W. Brad Johnson, PhD, and David G. Smith, PhD, discuss cross-gender mentorships toward high-value reciprocal mentoring. These are essentially partnerships in which men and women play complementary roles leading to career and personal development for both parties, and ultimately, greater gender equality in the workplace.
Source: HBR Ascend, June 23, 2020. Link. Characteristics that define the best mentorships between women and men include:
- Mutual listening and affirmation
- Humility
- Shared power
- An extended range of mentoring outcomes
INSIGHTS: Reciprocal mentoring is worth consideration. Some of its tenets will also transfer to sales relationships that develop between reps and customers.