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Desenvolva uma rotina clara e consistente. Ajuda os alunos a saberem o que esperar, o que pode reduzir a ansiedade e melhorar o comportamento em sala de aula.

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Evite expressões idiomáticas e opte por linguagem direta. Isto torna a comunicação mais acessível para os alunos com dificuldades na compreensão verbal.

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Utilize imagens, símbolos e vídeos para auxiliar na comunicação. Ferramentas visuais podem ajudar na compreensão de conceitos complexos.

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What are Multisensory Teaching Techniques? | Learning Center for children who learn differently, their teachers and parents in Dubai, Middle EastLearning Center for children who learn differently, their teachers and parents in Dubai, Middle East

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Facilite atividades em pequenos grupos para encorajar interações sociais e o desenvolvimento de habilidades de cooperação.

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Have you ever met someone brimming with confidence and communication skills, and thought to yourself, ' I want to be like them '?

Social skills can be like second nature, performed effortlessly by some. Other people struggle and feel awkward and out of place, with even basic skills.

This article will explain how well-planned group work can enhance social skills through games and role-play. Practice makes perfect.

Repeated exposure to these activities can support your clients to lead a more positive and fulfilling life in all life domains.

In this article, we will explain the advantages of social skills training in a group setting, ideas of how to support such a group, and various games and role-play activities.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Relationships Exercises for free. These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients build healthy, life-enriching relationships.

Social Skills Training in Groups Explained

Social skills training (SST) helps individuals improve their social behavior and interactions with others. These interventions focus on both verbal and nonverbal communication (Reichow & Volkmar, 2010).

SST is used in special education, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and even relationship therapy (Beidel et al., 2014). Since SST is also often offered in groups, it begs the question:
How are these groups run precisely?
Key components of SST groups

There is not a standardized format for these training groups. They may comprise between two to six individuals. The groups can be focused on children, adolescents, or adults.

SST tends to last around 12 weeks but may be shorter or longer (Reichow, Steiner, & Volkmar, 2012).

SST groups have several facilitators, which may be psychologists, youth workers, counselors, therapists, or teaching staff. Parents or caregivers can also receive appropriate training to deliver skills to a younger group of children and adolescents (Reichow et al., 2012).

SST groups aim to teach positive social behaviors, verbal and nonverbal communication, interactions, and skills. The groups provide a caring environment where people can learn from encouragement, experience, and practice (Harrell, Mercer, & Derosier, 2009).

Social skills can be developed in the group sessions but should be practiced between sessions to enable success. Those attending the groups need to be willing participants.

SST involves many tasks and activities. There is often work around social competence, problem solving, perspective taking, discussion, friendship skills, theory of mind, and recognizing emotions (Dubreucq, Haesebaert, Plasse, Dubreucq, & Franck, 2021).

Setting up the group

Participants

The participants of an SST group can be anyone who is negatively affected by feeling different from others, such as an adult with mental health difficulties or a child with autism.

Group members need to be matched in terms of emotional, social, and behavioral needs. If the group members have individual areas of strength, they can act as positive models for other group members.

Time

The group needs to meet at a convenient day and time for all to attend. This should be on the same day each week. Routine helps to cement the importance of the group with a definite time and place in the weekly calendar.

Meeting place

The group needs to meet in a space solely for them, not shared with other activities. The venue should provide confidentiality and security, where the group must not be interrupted, watched by others, or overheard.

Setting up the room

The room needs to be set up in the same manner each time to avoid wasted time and distractions.

A circle of chairs should be organized for the group participants to sit. This enables a safe permeable space with an inside and an outside, allowing focus to shift from person to person.

Rules

A poster of the group rules should be displayed each week. Group members must decide on the rules so they feel they have ownership of them.

The consequences of breaking the rules should also be discussed and agreed upon with group members so they do not feel discriminated against if rules are applied.

Lesson Plans & Ideas for Support Groups

The following lesson plans and ideas have been loosely adapted from the resources available on social skills from study.com, an online resource for teachers and students.

Each session of an SST group needs to be planned to ensure the group runs well and has a focus. If lessons are not well structured and don't have a well-planned outline, then members may drop out.

Lessons plans and ideas can incorporate the following topics.

Importance of social skills

This lesson could outline how strong social skills can improve confidence, relationships, and friendships. Improved engagement in education, work, and recreational activities should also be shared in discussion.

The group can also discuss mental and physical health improvements. A short video can help the group understand the importance of good interpersonal skills.

Sharing

A lesson plan for learning how to share can be based on a brainstorming session on sharing. What does it look like or not look like? The group organizers can demonstrate real-life examples. This may include scenarios about sharing food, ideas, or books.

Scenarios about sharing passwords, revealing or embarrassing requests, and personal and sensitive information are also important. These will illustrate to group members what is not considered good sharing.

Taking turns

People who lack social skills may not understand appropriate turn taking. They may not know how to pay attention to what is going on.

This lesson plan can make use of a jigsaw puzzle and can be helpful for children and adolescents. Each person is given a piece of the puzzle, then they pay attention and wait their turn.

The same can be done with a question-and-answer debate for older groups. Each person is given a sticky note with a number indicating their turn to answer a question.

This lesson will emphasize manners, politeness, and eye contact. This can also be undertaken in role-play activities, discussed later.

Making friends

A lesson plan for teaching the concept of friendship can begin with a brainstorming session of good character traits valued in friends. Three small groups can be formed to do this. Their answers can be shared to note similarities and differences.

A discussion can take place about the role of friends in life. A good discussion point is also the importance of friends and why certain character traits in friends may not be good.

Group members can watch a video to highlight the importance of friendship.

Empathy

Empathy has an essential role in improving social skills and relationships with others (Bellet & Maloney, 1991). This lesson can focus on differentiating empathy from sympathy using psychological definitions.

This can be followed by a discussion of emotions and their importance in relationships.

Improving eye contact

Eye contact is an important aspect of nonverbal communication (Bellet & Maloney, 1991). Good eye contact helps to build relationships and pick up on nonverbal communication from others. It helps to keep the attention of others, too.

A suitable method for promoting eye contact in group sessions is to place a colored sticker between the eyebrows. This can be undertaken for all group members, drawing attention to the eyes of others when talking.

Understanding body language

A lesson focused on body language activities can be beneficial in improving social skills. In this lesson, group members can learn about cues that they can later master themselves.

Body language uses subtle skills (Tipper, Signorini, & Grafton, 2015). When it is lacking, it gives a signal of being uncommunicative.

One idea for an activity is a mismatch of behavior and emotion. The group facilitator can pick a somber topic and discuss this with a smile, laughter, and excitement. The group members may feel disturbed over such behavior teamed up with a sad topic. This activity can end with the group leader explaining that body language needs to match the mood.

5 Helpful Games & Activities

There are several fun games and activities that can develop good social skills. These can be repeated again and again to improve your client's confidence.

The blindfold walk

This is a fun game that can be played with all ages and groups. To do it, you'll need a blindfold, several obstacles (chair, stool, table), open space to move in, and some musical instruments.

The group members work in pairs: a leader and a follower. The follower is blindfolded, and the leader guides them. The rest of the group makes noise with the instruments to guide the follower.

There should be no talking in this game. A different instrument sound will indicate a different way to walk (left, right, backward, or straight ahead). Adding a timing element to the task makes it even more exciting to see which couple finishes quicker.

As the couples have to work together, this game also promotes cooperation, active listening, problem solving, and trust in social interactions.

Introduction game

Introducing yourself to another person can be very anxiety provoking for someone with little confidence. People with poor social skills may not know how to do this. An introduction can be fun and build trust, a sense of identity, and belonging.

In the introduction game, all group members say their name followed by an action, such as two taps of the foot and a bow. Then the other members repeat the person's name and the action. This continues (adding consecutive names and actions as you go, or not) until everyone has had a turn.

Two truths and a lie

Another easy group game involves each person telling two truths and one lie about themselves, such as 'I was born in Germany; I love to eat spaghetti; I cycle 10 miles every week.' Everyone else has to work out which statement is the lie.

Character analysis

The character analysis activity involves groups of three to four members discussing a character in a book or a movie. The group facilitator will provide the group with a book or a movie to watch and identify the character to discuss in smaller groups.

Group members will need to discuss the character's traits, strengths, difficulties, and how the character changes over time. Each small group prepares a brief presentation that outlines how the character has demonstrated good and poor social skills and has (or hasn't) improved.

You have something I would like

This activity involves requesting something. The activity can include group members being split into pairs.

