You are not alone in feeling alone.
One of my last presentations touched upon the isolation a small business owner feels during day to day work. Someone after the talk came up to me and said “That isolation you were talking about, WOW! That’s real! It happens to me all the time. Thanks for sharing those tips.”
What does community and connection have to do with productivity? Studies show that if you have a strong community of people who support you, you foster good health, less stress and fewer mistakes on the job. Here are three ways you can beat isolation in your office and as a solo business owner. Be sure to check out the video at the end of this blog.
Try Different Networking Opportunities-We get in a rut and go to the same events. We end up talking to the same people and walk away thinking we’ve done our job of networking. You need to mix it up. Get out there and meet new people. Have a goal of meeting 2, 3, however many new people. The networking thing can be nerve wracking. I’m an introvert too, I get it. And I’m also very driven by my work and that’s what gets me out there.
Get a Coach or Mentor-Both will move you out of isolation and into the work that will move you forward. They will challenge you to look at the work you do and your business in new ways. These are people who are in your corner, want you to succeed and willing to walk with you when things get dicey.
Find your tribe-My phone buzzes at 2:30 Monday through Friday with short texts from several business owners. It’s my celebrations group. A group of solopreneurs who each day at 2:30 share something they are celebrating in their lives. It’s part bragging, part reaching out, part gratitude. A short text could reveal a colleague celebrating a new sale “I just got a new client”, a milestone with the family “My daughter graduates today’ and some days it’s a struggle to come up with anything ‘I’m celebrating breathing’ or “I’m celebrating not losing my cool”
Here is a video of my celebrations group, they ways we connect and the good that’s come of it.
Special thanks to Sarah Kay for interviewing our Celebrations group.
Margo Crawford is a Productivity Coach and Professional Organizer with Wave Productivity. She works with entrepreneurs, small business owners and business professionals to help them get more focused, organized and productive in their workplace. She coaches nationally by phone and in person in Phoenix, Providence and Boston. If you want to get more organized in your office call 602-677-8275 or email [email protected]