If you’re not used to working from home, you’ve probably already spent some time trying to establish a routine and set up the right equipment needed to operate remotely. You’ve thought it through and set up a professional background for your Zoom meetings and you’ve created boundaries with your family so they don’t walk in on one of your calls. But how can you be more productive than you already are?
Consider that you are not alone in this situation. Your company’s routine has been disrupted, all their typical lines of communication broken, you’ve had to close the office, and many sharp, hard-working people are at home starved for interaction. This is an incredible opportunity to grow your network. Here’s four ways to do just that.
Know what you want to have completed when you exit quarantine.
Write this down, underline it and tape it somewhere you will see it every day: IF IT’S TO BE, IT’S UP TO ME. You’re going to return to work even more connected and effective than before COVID-19 struck. Set up your networking goals in addition to the specific task accomplishment that your team already expects of you. One of your clearly stated goals should be to avoid binge-watching Netflix or staying up late arguing politics on social media. People react to crisis and deal with crisis in different ways, but this kind of coping isn’t helpful. The TV show “Tiger King” will be there after the crisis is over. This amazing gift of time and internet access shouldn’t be squandered.
Connect with professionals who did their undergrad or post grad work at the same institution as you.
If you search through social media with a focus on graduates of the same higher learning institutions as you, then you’ve got a great reason to connect to others. The subject of your email or LinkedIn request could be their name followed by the name of the school. For example, I received an email from a consultant titled, “Chris Manske – Rice University Connection.” I opened it. The people you reach out to similarly will open your requests as well. The body of your email should be short, professional, and to the point.
Identify your ten most influential connections in social media and connect to their connections.
If you agree that growing your network means you’re opening doors to future opportunities, then you might consider focusing on the connections of the people you respect. If you think highly of them, then it follows that others do as well. Let’s assume I received your outreach that said, “I see we both know VIP Jane.” Because I already know that VIP and think well of her, I’m much more likely to accept your outreach.
Find professionals who are doing the job that you hope to have in the future.
Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean your lifelong plans are all completely scrapped. Tomorrow’s leaders are being made today, during quarantine and you want to be one of them. Getting that next promotion or next deal opportunity is a lot easier when you have connected with and talked to people who are already in the know. If they do that work now, they are a great resource. Set up a phone conference with them during quarantine to ask about what they did to earn their position. Ask them what they love about the work they are doing now and to describe the biggest challenges they face on a regular basis. A few of these people might be willing to be a professional mentor and accountability partner so don’t be afraid to ask them about it. When quarantine is done, you could have two or three new mentors when everyone else has a new “Tiger King” meme in their phone. If you honor your mentors’ willingness to help by setting a schedule to formally share your personal and professional expectations of yourself, then you’re now in the small minority of professionals who successfully use their network to positively influence their future.
Ultimately, you could use quarantine as a skipping stone to jump ahead of your peers and be a more compelling and influential professional when COVID-19 is just another historical episode in the rear-view mirror.