One of the group members has an object, like a ball or a book. The other group member has to persuade the person with the object to give it to them. This activity focuses on using persuasion techniques, politeness, and compliments to gain the item. This activity allows group members to experience emotions involved in social interactions, such as pleasure, rejection, happiness, and sadness.

5 Role-Play Activities

Role-play is a great way to practice social skills and communication with others in a safe manner.

Role-play is undertaken in a neutral environment and allows group members to test out a situation. Group members can consider different perspectives, develop empathy, solve problems, and explore new ideas.

The following five role-play activities can be used within groups to promote social skills. These are adapted from the social skills training program from the Center for Clinical Interventions for people with mental health difficulties.

Walking your dog

In this role-play, one group member pretends they are walking their dog and bumps into another dog walker they do not know. The two dogs appear to like each other. The first dog walker has to play an active role and ask questions of the second dog walker.

The facilitator can intervene when needed and ask open-ended questions to draw the conversation out. This activity shows group members how to start a conversation with new people and allows friendships to develop from new encounters.

Meeting an old friend

This role-play involves a group member going into a restaurant and seeing someone they have not seen for a long time. The other person asks if they would like a coffee, and then the two sit down to catch up.

The group member needs to ask questions about what the old friend has been doing since they saw them last. There will be a mix of good and bad news. This will test the group members' listening skills and ability to hold a conversation, respond appropriately with empathy if there is bad news, and use paraphrasing skills.

Ability to say no

People with poor social skills often lack assertiveness (Ames, Lee, & Wazlawek, 2017). This role-play tests the ability to say no. The group member pretends a persuasive seller approaches them. This role-play tests the group members' ability to refuse politely, resist persuasion, assert themselves, and leave the situation.

Plans for Friday night

This role-play involves planning to go out on Friday night with a friend, coordinating plans and weighing options. This activity tests listening skills and compromise when reaching an agreement.

Making friends in a new job

Another role-play practices initiating conversation and communication skills with an unfamiliar person using the ARE method: anchor, reveal, and encourage (Fleming, 2013).

This role-play concerns starting a new job and wanting to get to know colleagues and make friends. The group member imagines walking into work one morning and initiating conversation with a new colleague. The group facilitator can intervene with additional questions to combat silence.

PositivePsychology.com's Useful Tools

At the core of improving social skills is building positive relationships and increasing emotional wellbeing.

The Positive Relationships Masterclass is a powerful tool to help others move toward increasing their life satisfaction. Through this masterclass, you will learn about the fundamental principles of relationships and how to help others establish the key skills of building supportive connections with others.

If you have enjoyed reading this article, you may wish to look at Social Skills Training for Adults, an article that also has strategies and training ideas for developing social skills in adults. The article contains interesting videos and podcasts that can demonstrate social skills being tested out in different situations.

The Social Skills Training for Kids article can be beneficial if you are working with toddlers, children, or teenagers. It includes several lesson plans, activities, and online and board games you can use to enhance their social skills.

If you're looking for more science-based ways to help others communicate better, this collection contains 17 validated positive communication tools for practitioners. Use them to help others improve their communication skills and form deeper and more positive relationships.

The following social skills worksheets are also useful for improving social skills:

Starting a Conversation - The ARE Method
Initiating conversations with new people can be difficult. The ARE method described earlier is a helpful way of doing this.This worksheet provides examples of how this method can be used to enhance a normal conversation. It can be incorporated into role-play and social skills lessons.

Different Ways to Say 'No' Politely
If you want to help clients who are struggling to assert themselves and say 'no', this isthe ideal worksheet. It will help your clients practice setting boundaries and limits effectively.

A Take-Home Message

We often take social skills for granted, but it certainly does not seem like second nature to some. You may have recognized this in some of your clients.

All is not lost. They can be trained to learn these skills again, and with practice, your clients can experience a more fulfilling life.

This article has shown you how the supportive nature of SST groups can work wonders to facilitate growth and development and improve interpersonal connections.

After reading this article, I hope you agree that these groups are packed full of fun ideas, activities, and role-play. Clients, whether they are young or old, will thoroughly enjoy taking part in these groups. They are theatrical, and clients may see them more like pleasure and recreation than hard work.

We encourage you to explore some of these activities together with your clients. The games, role-play, and exercises will go far to create interesting sessional work and enable your clients to improve their quality of life.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Positive Relationships Exercises for free.

