NZCMC presents peer mentoring workshops at the Atlantic Institute, Oxford
A highlight of my year was the invitation I received to present workshops at the global convening for leaders hosted by the Atlantic Institute in Oxford, UK. The Atlantic Institute, part of the Rhodes Scholars network, brings together fellows from around the world who are leaders working on projects and initiatives in the areas of social, brain, and health equity.
I was invited to run sessions on peer mentoring and coaching skills—practical tools to strengthen the leadership journeys of these remarkable fellows. A central focus of the workshops was the use of peer mentoring groups as a methodology for providing an extra layer of both personal and professional support. These groups are designed to help leaders as they return home to their own countries and organisations after their 12 month leadership development programme. Many work in contexts where resources are scarce and systems are disempowering. Peer mentoring groups, if set up well, provide valuable personal and practical support for those leading in complex environments. For fellows, they provided a mechanism for staying in touch with course participants and the transformational learning experiences from the programme. They also provided practical support whilst putting their new learning in to action where it matters – in their teams and organisations.
The participants—highly intelligent, deeply committed, and already recognised as change makers in their communities—are tackling some of the most complex challenges of our time. Yet, like many working in under-resourced systems, they face common struggles of isolation, burnout, and the constant demand to do more with less. The peer mentoring approach offers a way to counter these challenges by fostering trusted networks of peers for reflection, encouragement, and shared problem solving. From attending one, practical workshop, participants walked away with a complete system for peer mentoring that was ready to go and a copy of the Peer Mentoring Toolkit – 7 tools for peer mentoring groups. Programme co-ordinators had created groups of 4 to 5 Fellows that could realistically meet online in terms of time zones. The groups were to meet monthly and bring along their current successes and challenges using the tools to provide in depth reflection with their peers on their experiences. Learning with and from each other provided a ‘second year’ of leadership development for them all.
For me, it was both a privilege and a joy to work with this extraordinary group of grassroots leaders. Seeding coaching and mentoring as development processes not only equips them with practical strategies but also strengthens their capacity to sustain themselves and their projects over the long haul. The experience at Oxford was a powerful reminder of the global relevance of coaching and mentoring—and of the role these processes play in enabling leaders to create lasting change.
Aly McNicoll, August 2024
You can read more about the work of the Atlantic Institute here
The Power of Peer Coaching/Mentoring workshop is a one day, experiential training and is offered both inhouse to organisations and as a public course. We also offer The Power of Peer Supervision for health and social service professionals with a similar toolkit.
