Peer Coaching Program
“My mentor said, ‘Let’s go do it,’ not ‘You go do it.’ How powerful when someone says, ‘Let’s!’” – Jim Rohn
We are thrilled that you are interested in participating in the Peer Coaching Program! We are here to ensure that you have the resources needed to make the most of this important partnership. If you’re looking for motivation and support, shared knowledge and experience, and help setting and achieving goals, then look no further than the Peer Coaching Program!
The program is a joint venture between one employee beginning their career or advancing in it and the other crafting their legacy within our organization. A Mentee can expect help in opening doors, engaging and enabling them to focus on goals, empowerment, and help to realize what one can achieve regardless of the challenges. Coaches are afforded the opportunity to learn something new, increase employee retention, improve productivity, and gain personal satisfaction. When both partners are committed to the development and well-being of the other, we will witness great things happening throughout our organization.
This program is a formal coaching program meant to help participants develop in their careers. Although formal by definition, the Peer Coaching experience is more like a conversation. The Coach will be open minded and willing to listen to what’s going on to help the Mentee navigate situations. It’s a great opportunity to meet a smiling face and talk with someone that has gone through some of the same things. The Mentee will be able to bring their own knowledge and experience to the table as well so the Coach is learning too! This collaborative, non-evaluative, and non-judgmental approach will help refine how we learn professional knowledge and skills in our organization.
This program is open to all employees in any classification at any point in their careers. Folks are encouraged to participate as both a Coach and a Mentee. Preference to participate in the program will be given to these individuals first. The primary goal of the Learning Institute is to foster and support a passion for learning and development as we strive towards being a true Learning Organization where the best can come to get better. Our hope is that this program will support and encourage people to manage their own learning in a way that they maximize their potential, develop this skill set, and become the person they want to be.
Let’s go do this!
Peer Coaching provides a whole host of advantages to both the Coach and the Mentee. Some of the rad benefits that you can expect as a participant are:
- For Coaches:
- Gain personal satisfaction in helping someone grow professionally.
- Contribute to your own personal and professional growth.
- Enhance your leadership, management, and coaching skills.
- Build your credibility and reputation as a role model.
- For Mentees:
- Get honest feedback from an outside perspective.
- Be challenged to set higher goals.
- Gain an insider perspective.
- Increase and grow your valuable professional network.
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Submit your application.
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The Learning Institute will review all applications and create pairs.
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Pairs will be introduced and meetings are ready to start.
The expectation of participants is to meet in person monthly (for a total of twelve meetings) and we encourage that this meeting take place during a mutually agreeable lunch period. Of course, more meetings are great and highly encouraged! Participation is purely voluntary, but we do ask individuals to take seriously the commitment to meet and maintain the relationship on your own time during the yearlong commitment.
“I am so grateful for the County’s support. I could not have chosen a better mentor for me. The fit was perfect. It had to have been higher power to get this match.”
“I believe this has been extremely beneficial because you are learning from someone else’s experience and their perspective. I learned so much!”
“I participated in the program as a mentor and as a protégé. I truly enjoyed both and learned from my mentor and my protégé. I would recommend this program to anyone who isn’t involved that is wanting to learn more about the County and work on professional development through a mentor.”
“I had a great time participating in the Peer Coaching Program. My mentor was a perfect match for my career aspirations as well as my personality. She was able to share some really beneficial resources and tools with me to help me along in my professional endeavors. I am grateful to have met my mentor, and I know we will continue to keep in touch after the 2017 program is over. Thank you for creating the Peer Coaching Program!”
Already applied? Check out the Peer Coaching Handbook. This handbook has a ton of resources to help you get started on this journey. It has tips and tricks to be a better listener, how to set goals, and a list of LinkedIn courses that are helpful for both Coach and Mentee!
If you are interested in participating and would like more information about the Peer Coaching program, you can contact:
Learning Institute
learninginstitute@stancounty.com
(209) 525-4474
