Run by Army Headquarters, the programme pairs up brigadiers with privates or corporals to help them learn more about the juniors’ perspectives.
Sgt Shannon Rogers (REME) from the Army Personnel Services Group set it up after noticing how reverse mentoring had benefitted other organisations, including armed forces.
She told Soldier: “We can already see this is something that will endure; the response from everyone involved has been overwhelmingly positive.”
The pairs meet online once a month for six-to-eight sessions. And although the main purpose is for seniors to better understand those they command, the benefits run both ways.
“The amount of power people have at brigadier level is extraordinary to me,” the senior NCO – shown below – said. “These sessions help them to humanise their decisions.
“For the soldiers, time with seniors is fantastic for their education and growth.
“Troops are often very nervous about being teamed with such high-ranking officers or saying the wrong thing. But no one involved forgets this experience; they’ve all said it is one of the best things they have done for their careers.
“We give them themes and prompts for the chats, but they can go where they like with it.
“Women, for example, have been able to share experiences of unacceptable behaviour.”
‘I was worried I wouldn’t know what to say’
Musn Holly Eggleton (RCAM) mentored a brigadier...
“It felt weird at times having such personal discussions with a brigadier,” she said. “I was worried I wouldn’t know what to say. But I’ve really enjoyed it.”
The 23-year-old got involved after seeing an advert on the Army Servicewomen’s Network.
“My cap badge is quite sheltered from much contact with high-level officers,” she explained.
“So it was interesting to hear about the stuff he deals with. I’ve also learnt a lot about resilience – and it’s helped me think more about the bigger picture, too.”
