Managerial Communication – II

REPORT WRITING

THE PEOPLE PROBLEM

Date: 15th November 2021

Facilitator: Prof. Ritesh Haldankar

Division: G

Group: 8

Pranav Bharara- G008

Pratibha Balaji- G018

Saurabh Mishra- G028

Saumya Goyal- G038

Akash Bamankar- G048

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Clarity Business Solutions (CBS) is a well-established company in the retail sector, providing its

clients with retail business solutions. The organization successfully navigated its way through the

unforeseen circumstances posed by the pandemic with its reins in the hands of strong leadership.

The management has, so far, been able to pull through with a few rather uncelebrated strategies.

However, the current scenario requires the company to implement procedures that would stir the

existing mindset and culture of work, in order to accelerate the necessary shift to digital

technologies and drive positive growth. The idea in question is the introduction of a Reverse

Mentoring Program, its advantages and feasibility gauged through criteria pertaining to

economic cost, organizational structure and long-term gains.

TERMS OF REFERENCE:

In accordance with the instructions of the CEO, I am pleased to submit a report on the feasibility

of the creation of a reverse mentoring program in CBS.

PROCEDURE:

Numerous internal and external elements were evaluated when determining the feasibility of a

potential reverse mentorship program at CBS.

External Sources:

● Consultants in Human Resources (HR) were hired to ascertain employees' perceptions

about the reverse mentorship program.

● Business reports were evaluated to understand the program's social and economic

effectiveness.

Internal Sources:

● Climate surveys were carried out to determine employee commitment to the program.

● Previous scores on digital literacy assessments were evaluated to understand the current

level of competency.

● The attrition rates of seniors and juniors were analysed to determine trends and their

underlying reasons.

● HR bonding session reports were examined to evaluate the extent of relationship between

junior and senior employees.

 ● Cost and balance sheets were analysed to determine whether the new program would fit

within the cultural budget.

CRITERIA:

1. Economic cost

2. Organizational structure

3. Long term gains

EVALUATION OF CRITERIA:

1. Economic Cost:

● Opportunity Cost of Time Spent on Mentoring

The amount of knowledge exchanges would have to be determined so as to not impact

day-to-day operations, given that the team is pressed for time. Therefore, the durations of

the exchanges would have to be optimized so as to reduce the loss of productivity on the

project. However, these interactions would be advantageous for the juniors, aiding them

in receiving guidance from the experienced professionals.

Hence, the efficiency gains would outweigh short term loss of time.

● Cost of hiring external experts

While hiring experts will reduce the stress on junior employees and enable senior

employees to learn in a more structured manner, the program would instill more trust and

confidence among team members, as well as allow junior members to be better mentors

in the future.
 2. Organizational Structure

The structure of the organization would play a significant role in setting the guidelines,

formalizing the goal-setting process and tracking progress. In a hierarchical structure, the

willingness of senior executives to accept feedback and learn from their reportees would

impose a greater challenge than a flat structure with a more open culture. The current

smaller team size would allow for smoother interaction between team members.

3. Long term gains

The program would improve performance of the company not just through quicker

decision making, improve digital infrastructure, but also allow for a culture that

emphasizes holistic learning and development.

CONCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS :

It can be concluded that as the need for technology upscaling is imminent at CBS, reverse

mentoring would help our senior officials to adapt to these changes. Though the company has

been able to navigate through the tough times of global pandemic, the outlook for further

quarters will improve through digitization.

The younger employees are quick at grasping advanced technology and would be able to guide

the senior team. In turn, a closer connection with these esteemed professionals would help our

juniors, as their advice would help them achieve their career aspirations.
RECOMMENDATIONS:

Considering the criteria evaluated, it is recommended to launch a reverse mentoring program at

CBS with the following suggestions:

1. Conduct a pilot program with selected employees from each team. This will help plan the

wide-scale implementation efficiently.

2. Pair seniors and juniors in a selective manner, in order to align both the technological

requirement of the former and the career aspirations of the latter.

Signed:

Ajay Gupta

Vice President, Operations

Clarity Business Solutions

Date: November 15, 2021

REFERENCES:

1. Kaše, R. (2019, January 1). Skill development in reverse mentoring: Motivational

processes of mentors and learners. Wiley Online Library.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hrm.21932

2. Gadomska-Lila, K. (2020), "Effectiveness of reverse mentoring in creating

intergenerational relationships", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 33

No. 7, pp. 1313-1328. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-10-2019-0326

3. Bethany M. Breck, Cory B. Dennis & Skye N. Leedahl (2018) Implementing reverse

mentoring to address social isolation among older adults, Journal of Gerontological

Social Work, 61:5, 513-525, DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2018.1448030

4. Skye N Leedahl, Melanie Sereny Brasher, Erica Estus, Bethany M Breck, Cory B Dennis

& Samantha C Clark (2019) Implementing an interdisciplinary intergenerational program

using the Cyber Seniors® reverse mentoring model within higher education, Gerontology

& Geriatrics Education, 40:1, 71-89, DOI: 10.1080/02701960.2018.1428574