Ten years ago, a global consulting firm asked us to design a half-day experience for 350 of their partners and principals who were coming together for a global conference. They wanted the participants to learn some practical skills, build and strengthen relationships with each other, and take away some ideas on ways they could be more effective with clients and colleagues.

In response, we had them participate in what we call a Peer Forum, also known as peer coaching.

We taught the participants 3 foundational coaching skills and facilitated small group conversations in which each person raised a difficult challenge or opportunity they were facing. Their colleagues then coached them, following a specific structure. The coaching consisted of listening deeply, asking helpful questions, focusing on the person and not the problem, not offering advice, and not sharing their personal experiences—and yes, the latter two were very difficult for most participants!

At the end of the session, the leaders told us they:

• had conversations with colleagues that were meaningful, important, vulnerable, and helpful.
• felt increased connection, trust, and positivity toward their colleagues.
• had new understanding of and insights around their individual challenge/opportunity.
• were eager to use the coaching skills to help them better understand, build relationships with, and work effectively with their clients and colleagues. (Many also wanted to leverage the skills at home with their families!)

These results are not surprising when you consider the research on peer coaching:

• Boris Groysberg and Robert Russman Halperin have been studying peer coaching for over a decade and they found that “[participants]… build camaraderie and form connections that help them feel safe, grounded, and capable in a volatile and uncertain world. The support they receive in forums sustains them through their toughest professional (and personal) challenges and fosters their long-term success.”
• Peer coaching gives participants many of the benefits of individual coaching, plus access to diverse perspectives, a place to practice coaching skills, and an ongoing support network.
• Research by Dr. Ravinder Kaur, Sreeraj P S, and Chandrashekhar Cholli has found that peer coaching increases participants’ collaboration, skills, engagement, job satisfaction, and retention.
• And finally, peer coaching has also been shown to reduce loneliness by increasing participants’ feelings of psychological safety, fostering meaningful dialogue, and creating a culture of relationship building and connection.

We’ve been practicing and perfecting our Peer Forum for the past ten years and have seen this kind of impact with every client we’ve worked with. We’d love to talk with you about how Peer Forums can be helpful in your organization. Let us know if you’d like to connect.

The Boda team