🙋Peer to peer guide
Overview of the scheme
The aims of the peer-to-peer scheme is to answer the need for more support around personal development, accessing training and getting the best parts of management (support, coaching and accountability). It’s circular because we want to distribute the burden of care work in the organisation and build the capacity of all staff to listen empathically and look out for each other across teams and bonds of friendships.
Acting as an effective peer is part of our responsibilities as staff and is an important part of our work. We will prioritise time for this strategically and in capacity planning.
The main obligations as a peer are to meet your peer monthly and to look out for them in between.
There are some specific things you need to do at each monthly meeting and at a separate meeting with your peer that will happen around the end of each strategy cycle. More details on this can be found below.
In terms of how to use your peer - they are your first port of call when it comes to difficulties: overwork, stress, conflict etc. However, in the case of illness or sick leave or a situation where you feel unable to talk to your peer, contact the people circle directly.
Other details:
Peers are rotated every 6 months
Peers are assigned by the people circle based on a) who hasn’t been matched together before b) matching people on relatively similar hours
Peer relationships are mutual (i.e. you are each other’s peer mentors) In your probation period the peer system goes one way - you will get a peer but you won’t peer anyone
The people circle will monitor that peers are meeting and give prompts to encourage people to meet and carry out quarterly goal setting sessions.
We have been trained in the GROW approach to coaching and use this, where appropriate, in our peer to peer sessions to support our peers. Details in the coaching guide.
Your responsibilities as a peer mentor:
1) Meet your peer min. monthly
Agree with your peer how often you will meet (minimum monthly but could be more regular)
Set up regular meeting times and meet with your peer as agreed
2) Record the meetings in 2 ways
Record that you have booked the meeting by booking it in the public Bristol Cable google calendar. The people circle will look over the calendar to check that you have the meetings booked in.
After you meet, record the meeting through the Peer to Peer record form, where you can flag any difficulties that have been mentioned
3) Confidentiality
Apart from what is fed back to the people circle (which will be kept in confidence) keep the rest of your conversation with your peer confidential, unless you explicitly ask them if you can share / pass on something they’ve said
4) Try to meet up outside face to face and outside the office if possible
There is budget for you to buy teas / coffees / refreshments on the Cable!
5) Look out for your peer in between meetings
Have a cup of tea or say hello on slack and ask they how they’re doing each week
If they seem stressed or upset in a check-in, approach them
If you hear anything else about their wellbeing that causes them concern then be proactive about reaching out to them
Celebrate their successes with them if you hear about something they’ve done well or been involved in
Escalate to (i.e. get in contact with) the people circle if you need support or if your peer lets you know they are: - Overworked - Stressed - Need support - Struggling - In conflict with a colleague
6) Hold a goal-setting session with your peer each quarter, at the beginning of the strategy cycle [we will guide you through this at the end of the strategy cycle]
See checklist further down below for a full list of what to cover
Organise an extended meeting or meetings each quarter (2 x one hour meetings or a two hour meeting).
Record this meeting using this separate form, rather than the usual peer-to-peer form.
Support your peer to fill out a personal goals template, setting goals for the next quarter
These goals can be shared with other members of the team or kept private
Ask your peer if they want to keep their goals private from the rest of the team, and if so respect their confidentiality
Identify training needs with your peer as part of the conversation on goals. Make a record of what training needs have been identified when you fill out the form.
Look over your peer’s capacity plans with them and work with them to reduce capacity to 80% for the forthcoming six weeks. If necessary offer to approach the development circle or support them to approach the development circle if their capacity is looking overstretched.
Feedback system for the peer to peer scheme:
Make space for a 5 minute check out at the end of each peer to peer meeting where you can offer constructive feedback on what was helpful and not helpful in relation to your aims as a peer
Each quarter, you may wish to hold a retrospective on your peer relationship so far
The people circle will initiate opportunities to reflect and feedback on how the relationship and scheme is working so far
If you are having difficulties with your peer, or the pairing is not proving supportive, please contact the people circle directly.
Things that can contribute to great peer-to-peer meetings:
Clear meeting times
Google cal so you both have a record
Make the length clear if you have to leave (~30 mins each is a good minimum?)
Clear changes between whose ‘turn’ it is to be coached/supported and to coach/support
Make them one-on-one, and in person (where possible)
When you’re in the supporting role, listen more than you talk
Ask how you can support before suggesting a solution
Clear outcomes
Agree who will keep a record of any action points or things to remember for you/your peer
You could agree to send a summary of action points/ goals/ things to check in on later (no pressure)
Opening up a new peer-to-peer relationship
In addition to above, you could ask what are your expectations for being mentored by your peer, how do you think it might support you?
How have you found working with teams like this in the past?
What has it been like for you to engage on the technology platforms for communication? And to take part in sociocratic decision making?
Are you feeling comfortable about your place in this group / org / team?
Is there anything you’re worried about?
Safety and Communication
Peers aren’t counsellors but they can support their listened-to peers to talk through challenging feelings, about anything they feel comfortable with. Talk with your peer to identify how confidential the things they share with you are. In small orgs it’s easy for a harsh comment to travel around a group even though it was part of a normal venting process that was never meant to be passed on.
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