Penguin Random House - Reverse Mentoring Training with Senior Leadership
Context
Penguin Random House was looking to go beyond standard DEI training and create spaces for more honest, relational learning across the organisation. As part of this effort, they launched a Reverse Mentoring Programme, designed to connect senior leaders with employees from underrepresented backgrounds in a learning partnership. The aim was to challenge perspectives, amplify lived experiences, and inform inclusive leadership.
Approach
Mabinty was invited to design and deliver training for mentees (senior leaders) ahead of the programme’s launch. The training focused on building psychological safety, unpacking power dynamics, and exploring what makes a mentoring relationship based on mutual respect and trust. We worked through potential challenges, offered communication tools, and emphasised the importance of listening to understand rather than listening to respond.
Impact
Senior leaders who took part as mentees described the experience as transformative, challenging their assumptions and deepening their understanding of perspectives they don’t often encounter. Many reflected on how valuable it was to step back and listen, calling the process both “humbling” and “eye-opening.” The insights gained have not only influenced individual growth but also contributed to a broader cultural shift—embedding equity more intentionally into leadership behaviours and organisational decisions.