Stir-crazy yet? A lot of us have been home for a month now, trying to navigate what seems to be the "new norm." Unfortunately, this "new norm" does not come with a lot of the much-needed interaction we look forward to having. Even introverts are saying they miss people!

Most businesses have spent the past few weeks trying to figure out and apply for stimulus funding, and now most businesses are playing the waiting game. Hopefully, some of the dust is settling and businesses can start to focus on that other important thing. What is it, you ask? Staying engaged! Now, more than ever, is a great time to build and develop engaging professional business relationships.

If you have not already done so, block some time off to create an engagement process. An engagement process? Yes! You may not be able to control what is going on around you, but you can control how you are staying engaged with employees, customers, partners, etc. Physical interactions may be limited, but social interactions are not!

Here are a few things to consider for your engagement process:

Hold yourself accountable. Dedicate an hour or two every day to reach out to people. Make a plan for who, what, when, and how you are going to reach out. Employees appreciate when employers reach out showing concern for their health and well-being. The same can be said for customers and partners. Be that person who is checking in, asking how they are doing, and distracting them from all the chaos.

“Now, more than ever, is a great time to build and develop engaging professional business relationships.”

Keep it lighthearted. The days and weeks are around long enough, so do your best to keep the conversations and emails lighthearted. "How are you doing?" "How's the family?" "Tell me about something good that has happened to you over the last week." Whatever the question, make sure you are genuine and that you, yourself, are truly engaged.

Follow-up. Checking in is not checking the box. "There I did it, it's done." No, put a follow-up on your calendar for a week out and another week out. Keep the conversations rolling. The more conversations you have, the more engaged the relationship will become. People will start to look forward to these conversations because you may be one of the few positive things they have going right now.

Needless to say, uncertain times and sitting around the house tends to increase our levels of stress, anxiety, and disarray. We may not be able to control leaving our house, but we do have control over staying connected. Wake up every day knowing you have the ability to have a positive impact and grow engagement. These are clearly tough times for many, and people will not forget who was there for them during these difficult times.

Businesses: Stay Engaged!