Peer Mentoring

Benefits of taking part:

• Provide support and motivation in the key areas of career planning and development.
• Provide opportunities for a confidential review of options, strategies and decisions.
• Help you to become self-reliant and take responsibility for your own development.
• Ensure you are supported whilst developing confidence, additional skills and experience.
• Help to build cross institutional relationships and knowledge.

What skills do I need to be a good peer mentor?

Peer mentors have an opportunity to use and develop key skills including:

• listening and questioning
• challenging each other to consider your learning and what you’re going to do with it
• providing insights into ‘the way I’ve always done things’
• guidance and advice on any areas of expertise you have
• being a positive role model
• being curious
• encouragement and to facilitate networking and building supportive connections
• challenging negative/limiting beliefs

How much time will Peer Mentoring take?

It is up to both partners to decide how often they meet, for how long and in what way. At the outset, please be explicit about how much time you are able to give and agree the frequency of meetings.

Getting involved in Peer Mentoring

At the University we are using Peer Mentoring to support behaviour change following any development activity. When you attend a centrally organised session you will be invited to connect with a colleague who has also attended to provide Peer Support beyond the session.

You can also set this up locally where a number of colleagues are accessing the same resources and looking for a structure to discuss what this means to them in their role and what needs to change as a result of this development.

Using Peer Mentoring to support Strengths Profile 

Find out more about how the University is using Strengths Profile to support individuals and teams.

Peer Mentoring through Mentoring Connections

You can also work with a mentor through our Mentoring Connections programme. We have developed guidance based on Radical Candor by Kim Scott, who recommends having a more structured, intentional approach to Career Conversations. We have to understand the past and the future in order to know what to do in the present, what to do right now. We have developed guidance to have three Peer Mentoring conversations to support this:

You can find out more about Radical Candor here: Radical Candor — The Surprising Secret to Being a Good Boss - YouTube

If you are interested in working with someone as a Peer Mentor you can approach them direct or you can sign up to Mentoring Connections to find someone to connect with:

Mentoring Connections