Do you feel like you need to escape the isolation of Work-From-Home?

Has COVID created the first opportunity you’ve had to work from home full-time? Has this been a way of life for you for years, but its felt different because travel had been suspended. Working from home has left many of us feeling disconnected from our industry peers and colleges. We have attended Zoom after Zoom and know our closest coworkers well, but those informal contacts with our industry have languished. A Peer Group can help reconnect you to other members of your community.

Isolation is the enemy of great ideas

It is hard to get inspired to think of new ideas when you are working solo or lack access to co-workers and industry peers. Finding innovative new ideas, observing consumer behavior, maintaining a professional network, and thinking of new strategies can all be difficult to do on your own. Without contact with the outside world, it can start to feel like you are living in a bubble of isolation.

You need to get reconnected to get inspired

By plugging into your networking, you will realize that new ideas flow freely, that feedback on your strategies or initiatives makes you better, and that many other people in your industry are having a similar experience as you are. Comradery between peers and an understanding that others are invested in your success makes leaders feel more confident and more supported. You can set up tons of coffee Zooms to reconnect with your network, but many of these will be social chats about personal topics, which is great, but does not create the professional support that is needed.

Peer Groups provide a better way to reconnect with your peers.

Professional facilitators will help guide conversations to ensure members discuss important industry tropics and devote time to getting feedback on new strategies and tactics. Members benefit from having their exact questions and strategies discussed the group to ensure they leave with new ideas. Additionally, by listening to the questions and strategies of their peers, members understand what is on the minds of other members to ensure their thinking is up to date and they are not missing any big trends in the marketplace.

Peer groups are the perfect antidote to feeling isolated at home

Due to the small group nature of a peer group, many can start meeting in person long before tradeshows and other large gatherings resume, allowing members to connect in person. The meetings are usually accompanied by networking opportunities where members can informally reconnect over a meal to recharge themselves with personal connections and informal business dialogue. Even if members choose to dial-in to the meeting for remote attendance, great facilitators will create informal discussions between members to enhance connection and build trust.

More than just a meeting

Peer groups include networking opportunities to deeply connect with your peers in an informal context. Dinner, coffee, and hallway conversations connect members to facilitate deep conversations that drive businesses forward and solve challenges. They also cement long-term connections that create a network of peers to call on when you have questions or need help throughout your career.

Peer groups reconnect industry peers to spark new ideas, vet new strategies, and create a personal network of support and comradery.