Peer leaders are an underutilized asset in helping organizations achieve performance objectives as well as learning and development goals. They’re also invaluable resources during challenging times, connecting individuals with colleagues at their own level and offering empathy, support and practical guidance.
In short, peer leaders help build and sustain a powerful sense of community.
Recently, I’ve seen firsthand how valuable peer leadership is to underrepresented employee groups, many of whom may feel isolated and uncertain right now. For those still learning the ins and outs of a different culture, and perhaps struggling to achieve fluency in idiomatic/business English, work life presents daily challenges — and during these extraordinary times, such issues can seem overwhelming. That’s where peer leaders like Paula come in.
Paula, a co-leader of a steering committee for a diversity and inclusion peer initiative at a global information services firm, recently told me about peer meetings she’s set up to provide a safe and supportive platform for employees of multicultural backgrounds who’ve encountered bias in the workplace. One group of colleagues had expressed a feeling of being ignored and underappreciated by their IT manager. “Sharing in the peer setting helped surface some of the common experiences; our CEO was reluctant to join the calls because she didn’t want people intimidated … they couldn’t have been as forthcoming if senior members were present,” she says.
These virtual meetings — which actually inspired more candid sharing than in-person meetings may have — opened the eyes of many colleagues who weren’t previously aware of the issues (“they have privilege and never had to deal with microaggressions”), especially those facing multicultural peers.
As a foreign-born individual herself, Paula saw her involvement in the peer group initiative as an important opportunity to interact with those she normally didn’t work with. She was able to share lived experiences in a way that fostered inclusion and a sense of belonging. In addition to surfacing many issues at the individual employee level, the program has helped advance professional development and cultural awareness for the entire organization.
Peer leaders aren’t just a resource for addressing problems — they share tips and strategies for those looking to grow professionally. David, a Chinese national, reached a senior position in a U.S. firm’s health care practice at a relatively young age. He has seen the value of sharing his experience with younger colleagues, as well as students and prospective candidates trying to navigate a fast-moving and uncertain market. He’s developed a robust peer alumni network of former academic colleagues, offering insights into both the challenges of cultural adaptation and the opportunities for growth and advancement.
“I’ve hosted a number of ‘roundtable talks’ — alumni peers as well as students feel they can connect with me as a multicultural leader,” David says. They ask candid questions about his experiences at the firm, any culture barriers to success and how he paved his way in the corporate environment.
Other peer leaders I’ve met shared their experiences in more difficult work environments, ones in which peer leadership is absent. For example, in highly homogenous workplaces, like the one in which Lan works, there is not only a lack of diversity, but often little awareness of the impact this has on multicultural employees: “There is a feeling that you are generally on your own,” Lan says.
Lan sees firsthand the value of mentoring multicultural colleagues: “It comes naturally to me to be their mentor and they really value it — that comes through in the feedback — that I am the best mentor they’ve ever had,” he says. “They said that it comes across that I care about their careers and their lives … they establish a sense of trust with me that works really well.”
But he also acknowledges that his level of comfort as a peer mentor varies across groups and can require political sensitivity. “There is a difference with American mentees … I feel more guarded. They have plenty of mentors in a homogenous relationship. They see that diverse managers are different and that when we disagree they can just go to a more senior manager.”
Situations like Lan’s, in which an organization’s good intentions don’t always translate into a consistent, positive reality for all, should provide an opportunity for HR and D&I leaders to step in to assess, improve and monitor peer initiatives. Strong peer leadership programs are even more critical in divisive and unsupportive cultures, as I discuss in an article published this past June, “Dealing with a Toxic Workplace? Make an External Coach Your Ally.”
Despite the challenges of implementing and sustaining a successful peer leadership program, I feel more passionate than ever about its importance. Especially during an extended period of adversity, programs that foster inclusion and a sense of caring add so much to the professional and personal lives of all employees.
