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The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the way people work in offices and how they network to maintain and grow business. The social distancing measures put in place saw large corporate office towers in cities empty, as people sought alternative private office spaces that make it possible to work while observing the COVID-19 safety regulations.
Throughout the year ahead, the ongoing challenge for many business professionals remains how to network in isolation. Yet, networking in isolation offers possibilities and opportunities to grow and uncover new business — which will be essential given the pandemic will be around for longer than we all expected.
Challenges of Networking in Isolation
Forbes cites a research study indicating that 73% of American are concerned about going back to their traditional 9-to-5 corporate workspaces due to the fear of the virus. Yet, 94% of people wish they could spend at least one day a week in the office. This is just one reason why the concept of private office space is gaining popularity.
According to Laura Kozelouzek, Founder and CEO of Quest Workspaces, the workplace is shifting and it requires innovation, pragmatism and new strategies that meet new and changing business needs. She adds: "Now, more than ever, amidst one of the most disruptive times of the industry, flexible private office workspaces that allow businesses to continue to adapt in a changing environment will win the trust of their companies and workers."
Ensuring your business can adapt and provide growth-oriented interaction is not only healthy for your business, but also essential for your own well-being and that of your employees. Research links social isolation and loneliness to higher risks of physical and mental health conditions, including:
- High blood pressure
- Cardio-vascular diseases
- Obesity
- Weakened immune system
- Anxiety and depression
- Alzheimer's disease
- Cognitive decline.
Professionally, working in isolation presents the following challenges:
- Diminished career growth
- Reduced productivity due to lack of team building
- Diminished creativity
- Reduced solution-orientation.
Four Steps to Conquer the Challenges of Networking in Isolation
Here are some helpful tips to help you network in isolation:
Overcome loneliness by keeping in touch with others through personal phone calls. Connect with friends and family through phone calls and let them know how you are faring. You can also connect with your colleagues, share ideas, and update each other on the latest developments with a simple phone call. Giving your undisrupted attention to the person/s on the other end of the call is essential, and that’s where having a private office environment can be an undisrupted sanctuary.
2. Create Your Expert Webinars
People can become more successful even in isolation by creating webinars to reach out to others. Private office environments provide you with high-tech conferencing in a community of like-minded professionals who can partner with you and create connections. Viewers can participate in these online educational presentations by asking questions or making comments. To create a compelling and engaging webinar, the following tips will help you:
- Settle on a specific idea that would interest viewers
- Select speakers who are an authority in your chosen subject
- Choose a suitable webinar format for your content, whether question and answer, single-speaker presentation, or a panel discussion
- Have a powerful and memorable script to guide the presentation
- Use slide decks that emphasize the main points to communicate
- Brand your slide deck and include all of your contact information.
3. Join Virtual Events
Most informal networking events are out of the question, so people need to adapt to the new normal and connect through virtual events. Sites such as Eventbrite and Meetup are great places to start as people seek to fight feelings of loneliness and isolation. Your local chambers of commerce, professional associations, and other local networks are sure to have options. Even though you may be feeling “Zoomed out,” selecting the right virtual events will keep you plugged in to opportunities for business growth.
4. Create New Relationships
Cultivating new relationships in isolation may seem difficult, but it’s much easier than you may think. Take a few steps to reach out to new connections. Some tips to create new relationships include the following:
- Updating your LinkedIn profile to reflect a new profile picture, latest skills, and start participating in discussions
- Sending thoughtful notes to your contacts' secondary connections
- Learning to write good networking emails
- Commenting on and sharing the articles and posts of professionals in related areas.
Benefits of Networking in Isolation
Networking in isolation can be productive for those who know how to go about it. When you connect with others and establish personal relationships, you are able to lead a business and personal life with happiness and success, and reduce your risks of depression, anxiety and loneliness. You are also able to grow professionally since you can catch up with your colleagues, share ideas and encourage each other, even in isolation.
Quest Workspaces
To help you seize the opportunities of networking in isolation, Quest Workspaces is here with flexible terms for the private office spaces you need to be your most productive, and be fully supported with award-winning staff and leading facilities. At Quest Workspaces, we have enhanced Zoom conference rooms to help you connect without disruption, and solid walls to assure your privacy. We also offer office hours packages and meeting rooms so you can choose how many hours you need for concentration, and virtual office services to support you when you work from home.
For more information, contact us today.
