解比較重要。

your insights are actually more valuable to the organization.

Lesson five, make time for reflection.

第五，花點時間思考。

Agree the key takeaways from each of the sessions,

彼此認同會議要點，

either at the end or through follow-up email

不論是在會議結束 或是透過電子郵件。

and schedule your sessions

並且安排時程，

to allow time between for reflection.

讓彼此都有時間思考。

We found that three to four weeks provided a great rhythm.

我們覺得花三到四個禮拜 思考，較為妥當。

And finally,

最後，

give credit where credit's due.

感謝彼此。

In the traditional mentoring relationship

在傳統的教導關係中，

the mentor isn't expected to be given credit.

導師不會預期獲得別人的讚賞。

However, in reverse mentoring

然而，在反向教導中，

where the mentee actually holds a lot of the power

受訓者權力較大，

accurate credit really counts.

因此確實的鼓勵很重要。

Forward-thinking organizations

有先見的組織使用反向教導

use reverse mentoring as one of the tools

to help them build a more inclusive environment.

建立起友善多元的工作環境。

And studies have shown

另外，有研究顯示

that when organizations embrace reverse mentoring

當組織開始使用反向教導後，

members of those underrepresented groups

容易受到忽視的少數群體

feel more confident in sharing their perspectives.

在發表意見時會更自在。

And when accompanied by a comprehensive diversity

隨著工作環境的多元化，

and inclusion strategy,

以及我所提供的策略，

it leads to higher retention amongst these groups.

公司對不同族群的包容能力 就會有所提升。

Personally, I found

我個人藉由與克雷格的反向教導，

that my reverse mentoring relationship with Craig

使我更了解在維珍航空

enabled me to have a sense of ownership and leadership

建立起多元的工作環境

in building an inclusive culture at Virgin.

所需要的領導能力。

And for Craig, it showed

對克雷格來說，

that even when you're at the pinnacle of your career,

即便到了事業的顛峰，

there's still more you can learn.

還是有很多東西可以學習。