Learning and Development is always evolving to support the external changes and challenges within businesses and within the external market.
Driving a Learning and Development culture can be challenging, especially when we are faced with changing working environments and new challenges that employees are facing
Since Covid-19, recent research has shown that employees are seeking support and development across these 4 core areas:
- Leadership and Management
- Communication
- Problem Solving and Building Creative Solutions
- Resilience and Mental Well-Being
The Peer to Peer Forums enable development across all of these strands through creating connection amongst peers and regular group coaching.
Aims of the Peer to Peer Sessions:
- To come together bi-monthly as a Peer to Peer virtual forum and share challenges and successes
- To increase individual and team performance through increasing communication, solution thinking and engagement with others
- To build resilience, connections and mental well-being through regular and facilitated sessions
Peer to Peer Forum Structure
- Working together in the same Peer to Peer Group across a 3-6 month period
- 2.5 hour virtual sessions twice a month
- 6-7 peers in each Peer to Peer Group
There are 4 Parts of the Sessions:
How the sessions run…
Each individual in a Group will be able to share a challenge that they are facing or topic that they want support with each month.
It can small or large. The format enables everyone in the group to ask 1-2 questions on the topic to uncover more information.
Everyone in the group then has an opportunity to share their
advice / recommendation to the individual. Often individuals learn significantly from listening to the challenges and advice for others in the group as much
as sharing their own topics and challenges.
Creating a ripple effect of a coaching culture…
The Peer to Peer sessions follow a GROW coaching and development structure.
Many groups that have gone through the Peer to Peer Forums have found that their coaching skills have significantly improved with their teams.
By participating in group coaching in the Peer to Peer sessions, individuals are practicing creating coaching questions and unravelling problems for others.
The Power of External L&D Facilitation…
By enabling an external facilitator to run the sessions, the impact and effectiveness is significantly increased.
Some of the benefits include:
- The sessions are kept to time and everyone has a chance to participate equally.
- The Facilitator / L&D professional offers further key questions or advice if needed.
- 121 follow ups are in place if individuals need extra support.
- The facilitator keeps positivity moving in the sessions, whilst appreciating challenges, the focus is on how to move forwards and create solutions.