How can you find the best peer support practices for your business?

1 Assess your needs

Before you start any peer support initiative, you need to understand the needs and preferences of your target audience. You can do this by conducting surveys, interviews, focus groups, or other methods of feedback. Ask your employees what kind of peer support they would like to receive or offer, what topics or issues they are interested in, what format or platform they prefer, and what barriers or challenges they face. This will help you tailor your peer support programs to their specific needs and expectations.

2 Define your goals

Once you have a clear picture of your needs, you need to set clear and realistic goals for your peer support programs. What are the outcomes you want to achieve? How will you measure them? How will you align them with your organizational vision and values? For example, some possible goals could be to reduce stress and burnout, improve communication and collaboration, foster innovation and creativity, or enhance diversity and inclusion. Your goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

3 Choose your model

When deciding on a model of peer support, you should consider your goals, needs, and resources. For example, peer mentoring pairs a more experienced or skilled peer with a less experienced or skilled one to provide guidance and feedback. Peer coaching involves two or more peers working together to improve their performance, skills, or behaviors by setting goals and action plans. Peer learning enables peers to share their knowledge, insights, and best practices through formal or informal sessions, workshops, or online platforms. Finally, peer groups involve forming groups of peers who have similar interests, roles, or challenges to provide mutual support and advice.

4 Train your peers

To ensure the quality and effectiveness of your peer support programs, you need to train your peers who will participate in them. You need to equip them with the skills and knowledge to perform their roles, such as communication, listening, feedback, facilitation, problem-solving, or conflict resolution. You also need to clarify their expectations, responsibilities, and boundaries, such as confidentiality, respect, honesty, or commitment. You can provide training through online courses, workshops, manuals, or other resources.

5 Evaluate your impact

Finally, you need to evaluate the impact of your peer support programs on your employees and your business. You need to collect and analyze data on the outcomes, benefits, and challenges of your peer support initiatives. You can use quantitative or qualitative methods, such as surveys, interviews, testimonials, or metrics. You also need to solicit feedback from your peers and stakeholders, to identify what works well and what needs improvement. You can use this information to refine, adjust, or scale up your peer support programs.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?