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Social Skills Support Groups: 10 Helpful Activities & Games

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Have you ever met someone brimming with confidence and communication skills, and thought to yourself, ' I want to be like them '? Social skills can be like second nature, performed effortlessly by some. Other people struggle and feel awkward and out of place, with even basic skills.

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Implemente programas onde alunos podem se tornar mentores uns dos outros, promovendo uma rede de apoio e crescimento.

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Traditional mentoring is great. But Peer mentoring - if done the right way - can be a far more effective option (in the right context).

To have the support and guidance of someone you are closer with in age, experience, or both is invaluable.

Consider the benefits of a peer mentoring relationship: would you be more comfortable confiding in a peer or a manager? Whose experiences would you relate to more? Who could speak to you in a way that would resonate with you?

Now think about the benefits for an organization: When employees come together to support and empower each other, your organization builds strong teams and a solid culture. But how do you cultivate this experience in a hassle-free and efficient way?

Peer mentorship programs.

Let's take a deeper dive into what peer mentoring is, how it works, and why your business should consider peer mentoring, along with the benefits, activities, and ways to run such a program.

‍

What is peer mentoring?

Peer mentoring is a process where two people of similar ages, experience levels, or both work together to help each other grow.

The relationship is less formal than a traditional mentoring relationship, yet structured so that it's mutually beneficial. Both parties should feel like they are getting something out of it.

Think of a peer mentor as a friend, coach, and companion. They provide support and advice and function as a resource for inspiration and new opportunities.

Although peer mentoring can be a great many things, it's important to understand what it isn't.

Peer mentoring is not:

A co-dependent relationship where your mentor is acting as a therapist.

A relationship where the mentor disciplines the mentee.

Someone to save your career.

Helping employees grow individually is the target, but this doesn't mean it is an avenue to a promotion! That won't help employees grow organically, which is the main goal of the mentorship program.

‍

What is a formalized peer mentorship program?

Peer mentoring can be especially useful in workplaces where there aren't enough senior leaders or employees to coach junior team members. For that reason, matching peers to mentor one another is a convenient solution.

In terms of how peer mentoring could function in the workplace, you can either formalize it or keep it informal.

A formalized peer mentorship program is a more structured way of setting up these relationships. Companies set these up to help with employee retention, development, and engagement.

Formalized programs have different rules and guidelines that need to be followed for them to be successful.

Defining the purpose and goals of the program

Creating a structure for how the program will work

Who will be matched with who, how often they'll meet, what topics they'll discuss, etc.

Deciding on what kind of support the company will give to mentees and mentors.

This can be anything from financial support to giving them time off to meet.

Planning out how long the program will run and when/how it will be evaluated.

These well-structured programs contrast with the more informal types of peer mentoring that can go on in the workplace. These could be:

An employee taking a peer under their wing

Employees helping each other out with work-related problems

Friendships that blossom into mentoring relationships

Informal peer mentoring is great, but it can be hard to scale and isn't as effective in achieving specific company goals.

A formalized program ensures that everyone gets the most out of the experience and that there is a clear purpose for why the program exists.

‍

How to decide between peer-to-peer mentoring and senior-to-junior mentoring?

Before going any further, let's first differentiate between both types of mentoring.

Peer-to-peer mentoring, as mentioned previously, concerns mentoring between two peers of a similar stage in their careers and at similar levels of seniority within their firm.

Senior-to-junior mentoring is quite the opposite. This form of mentoring happens when a senior member of staff acts as a mentor to a more junior member of staff.

Both types of mentoring have their pros and cons.

When it comes to senior-to-junior mentoring programs, they should be used in the following situations:
When to start a senior-to-junior mentoring program

Leadership development

This type of mentoring is excellent for developing leadership skills. The senior member can share their years of experience and knowledge with the junior member, who in turn can learn from their mistakes, develop key skills, and progress quickly up the corporate ladder.

Succession planning

If you have a senior member of staff who is looking to retire soon, a mentorship program can be a great succession planning strategy that helps transfer their knowledge to a junior member of staff so that they are prepared to take on the role when the time comes.

Developing high-potential talent

If you have junior members of staff who show great potential, mentoring can help them develop the skills and knowledge they need to progress in their careers.

Reverse mentoring

This is where a junior member of staff mentors a senior member of staff. It can be used to help the senior member keep up-to-date with new technologies, for example, or to help them understand the millennial mindset.

Sponsorship programs

A sponsorship program is where a senior member of staff actively helps to promote the career of a junior member of staff. This could involve helping them to get promoted or giving them high-profile projects to work on.

