Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor. And today, we are going to talk about the buddy system.

It kept us safe when we were kids, and it can work similar magic for us as adults. If we understand

the real value of a buddy at work, and when we need one. So listen up for my favorite ways to use a buddy at work, because sometimes a

coach or a mentor just isn't the thing you need. As a kid, I loved school, but what I loved

even more was field trips. On field trip days, I was up and Adam early with my bagged lunch and my

phone number taped to my back, ready to go.

And while every trip was different, the one thing that stayed the same was the buddy system.

Whether at a museum or a farm or the beloved safety town, that one was definitely my favorite,

every kid had a buddy. Because I guess losing two kids seemed harder than losing one.

Suddenly, each of us had an accountability for the safety and well-being of somebody else,

and in my experience, it totally worked.

I would always buddy up with my best friend, Jamie.

She was the yin to my yang in every way.

I followed rules, she stomped on them. I nailed my homework,

and she nailed her homework to the dartboard. You see where this is going. For anyone concerned,

by the way, she turned out amazing, and she's still one of my besties. But back then, we were quite

a pair, and somehow it worked. It kept us on track and safe.

But now we're all adults, working, responsible adults.

So a buddy system seems ridiculous, right?

Your manager isn't counting heads to make sure everyone made it onto the bus at the end

of the workday.

Except actually, I think a workplace buddy system is maybe a little bit

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