Professional development is important for an organization’s growth phase and success-oriented work. At this point, there are many ways to support employee development, and the most effective of these is to organize peer coaching programs to achieve career goals and ensure company growth. Peer coaching is a method that aims to ensure the development of individuals through collaboration and mutual support. It has applications in the business world, such as strengthening teamwork, increasing academic success, and many other areas. This approach facilitates individual development by providing a platform where people learn from each other and develop.
Definition of Peer Coaching
As humans, we are naturally social creatures. We are built to see our peers as equals who share similar experiences, challenges, and perspectives. When we feel “connected” to someone, we create a relationship based on trust and mutual understanding. So, what is peer coaching?
Peer coaching is a structured process in which individuals who see themselves as equals guide each other, focusing on developing skills or solving problems. Unlike conventional coaching models, this method hosts a learning experience where both parties contribute and benefit from each other equally.
For example, peer-to-peer coaching represents a collaborative process in which employees work together to set goals and identify areas for improvement. Besides, this development method is based on a two-way relationship in which both parties learn from each other.
What are the Advantages of Having Peer Coach?
Implementing a professional development program has a great impact on increasing employee efficiency and productivity. The reason for this impact is that the program we call peer coaching is important in creating a learning and improvement work culture that encourages employee engagement and retention.
Peer coaching provides many benefits, both on an individual and team level. Employees who participate in the program develop their skills and refresh their knowledge, which leads the company to success from a professional perspective. At the same time, they learn their strengths and weaknesses and how to be active within a large organization. The main benefits of working with a peer coach are
1. Unbiased Feedback
Peer coaches create an environment that allows you to recognize your shortcomings by displaying an unbiased perspective. They also coach you to improve your shortcomings that arise. Completely honest, fair, objective and constructive criticism is made about your individual or team performance. This gives employees the guidance they need to do their best work and take successful steps in their careers.
2. Emotional Supporting
They guide you through the emotional and stressful states you experience by making you feel that you are not alone in the face of difficulties. In this way, employees learn how to control their emotions in the face of events or situations they experience in the work environment.
3. Reduces Hierarchy Pressure
Peer coaching aims to provide an equal environment of interaction in addition to the relationships provided by traditional mentoring. This facilitates the exchange of ideas between employees and helps to manage business processes more easily.
4. Supports Talent Retention
Peer coaching fosters a culture that values personal space and time commitment, which in turn increases employee satisfaction and workplace commitment.
5. Develop a Shared Vision
It contributes to more effective decision-making processes by creating a common understanding of goals. This benefit aligns the strategic direction of the organization with the team.
What Peer Coach Do Exactly?
What peer coaches do is generally create a clear focus where all employees agree on the issue or challenge that needs to be explored. It does this in a way where the “coachee” shares their perspective and the “coach” actively listens and asks thought-provoking questions. Here is what a peer coach does exactly:
1. Role Playing:
- Improve communication skills and gain confidence by acting out a real situation.
- Examples: Dealing with difficult customers, resolving conflicts within the team.
2. “What If?” Scenarios:
- Encourage strategic thinking with hypothetical questions.
- Examples: “What if Plan A fails?” or “How would you proceed if resources increase?”
3. Empathy Exercises:
- Efforts to understand another person’s perspective.
- Purpose: Develop emotional intelligence and communication skills.
4. Change of Perspective:
- Encourage looking at problems from new perspectives.
- Examples: Assessing stakeholders’ perspectives, generating alternative solutions.
5. Collaborative Storytelling:
- Developing solutions by creating creative stories about common challenges.
- Planning action steps based on discussion and story.
Differences Between Peer Coaching and Peer Mentoring?
Coaches provide constructive critical feedback to help people develop their skills and approaches. Mentors aim to guide with stories, perspectives, and advice. While both peer coaching and peer mentoring are useful in helping individuals develop, there are certain differences. The key differences are:
1. Purpose and Focus Area
Peer coaching is based on mutual learning and development of specific skills. For example, focusing on concrete goals such as improving an employee’s problem-solving skills.
Peer mentoring is broader and aims to guide the mentee on their career development, leadership skills, or personal goals.
2. Relationship Dynamics
According to peer coaching, both parties should share knowledge and experience equally, and collaboration and feedback processes must be managed in a balanced manner.
According to peer mentoring, the mentor is more experienced and guides the mentee during the transfer of knowledge. This relationship develops based on the “teacher-student” dynamic.
3. Time and Process
Peer coaching is short-term and focused on a specific goal. For example, it only takes a few weeks to improve a specific project.
On the other hand, peer mentoring is a longer-term relationship, with the ability to guide the mentee’s career journey over the years.
4. Interaction Format
Peer coaching is based on specific sessions, predetermined goals, and measurable results.
Peer mentoring is flexible and tailored to the mentee’s needs, offering intimate interaction.
5. Target Audience and Scope
Peer coaching mentors employees with similar experience levels. Both parties learn from and contribute to each other.
Peer mentoring focuses on the relationship between a more senior employee and someone with less experience, providing the mentee with the knowledge to achieve their individual goals.