While senior-to-junior mentoring can be beneficial, there are also some drawbacks. For example, the senior member may not have the time to commit to mentoring, or they may not be able to relate to the experiences of the junior member.

This is where peer-to-peer mentoring comes in. As mentioned previously, this type of mentoring is between two peers of a similar stage in their careers.
Peer-to-peer mentoring can be used most effectively in the following situations:
When to start a peer-to-peer mentoring program

Onboarding

When new employees join your organization, they can be paired with a peer mentor who will help them to settle in and feel comfortable. The peer mentor will show the new employee around, introduce them to other staff members, and answer any questions they may have. In this way, the peer mentor can be an onboarding buddy.

Connecting remote team members

If you have team members who work remotely, they can feel isolated from the rest of the team. A peer mentor can help to connect them with other employees and make sure they feel included.

Accountability

When employees work on a project together, a peer mentor can help keep them accountable and on track. The peer mentor can check in with them regularly to see how they are progressing and offer advice and support when needed.

Collaborative learning

Peer mentors can help employees to learn from each other and share their knowledge. They can also act as a sounding board for new ideas.

Networking

A peer mentor can help employees to build their professional network. They can introduce them to other professionals, provide advice on networking opportunities, and help them to develop their networking skills.

There are two ways to structure a peer-to-peer program

Let's take a deeper dive into each of these ways:

1. One on one mentorship

The name speaks for itself.

One on one mentoring consists of a more intimate relationship between two people. It's a great way to get started with peer mentoring because it's less daunting and can be less time-consuming than group mentoring.

2. Group mentoring

Group mentoring is when 3 or more people come together to support each other.

It's a great way to get different perspectives on the same issue, and it can be a fun way to bond with your colleagues. This can be harder to find than a 1-on-1 mentor, but it's worth the effort when done correctly.

Regardless of which model you choose, peers should have certain mindsets and expectations when engaging in a peer mentoring relationship.

So, as you plan your peer mentoring program, determine how to create a positive and constructive atmosphere for participants. To do this, start with the skills that they need.

‍

The skills that make an effective peer mentor

Peer mentors can help each other identify goals, nurture talents, and make progress towards becoming a better version of themselves. But all this depends on finding the right person to mentor others.

So, what makes an effective peer mentor? Let's take a closer look:

‍1. Focuses on developing a relationship through trust and respect

This is the most important aspect of being an effective peer mentor. If you want someone to confide in you and feel comfortable sharing their experiences, you first need to focus on building trust.

2. Coaches their mentee by sharing experiences and perspectives

The best way to help someone is by sharing your own experiences. This allows your mentee to understand different perspectives and hopefully find the guidance they're looking for.

3. Offers and accepts constructive, actionable feedback

A good peer mentor will be able to give - and take - feedback constructively. This back-and-forth exchange of feedback is essential for growth.

4. Encourages and challenge their mentee to step out of their comfort zone

A peer mentor should encourage their mentee to explore different aspects of their professional and personal life. They should also challenge them to push themselves further and take on new responsibilities.

5. Is patient, consistent, and reliable

A good peer mentor is someone patient enough to listen to their mentee vent about their day-to-day struggles. They are also consistent in their guidance and reliable when it comes to being there for their mentee.

6. Meets consistently and follows up

A peer mentor should meet with their mentee regularly - at least once a month. They should also follow up with their mentee after each meeting to see how they're progressing and offer any additional support.

Why is peer mentoring important?

Peer mentorship programs give your employees a space to learn and grow from each other.

This incentivizes newcomers to do well while also providing a place of reflection for existing employees. Mentoring creates a community where skills are nurtured, concerns are heard, and growth is achieved.

Let's look at some of the key benefits of peer learning and why it's so important:

1. Encourages Professional Development

One of the most important benefits of peer mentoring is that it encourages professional development.

Mentees have the chance to develop their skills and knowledge, while mentors can take pride in helping others and passing on their wisdom. It's a two-way street that benefits everyone involved.

2. Fosters a Sense of Community

Peer mentoring can also foster a sense of community in the workplace.

When employees feel like they are part of a team and have people they can rely on, they are more likely to be engaged and productive.

Peer mentoring programs create an environment where people can come together, share their experiences, and support each other.

3. Helps with Retention

Another big benefit of peer mentoring is that it helps with retention.

