How can you recognize and reward peer mentors at different career levels?

Peer mentoring is a valuable practice that can benefit both the mentors and the mentees in an organization. It can enhance learning, collaboration, and career development for all involved. However, peer mentors often do not receive enough recognition and reward for their efforts, especially when they are at different career levels. How can you as an executive coach help your clients appreciate and incentivize their peer mentors across the hierarchy? Here are some tips to consider.

1 Identify peer mentors

The first step is to identify who are the peer mentors in your client's organization. Peer mentors are not necessarily formal or assigned roles, but rather individuals who voluntarily share their knowledge, skills, and experience with others. They can be peers within the same team, department, or function, or across different units, levels, or locations. You can help your client survey their employees, observe their interactions, or ask for nominations to find out who are the peer mentors and who are the mentees.

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Harpreet Kaur

Product Leader @Microsoft - Cloud and AI | Executive Coach - I help tech leaders unlock their hidden potential and ascend to executive roles faster - backed by 20 years experience | Keynote Speaker | Book free call ⬇️
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Everyone is a leader and have some strengths they bring to the table. Recognize those strengths irrespective of the titles. I call it reverse mentoring all the time. Remember title is temporary and recognizing different skills from your peers is crucial for fostering a positive and supportive learning culture. we can take small efforts even to a point of Acknowledgements in Meetings for those peers and their strengths Publicly recognize peer mentors during team meetings or company-wide gatherings helps them and you too. Highlight specific contributions and the positive impact they’ve had.

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2 Understand their needs

The next step is to understand what the peer mentors need and want from their mentoring relationships. Different career levels may have different motivations, expectations, and challenges as peer mentors. For example, junior peer mentors may seek feedback, recognition, and learning opportunities, while senior peer mentors may value autonomy, influence, and legacy. You can help your client conduct interviews, focus groups, or assessments to discover the needs and preferences of their peer mentors.

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3 Customize their rewards

The third step is to customize the rewards for the peer mentors according to their needs and career levels. Rewards can be intrinsic or extrinsic, formal or informal, individual or collective, and immediate or delayed. For example, you can help your client design a reward system that includes verbal appreciation, public acknowledgment, certificates, badges, bonuses, promotions, career development plans, networking opportunities, or leadership roles for their peer mentors. The key is to match the rewards with the goals and values of the peer mentors.

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Tracey Webb

Executive Coaching, Organizational Culture, Strategic Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Consulting and Facilitation, Senior Team / Organizational Alignment, and Targeted Business Development
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Rewards only have meaning if they align with the recipients values, needs, or likes. Generic rewards like Starbucks gift cards are often appreciated and “safe”. However, taking the time to target rewards to a specific mentor should reflect the unique contribution that they have made to a peer’s growth or success.

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Gerdien Hoogmoed-Compagnie

Directeur Studentondersteuning & Onderwijskwaliteit Albeda | Lid RvT SPCO | Trotse Douwer | Bestuurslid NELBVE
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Rewards need always to be formal, indicating that it is not a hobby club you initiated but it is a serious part of a serious job.

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Vic Clesceri

Founder & Chief Sherpa, The Management Sherpa & Sherpa Academy | Visiting Professor, Miami University | Founder, Avodah Spiritual Ikigai
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For novice peer mentors, start with verbal appreciation in team meetings and personalized notes expressing gratitude. Consider small tokens like gift cards or team lunches to reinforce their impact. Intermediate mentors benefit from skill-building opportunities, workshops, or specialized training sessions, enhancing their expertise. Offer project leadership roles, showcasing their capabilities. Advanced mentors deserve public acknowledgment, perhaps in company-wide forums, and visibility in leadership circles. Provide avenues for career advancement, mentorship certifications, or exclusive professional development opportunities. Customizing rewards to mentorship levels ensures recognition aligns with each mentor's commitment and growth.

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4 Monitor their impact

The fourth step is to monitor the impact of the peer mentoring on the organization and the individuals. Peer mentoring can have positive effects on performance, engagement, retention, innovation, diversity, and culture. You can help your client measure and track these outcomes using indicators such as productivity, quality, satisfaction, turnover, creativity, collaboration, and inclusion. You can also help your client collect feedback and testimonials from the peer mentors and the mentees to evaluate the effectiveness and satisfaction of the mentoring relationships.

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5 Adjust their support

The final step is to adjust the support for the peer mentors based on the monitoring results and the changing needs. Peer mentoring is not a static or one-size-fits-all process, but rather a dynamic and adaptive one. You can help your client review and revise the reward system, the mentoring guidelines, the communication channels, and the training resources for the peer mentors. You can also help your client celebrate the successes, address the challenges, and recognize the contributions of the peer mentors.

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Harpreet Kaur

Product Leader @Microsoft - Cloud and AI | Executive Coach - I help tech leaders unlock their hidden potential and ascend to executive roles faster - backed by 20 years experience | Keynote Speaker | Book free call ⬇️
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I would also add to Implement peer-to-peer recognition programs where team members can nominate and appreciate each other. This creates a positive culture of acknowledgment.

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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?

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Harpreet Kaur

Product Leader @Microsoft - Cloud and AI | Executive Coach - I help tech leaders unlock their hidden potential and ascend to executive roles faster - backed by 20 years experience | Keynote Speaker | Book free call ⬇️
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In my experience. If we provide ongoing feedback on their mentoring efforts, this helps to improved both sides. Regularly recognizing progress and expressing gratitude reinforces the value of their contributions. Remember, effective recognition and rewards are tailored to individual preferences, so consider gathering feedback from peer mentors to understand what motivates and appreciates them the most.

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How can you recognize and reward peer mentors at different career levels?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify peer mentors

2 Understand their needs

3 Customize their rewards

4 Monitor their impact

5 Adjust their support

6 Here’s what else to consider

Executive Coaching

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How can you recognize and reward peer mentors at different career levels?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify peer mentors

2 Understand their needs

3 Customize their rewards

4 Monitor their impact

5 Adjust their support

6 Here’s what else to consider

Executive Coaching

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