I’m a passionate advocate of being proactive when it comes to career development. Rather than just an annual activity or something that happens only during a formal workplace appraisal cycle, thinking about career goals and what will help unlock these professional ambitions should be a year-round process.  You might be signing up for training to broaden your skill set and increase your confidence, or you might be considering whether there are opportunities for a promotion on the horizon.

While formal training, role expansions or new roles are often people’s focus as they think about their career development, the significance of our peers in supporting us on that journey is often overlooked. Building a thriving network that supports peer-to-peer collaboration is such an important career foundation, it’s something I believe we should all keep nurturing and building upon, all the time.

Why are peer networks so important? There are many reasons, but I’ve learned a huge amount from the people I’ve worked with throughout the years. I’ve honed technical skills and understanding but I’ve also benefited from being able to problem solve with my peers and tackle complex challenges together. We’ve become better leaders as a result. I have also gained a greater understanding of the organisation whilst developing a network of people I know I can go to for help and oftentimes inspiration.   

Through those connections and their networks, I’ve also had more opportunities to articulate my ambitions and then in turn, been fortunate to get support from peers, mentors, and leaders to achieve them.

Connections across teams and geographies unlock exciting opportunities. Getting the chance to work on projects with colleagues you’ve not collaborated with before can bring fresh thinking, new ideas and perspectives that encourage you to think about things differently. Indeed, bringing together groups of people with diverse perspectives and talents, but united in pursuit of wider organisational goals, is where new solutions to long standing problems, creative breakthroughs and stimulating innovation can often occur.

One of the ways we support colleagues in their development and help them diversify their experiences at Amex is with a ‘Project Marketplace’ platform. This platform gives colleagues the opportunity to post or search globally within the organisation for special short-term projects that can help support their career goals or interests by broadening their experience and skills, meeting new people, or even showcasing hidden talents.  Of course, even outside this particular platform, anyone can and should put their hand up for opportunities that will broaden their experience and network.

Peer-to-peer collaboration also fosters a spirit of healthy competition. That isn’t necessarily about competing with those around you, but collectively challenging ourselves to go further for each other, our customers and our business. Strong collaborative relationships help to raise the performance bar for everyone and set a pattern of constantly pushing for higher goals.

Undoubtedly, organisational culture can contribute to stimulating or inhibiting collaboration. Building a collaborative culture does require transparency and authenticity. It’s only by having open conversations that we can all learn from things that might not have gone as well as we hoped and get a better outcome next time, committing to continuous improvement. I also think leaders should practice what they preach. I can’t tell people to work together if I’m not modelling the same behaviours, and listening to, and learning from colleagues whenever I can.

If you are setting any professional development goals this year, time spent investing in your network and building strong new collaborative working relationships will never be wasted. As well as being personally rewarding, I believe peer-to-peer collaboration can underpin and support everything else you to do grow your career, so it’s well worth making it a priority.