If employees feel like they are supported and have the opportunity to develop their skills, they are more likely to stay with the company.

Peer mentoring programs can help reduce turnover rates ( Randstad did by almost 50%) by creating a positive work environment where employees feel valued.

4. Provides Support during Change

Change can be difficult, but peer mentoring can provide much-needed support during times of transition.

If your company is going through a merger or acquisition, for example, peer mentoring can help employees adjust to the new environment.

Similarly, peer mentoring can help employees who are being promoted or transferred to new positions. Having someone to talk to who is going through the same thing can make the transition smoother and less stressful.

5. Encourages Open Communication

Peer mentoring programs encourage open communication between employees.

Mentees feel comfortable asking for help and advice, while mentors can give feedback without feeling like they are being judged. This open communication can help resolve conflicts and build trust between employees.

What employees should participate in a peer mentoring program?

The way you set up a mentorship program depends on your goals and what you want to achieve. While peer mentoring seems similar to any other 1-on-1 or group mentorship program, it is quite different.

In terms of which employees should participate in a peer mentoring program, the following are the main types of employees that would benefit most from this particular scheme:

New teams

For employees working within a newly-formed team, peer mentoring programs can be extremely useful. It can help them get significantly closer to their new colleagues and foster a better working environment.

New employees

For newbies in an organization, a peer mentor can be of great help in getting acquainted with the company culture and understanding what is expected of them.

Skilled talent

High performers in particular can benefit from peer mentors, who can provide them with an opportunity to learn from their knowledge and expertise and help them reach their potential.

Employees struggling with their wellbeing

Employees who are struggling with their mental or physical health can benefit from a peer mentor who can provide support and guidance during tough times.

However, it's important not to take this relationship too far down the 'therapy' route, as this detracts from the main purpose of peer mentoring.

Remote employees

Remote workers can benefit from peer mentors who can provide much-needed connection and support, especially if they are feeling isolated.

12 Ideas for peer mentoring activities

Here are 12 different ideas for peer mentoring activities to engage colleagues and spur conversations that lead to new insights, growth, and accountability.

1. Lunch and learn

In a lunch and learn, peers take turns presenting an interesting topic to their partner. For example, if one peer comes from sales and the other comes from engineering, they can each share insights from their day-to-day on how to best serve their customers.

The sales mentor may run the engineer through the most common challenges that they hear from prospects. Likewise, the engineer may share how what they're building addresses some of those challenges.

The point is to encourage each participant to leverage their unique skills and insights to teach others.

2. Question prompts

In this activity, pairs or groups can pull from a bank of questions to ask one another thoughtful questions that encourage conversation. For example, participants may ask one another, "tell me about a time you had to pitch something to a manager." Answer the prompts and draw learning from each other's experiences.

3. "Show and Tell!"

In this activity, participants both bring in photos or items that are important to them. They share the story behind the photo and why it's meaningful to them. This is a great icebreaker activity to reveal what drives the different participants or what their values are.

4. Set SMART career goals

Setting long-term career goals are important for giving participants something to work towards. It also clarifies the whole point of mentorship: it's to help them grow and reach their goals. Share career goals you have and reword them to be in the SMART goal framework. Work out an actionable plan to start making progress toward those career goals.

When setting goals, use the SMART framework, which stands for:

Specific - be as detailed as you can about your goals.

Measurable - have some way to measure your progress towards your goal.

Attainable - a goal needs to be something that you can reasonably attain.

Relevant - career goals should be directly related to your career path.

Timely - set a deadline so you know when you will accomplish your goal.

5. Make a list of things you want to do or accomplish during your lifetime and share them

Similar to setting career goals, this activity encourages groups or pairs to share their life goals or aspirations. It's a great activity to get to know one another more and talk about what's important to you. Try to write down 10 different "bucket-list" items you have and share them. From there, you can try the next activity to plan how you will check off those experiences on your bucket list.

6. "What's your plan?"

Setting goals or sharing aspirations is an important part of mentoring, but equally important is mapping out a path to achieve them. In this activity, make a timeline of your life over the next 5‐10 years. What do you want to accomplish? After, discuss with one another what needs to happen to close the gap between here and reaching that goal. This should be a practical discussion.

Expect barriers to come up in the conversation. When they do, don't get stuck, but dig into what's holding you or your partner back. Overcoming these challenges is where meaningful mentorship starts to happen.

