Connecting During COVID Chaos - Part 1

Well, isn’t this crazy! As you know, as humans we need to connect. We are not wired to be isolated. We need each other and probably, now more than ever.

We also need to recognise that ‘social distancing’ isn’t helpful either – I understand physical distancing and recommend we focus strongly on ‘social connecting’.

I’ve been chatting with clients and peers over the last week in particular and reflecting on the situation we are all facing and wondering – how can we survive, even thrive in these challenging times?

Again and again I come back to the network of relationships that exists to support us. I have been saying for over a decade that your networks are powerful, and relationship are important and now we can really see how true that is. If it has been proven that sick people get better quicker and jail offenders rehabilitate faster through a good network than we’ve got to start focussing on what is important. A solid, two-way, strategic network has very real, measurable, bottom line adding value.

Invest in your network like never before. That’s the challenge and opportunity for 2020.

The winners of this year will be those who can find the opportunities and pivot. This doesn’t mean doing it alone. This means really asking, what do I have to do and who do I need to help me get there. Another important question is how can I be ready for whatever will be at the end of this crisis and how can I nurture my network so I am there with the people I will need at that point?

Concentrate on connecting while we face unknown periods of physical distancing and isolation. Can you build relationships in quarantine? If Tom Hanks can gain thousands of social media followers from hospital, you can build the strength of your network too.

With yourself;

• Get some sunshine

• Read all the books you have been meaning to

• Eat well, do exercise and stay hydrated

• Disconnect from social media in the evenings and enjoy quality time with yourself, pets and family

• Be grateful for what you do have

• If you have a pet post pics of your dog/ cat / rabbit working with you

With your team;

• Get a fun backdrop printed for your virtual meetings and use visual technology as much as possible to maintain engagement. I'm getting one from a school parent who runs GPMG.

• Share more than you normally would – did you know sharing embarrassing stories leads to better brainstorming idea?

• Check in on each other with random non work-related phone calls

• Keep a chat technology open and communicate proactively throughout the day – maybe share pics of your view

• Each choose a mascot and hide it somewhere behind you each day for people to guess where

• Set a team steps challenge and have phone meetings while walking around your neighbourhood

• Have virtual Friday drinks with your various networks

With your clients;

• Reassure them if it’s safe to keep working together & map out how.

• If you have some down time think about them as individuals and see how you can thank them for working with you and being in your network – take 3 mins to watch this for some inspiration

• Have BYO virtual coffee meetings

• Send handwritten cards

• Call and ask how they are doing

• Send a gift pack (bit trickier given the scarcity of most items)

• Get food delivered to each location and have group meetings over a meal together – check out Sydney based caterer ‘Dinner On The Table'

With new contacts;

• Reach out and send personalised messages to connect

• Follow them on social media and like/ share their posts

• Set up a group on LinkedIn in an area you are passionate about and invite people to join.

Just this week I have packaged up a nice note with lemon verbena tea leaves (we grow them in our garden - let me know if you want me to send you some too as they have amazing health benefits) for my elderly neighbours, synchronised diaries with my husband (also working from home) to grab 30 mins of lunch on two of the days, spent more time off devices with my dogs and kids, had a skype lunch with a girlfriend who has auto immune disease so can’t leave her apartment and the most fun was quarantini's with my cousins last weekend.

Let me know what creative ways you are staying connected?

Remember, this crisis too will pass. Be the one standing with abundant opportunity and support at the end of it.

We are here to support you, so if you want to expand your skills in this area please join us for our dedicated MCI (Map-Connect-Invest) Program starting May 7th to learn more

Happy Netships as always,

Julia