Spectrum Reverse Mentorship

Many of us are familiar with the traditional concept of mentoring, where one person receives guidance from another person who is usually in a more senior role. But Spectrum (Toyota's Business Partnering Group for LGBTQ+ team members and allies) took the idea of mentoring and turned it on its head to create reverse mentorship: a program in which an LGBTQ+ team member mentors a Toyota manager.

Spectrum members at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) first heard about reverse mentorship at an Out & Equal conference. They took the idea back to TMMC and made it their own. To date, 38 reverse mentorship pairs have participated at TMMC, and other Toyota plants have launched their own programs. Spectrum is also offering reverse mentorship training to external companies it has met through Out & Equal.

To learn more about this innovative program, we sat down with two recent participants at TMMC: Dawn Ferguson, assembly safety kaizen team and Spectrum chair, who served as a mentor to Justina Mendoza, senior manager, South Paint.

What is Spectrum’s Reverse Mentorship Program? How does it work?

Dawn: Just like a typical mentoring relationship, two people of different levels are paired up. But in reverse mentoring, the mentor is a team member or team leader who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, and the mentee is a manager who doesn’t identify as LGBTQ+. The two of them meet up for a conversation about once a month for three months. The goal is for the mentor to help the mentee gain new perspective and understanding about the experiences of LGBTQ+ team members on the floor. The mentee can then use what they’ve learned to inform how they lead. 

Justina: It takes some humbleness on the part of the mentee. And it was scary because I didn’t want to offend or do anything wrong. But you create a bond with your mentor, and that helps you feel safe.

What did you learn?

Justina: We discovered what we had in common, like a strong sense of family. And in hearing about some of the struggles Dawn has gone through, I was able to see parallels to the challenges faced by other marginalized groups and to my own experience as a woman trying to navigate a predominantly male industry. I didn’t put my finger on those parallels before.

Dawn: Justina hit the nail on the head: We’re from two different backgrounds and lifestyles, but we’re much more similar than we might have realized. We often face the same struggles in the workplace.

Justina: Also, learning to listen. As a leader, most of the time you do all the talking. But I wanted to really hear Dawn and give her the opportunity to share her story in the way she felt best. It was great to practice those deep listening skills that we as management really need to practice.

What would you say to someone who’s thinking about participating in reverse mentoring?

Justina: I would point out that it’s very much in line with the spirit of mendomi. That’s a Japanese term that is one of our guiding principles. It means caring about the other person, getting to know who they are and having curiosity about them as a person. That is what we do at Toyota. The journey continues, and we’re all on it together.

Dawn: I would say, go ahead and do it! It gives you an opportunity to have a voice at Toyota and to improve our culture. Change happens one small step at a time. Every team member can make a difference, and programs like this help build our strong D+I foundation.