How to implement a peer-to-peer mentoring program

A 5-step guide on how to embed a peer-to-peer mentoring program within an internal comms dept

Peer mentoring takes place when the mentor isn't in a position of authority over the mentee. For example, an employee in an internal communication department might have a colleague within the same department as their mentor. The mentor will guide their colleague based on the life experience that they have gained and their professional expertise within the communication arena.

Step 1 – Senior management buy in

Ensure buy in from senior management and that the peer-to-peer mentoring program is part of the company’s talent management program. This ensures that the mentoring program fulfils the company’s goals and objectives and isn’t an exercise that's seen by management to be time costly, inefficient and unproductive.

Step 2 - Mentor recruitment

The success of the program relies on the ability of the organisation to recruit appropriate mentors. Each potential mentor should be interviewed against a criteria of desired competencies and required skills. An essential part of the recruitment should include a self assessment from the potential mentor as this indicates their level of self awareness.

There are a number of things that need to be considered when choosing the right peer mentor including the following:

1. Is the proposed mentor already considered a role model within the department/organisation?
2. Is the proposed mentor able to accept constructive criticism and continually learn from the      experiences that the mentor has gone through?
3. Does the proposed mentor have the ability to empower others?
4. Does the proposed mentor have a good work record or one that has improved over time?

Step 3 - Mentor training

All mentors should be trained before they begin this important role. They should not have to rely solely on trial and error to succeed. They should be trained on, for example, essential skills like coaching techniques, how to transfer their knowledge, the need for confidentiality and how to deal with conflict. Mentors should also have their own mentor to ensure that they continue to develop and know how to deal with the issues that may arise with their mentee.

Step 4 – Relationship building

There should be a good match between the mentor and the mentee and they should both agree to the relationship. A good match is when the mentor has a complimentary personality, a good understanding of the behaviours that need to be elicited from the mentee. For example if the mentee is known as a talented but troublesome employee the mentor should have experience in working with this type of employee. The mentor should not have an attitude of superiority and should truly be a role model.

Many companies fail when they enforce a particular mentor onto a mentee or when neither member of the party understands the nature of the relationship or the roles that they're supposed to play. There should be activities that allow the two individuals to get to know each other so that they can build a trusting relationship. For example the mentor and mentee could work together on a communication project as equal peers. This would allow the mentor to subtly demonstrate his expertise in a way that is not domineering to the mentee. The mentee would get to know his mentor without any artificial barriers being set up between them. The company should organize social gatherings activities where the mentors and mentees can mix together and get to know each other in a social background.

The mentor will need to assess the needs of the mentee and explain to the person how they will help the mentee achieve his or her objectives. They should agree a time that they'll meet, and a format of training or discussion that they'll work to. They should also discuss the level of confidentiality that they hold themselves to.

Step 5 – Ending the relationship

It's very important that the mentoring relationship doesn't fade into inactivity over time but has a formal ending. This allows a period of review between the mentor and the mentee, a time to celebrate successes and to plan for the future. The plan should include the activities that the mentee will do to continue their learning. The company should ensure that the experiences of the mentor and mentee are captured for the company’s succession and training plans and the individual’s personal development or training plans.

Peer-to-peer mentoring is an extremely valuable tool for organizations looking for ways to continuously develop their teams, however it's vital to ensure the both the mentor and the mentee receive the appropriate support and guidance if the organization is to reap the long-term benefits of this approach.

I worked with Brand Aspect to implement a small peer to peer mentoring programme amongst the employees. The Managing Director wanted his employees to take on new experiences and responsibilities within a short timescale whilst on the job rather than on training courses. He believed that this would develop his employees quickly and would be more beneficial for them and the business.

He discovered that there was renewed confidence and pride within the team when working outside their comfort zones. They were able to implement their new learning quickly and this learning is embedded and not quickly forgotten.

The Managing Director has more available time for strategy as he was not asked similar questions from the team on a regular basis.  He was able to delegate more and his employees became more able to make key strategic decisions.

Judith Germain

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