For all of the countless advantages of having a home office, one disadvantage which comes to the surface during the holiday season for some people, is the social isolation.
Even if your children and spouse are home with you, or you deal with clients every day, it’s not the same thing as interacting with co-workers. It is important to have a network of people in your life with whom you can share your professional interests, successes and challenges, and with whom you can connect.
The holidays can be especially lonely for the new home business owner if you once enjoyed socializing at office get togethers, gift exchanges and corporate parties. These occasions provide people with a much-needed opportunity to join with colleagues, look back at the previous year, and celebrate their accomplishments. It is perfectly normal to miss them.
If you are feeling alone, first of all remind yourself that office life wasn’t always a party. In any office, for every friendly chat around the water cooler, or thoughtful secret Santa gift, there are a dozen or more problems born out of co-worker relationships.
Be thankful you don’t have to deal with petty gossip or feel pressured to chip in your hard-earned money every time someone has a birthday or baby, or is selling a pizza kit. Also be thankful for your newly-found privacy and comfortable, quiet work environment. Would you even think twice about going back to spending eight hours a day crammed in a gray cubicle?
Once you’ve reminded yourself that it’s not the office you’re missing, it’s the social interaction, realize that even though you work at home, there are plenty of opportunities for you to meet people who share your professional interests, and cultivate relationships.
But, of course, people not going to come knocking on your door. You need to be proactive.
Order a new box of business cards, if you are running low, because you’re going to want to give one to every person you meet. Then, consider doing one or more of the following:
Join a professional association. One exists for practically every trade from writing to accounting to wedding planning. There are also organizations geared to entrepreneurs and home-based business owners. And, there are associations designated just for women. The Internet is a good place to begin your search. Also ask your local librarian.
Make connections through your university’s alumni association. Visit your alma mater’s Web site and update your records, if you haven’t done so recently. Yes, you may begin receiving solicitations for money, but there are an array of benefits. Most colleges have alumni magazines or newsletters that will update you on what your classmates are doing, as well as opportunities for networking and socializing. Make an effort to get in touch with old friends who are now also entrepreneurs or who are working in the same field as you.
Sign up for a continuing education class. In addition to learning new, up-to-date information and skills, you will have the opportunity to meet fifteen, twenty, or more people who have the same interests as you do. Don’t hide alone in the back of the classroom. Talk to your fellow students, start a study group, make friends.
Ask someone to become your mentor or career coach. Or become a mentor or career coach for someone else. Either way, you will gain a fresh perspective on your professional life and form a long-term bond with someone who shares your passion.
Again, university alumni associations are a good place to begin your search. There are also many sites on the web that will help match you with someone.
The best thing about the relationships you form through these channels is that, unlike relationships with co-workers in an office setting, you can set the boundaries. If you only want to get together with one or two people on a monthly basis, you can do that. Or, if you want a complete network of people with whom you are in contact frequently, you can have that too. Meanwhile, you can still enjoy all of the benefits of working at home alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment