Buddy coaching is used in the digital transformation to develop employees in a targeted manner through collegial support. Two people, the so-called. Buddies, meet regularly in the process. They pursue their own goals, but are supported by their buddy on the path of further development. Here, on the one hand, the important characteristic of lifelong learning comes into play, which is a basic prerequisite for digital transformation. In addition, the Buddies strengthen their skills in the areas of adaptability, self-organization and social competence.
You may find that buddy coaching reminds you of mentoring, which is used to develop employees. The reason for this is that the methods equally connect two employees who want to help and learn from each other. Although usually one of the two has more experience in a particular area and thus may be superior to his or her buddy in an area of knowledge, the experienced buddy also builds new knowledge, e.g., new competencies, new skills, or new experiences.
The method can bring together two buddies within a team or an area. However, it can also be used specifically to expand one’s network to other areas. Each buddy is allowed to decide which topics are anchored in the goal and in what way. The important thing is that the goal helps the buddy move forward. In the first instance, it does not matter whether the focus is on reconciling work and family life, a mindful lifestyle or the acquisition of new skills, because first of all all all goals pay off in the further development of the person and this further development in turn advances the company.
The Buddy Coaching period is at least 12 weeks, during which the buddies meet bi-weekly to share their successes, insights, experiences and support each other. Buddy coaching lasts a maximum of six months. Each Buddy Coaching stands for itself, is individual and unique. Buddies go through a shared journey of learning from each other, developing, finding encouragement and empowerment, experiencing trust and compassion, receiving feedback in a safe setting, and gaining new knowledge or experience. In this context, every experience of an individual buddy is an enrichment for the digital transformation. The more such experiences are gathered together and new competencies are built up on a collegial level, the more successfully the company will experience the digital transformation.
