As work pressures mount in organisations, individuals are often faced with challenges on professional as well as emotional fronts and at times are in the need of some good unbiased advice. The person who can help them best may be someone they already know well – you.

Some organisations are considering this as a situation where they can help the larger workforce deal with the problems being faced by lending a helping hand using the power of coaching.  In one of the organisations I used to work for earlier, there was a clear cut approach towards developing coaches and individuals who demonstrated a high level of emotional quotient (EQ) and social quotient. They were asked to take up informal coaching roles. In a sense it was a win-win situation as both the individual and the organisation benefited out of it.

It’s peer coaching
Coaching by peers is a model where colleagues offer each other advice about issues that everyone is facing in the workplace. These could be issues around teaming or dealing with performance problems or individual challenges.
There are no real ground rules for peer coaching and the methods may vary, but they largely revolve around a few pointers (not the C++ kind):
•    The coaches can be individuals who are trustworthy but are level headed in terms of the perspective they bring and are normally colleagues.
•    The coaching or mentoring advice given is straightforward, clear and candid.
•    The coach offers holistic advice that benefits the larger organisation and does not take sides, that is, the advice is around doing what is best for the team rather than the individual.
•    Coaches act on good faith and believe in doing the right thing and can be extremely candid.
So how does this all relate to you as a future IT leader?
Peer coaching is a great opportunity for individuals to increase their sphere of influence and to be able to start to demonstrate their capabilities around EQ and people management. The winning aspect around this is the ability to influence your colleagues and to build your profile around demonstrating leadership traits which you possess.

What do you need to do to become a trusted coach?
Become a trusted resource
Peer coaching differs from typical people management in the sense that it is a peer-based model, all are equals and the perspective is candid and trustworthy. It is not like executive coaching where external individuals work on a time- and outcome-based model. In peer coaching, the only criterion for the coaches is that they can help their colleagues to be successful.

This is really not a new or creative model but one that has the potential to build a collaborative and cohesive workplace.
Use a very simple approach towards helping your colleague out. Always keep in mind that your duty is to keep it simple and see how you can help the individual. Make sure that your colleague feels safe and secure and also does not feel threatened.

Simplicity is the name of the game. Do not try to bite off more than you can chew, so make sure you can handle what you are getting into. Ensure that the coaching session does not become a griping session or a free-for-all complaining session.

Peer coaching may not be an option for all of us, but it is certainly a way to ensure on-the-job training for individuals who aspire for senior leadership roles within their company. You get experience giving advice, but more importantly you get into the habit of absorbing advice and deciding the pros and cons of implementing it. Making hard choices distinguishes good leaders from the pack and this is an aspect where aspiring IT leaders can get practical experience.
And finally, have a great time doing it, since this experience will give you much insight into dealing with colleagues at the workplace and will be an invaluable opportunity in developing your emotional and social quotients.

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The author is CEO of SurgeForth Technologies and specialises in HR analytics