Hey! Let's Give Reverse-Mentoring a Chance

Normally, we find it easier to ask of a younger person to grow up. We catch feelings when a younger one asks of us to grow up even when put in the mildest way possible.

But in today's world, it is what it is, one where the younger are better-prepared tech-wise. They are eons ahead of their forebearers. We are learning from our kids that the workspace is better navigated with tablets and that time spent on them is critical to their success.

When my friend fully embraced the idea of working from his phone, he often woke up at 4 a.m. and found himself working up till 9 a.m. while still in bed. He awoke his son frequently to help him use a feature on the gadget that had troubled him.

The young boy used the same lines that the dad recited when helping out with homework. "Be keen and work hard". He would add: "when you wake me up this early, the effort had better generate money for our next holiday". These simple words got deep into the father's mind and caused him to polish up his skills on the tablet.

So, often when you find your kids focused on their tablets, it is all to remain ahead of the curve, should you need their help again.

I was bemused by a 75-year-old man I met at the reception area of a major corporation. I noticed that he played Candy Crush as he awaited his turn to meet the boss. My enquiry on what caused the smiles was met with: "I am crushing candy big time".

This man needed to have something to share with his grandson who had recently introduced him to the game. This senior told me that he was "tech-savvy" and was grateful to his grandson for being very patient with him.

Have you come to that junction whose crossroads make you realise that you could be quite experienced in areas that are quickly going obsolete? The time to reconfigure yourself has arrived. Those older than you are unhelpful and those much younger than you are hard to get along with. It is all in the mind. If you don't give change a good chance, then there is a good chance that change will have its way with or without you.

The key is in building a healthy camaraderie around younger people.

A friend of mine is currently enrolled on a course with much younger participants. Her physical appearance doesn't betray her age and she is often out with these younger classmates for coffee. And because the business she has chosen to go into having quit business consultancy, depends on attracting youthful clients, she is learning a lot of stuff from her younger comrades.

Many older people are often heard declaring that they were done with learning 20 plus years ago and cannot return to a classroom no matter what. Then please enjoy your fossilisation peacefully but don't cry when the effects catch up with you.

The more 'mature-age' learning enrollments you accept at home or elsewhere, the more likely your future will get better. These opportunities are likened to cataract surgery. Things are clearer after that.

So, one of the hallmarks of our time is the ability and will to accept reverse-mentoring. Learning, unlike an inflated ego, is a high yielding investment. That young one you saw growing up is your next teacher. Get used to that. Won't you?