Typically when we think of mentoring or being mentored, we think about the knowledge transfer from the mentor to the mentored. But there is a mark of a good mentor that is often not discussed. If you are in a mentoring position, you should also be seeking to learn from those you are mentoring. Everyone you encounter will bring a skill, experience or perspective that you do not have. They will often have valuable feedback to offer about your role as a mentor. This is a process I call mentoring up, where the mentored shapes the actions and behaviors of the mentor.

The usual thinking is that mentoring is a flow of information from the old and experienced to the young and in-experienced. But if you reverse the flow of knowledge, you have an opportunity to learn about what is new and fresh. An opportunity to apply modern thinking to tried and true ideas is created.

Reversing the process is simple. Ask for feedback from your child, an employee, an intern or a student. Be ready for brutal feedback. The process also works well by just observing how the younger generation interacts, speaks and behaves. You will be amazed at what you can learn.