7. Icebreaker questions using a deck of cards

If you're still working on building a peer mentoring relationship, a great icebreaker activity to do is to draw from a deck of cards to ask certain questions. Number each question and then draw that question based on the number on the card you pull.

You can make the questions ahead of time. Think of what you could ask one another that would help you learn about one another. They can be light-hearted or thoughtful. Anything that gets the conversation going is welcome. Hypercontext has a lot of great 1-on-1 questions to draw from.

8. Quadrants icebreaker

In this exercise, you'll need a page, whether in person or digital. You'll create four boxes. Fill out each as follows:

Family (Upper Left),

Friends (Upper Right),

Hobbies (Bottom Left), and

Life goals (Bottom Right).

Fill out each quadrant to get to know one another. This exercise is a great way to encourage discussion around similar interests or goals.

9. Inside-out

This activity is great to encourage peer mentoring groups to open up. Start with a reversible bag. Whoever holds the bag will start by explaining to the group how they perceive themselves on the outside. After they have expressed themselves, they turn the bag inside out and discuss what they're feeling on the inside. After they've gone, the group can discuss what was shared before moving to the next person.

This activity encourages groups to open up with one another.

10. Coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success Activity

In 1948 John Wooden, the basketball coach who led the UCLA men's basketball team to win 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years (1964-1975), created a framework for being a better person. What became an iconic diagram for success has helped athletes, corporations, and individuals chart a path to success and personal growth.

The pyramid has 14 blocks of different character traits, with the 15th block at the top of the pyramid is competitive greatness. Wooden described it as "Be at your best when your best is needed. Enjoyment of a difficult challenge."

In this activity, groups will each get the 15 character traits that make up Wooden's pyramid of success. They'll then arrange the character traits into the diagram, placing the most important traits at the top and the least important at the bottom.

When everyone has arranged their pyramid, go around and answer the following questions:

Choose your top three traits. Why are these traits most important to you?

Did you learn something new about yourself?

Were you surprised to learn that you had a characteristic in common with someone else?

11. Consider a big decision together

One of the great reasons to have a peer mentor is they can help you make big decisions for your career. They can help you consider all the variables and make the best possible decision. In this activity, map out a decision together, weighing the pros and cons. After you've concluded, consider how you came to the decision you did. Did it reveal anything about your values, your fears, what drives you? This is a practical exercise but also a reflective one.

12. Job shadowing

Job shadowing can be a great opportunity to learn from other employees and gain insight into their roles. Pairs can schedule a time to follow their peer mentor around for a day. The goal is to gain insight into the company, different positions and responsibilities, and help set career goals.

Consider a project that allows a mentor and mentee to work alongside each other. It could be researching or writing an article together using the qualified help of the Essay Writer Pro service or even a company committee that they could join together.

Starting a peer mentoring program

To start a peer mentorship program, you first need a plan and key goals. What is the purpose of your mentorship program and what do you want employees to get out of it? Then, you decide how you will establish the program and glean its result.

Make relevant pairings

First, identify the criteria to match employees. When you are considerate and intentional in your peer matching, you create a strong team of individuals who can work successfully beside each other. You can use your knowledge of the employees or peer matching software to connect employees based on their goals and skills.

Support mentoring relationships

You should also provide additional resources and guidance to help both mentors and mentees get the most out of the program. This means checking in on how employees are doing in the program and what can be done better.

Encourage pairs to connect with other mentoring pairs

Since adding new perspectives is the key goal of mentoring, you should recommend that pairs and groups connect with others participating in the mentoring program. This will further elevate their experience by giving them more exposure and community support.

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Run a peer mentorship program with ease

It is easy to set up and run a peer mentorship program through Together's mentoring platform. Our platform is easy to use and can be customized to meet your teams' specific needs. From reporting to how-to guides, we've got you covered.

Our guide on how to start a mentoring program breaks down everything you need to know as an organization when starting a mentoring program. And we've compiled the best practices from the first-hand experience of program administrators and the expertise of the Together team.

If you're ready to get started building a peer mentorship program for your organization, we can help. Find out how Together's mentoring software can work with you to create a successful mentoring program.

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What is Peer Mentoring, and how does it work? | Together Mentoring Software

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Traditional mentoring is great. But Peer mentoring - if done the right way - can be a far more effective option (in the right context). To have the support and guidance of someone you are closer with in age, experience, or both is invaluable.