Are solopreneurs and entrepreneurs doomed to be lonely at work?

Large organizations often try to build team cohesion and a feeling of belonging -- of being part of a team. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it does not. But the risk of isolation can be even higher for solopreneurs and entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs and Solopreneurs at Risk

Entrepreneurs are at a high risk of being isolated, as they are often taking on a lot of risk, doing something new, and they are often dealing with a high degree of cash flow volatility and uncertainty. Even more than entrepreneurs, solopreneurs are at very high risk of being lonely at work. After all, they are flying "solo" professionally.

There have been a number of articles written recently on LinkedIn about being lonely at work under the hashtag: #LonelyAtWork. And I wanted to weigh in on the subject, and how solopreneurs and entrepreneurs can minimize the risk of being lonely at work.

Having been both an entrepreneur and a solopreneur at times in my professional life, I wanted to share the three strategies that have helped me feel integrated into a larger team, even when I was on a professional island.

The famous fiction writer Chuck Palahniuk has given a number of interviews about the alternating extreme states of loneliness while writing a book, and the extroverted chaos of being on the road for a book tour. Now, you might not be writing a novel and you may not need to interact with groups at multiple venues per day, but you can find a number of ways to make your working life less lonely -- and your traveling life less crazy.

Three Strategies to Beat Loneliness

1.) Join local groups of like-minded business people.

This could be an industry group of people in your space, or it could be people facing similar professional challenges.

For entrepreneurial and self-employed professionals this is pretty straightforward, since there are regional groups of CPAs, Realtors, and Financial Planners that meet regularly to help facilitate best practices and provide continuing education. Get out of your home office and meet with these other professionals. They may not be part of your team, but they are a part of your profession, and meeting with them will make you feel less isolated -- and part of a bigger team. I am a member of a number of industry associations for professionals

For entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who don't fall neatly into a pre-packaged profession, I would recommend joining a group that is industry agnostic. I joined the accelerator for the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) earlier this year. This has helped me connect with other professionals who are in different organizations -- but who face similar challenges managing companies across four dimensions: people, cash, strategy, and execution.

2.) Attend regional or national conferences with your peers.

This is an important part of connecting with a broader network across a great distance that may also be more narrow in scope. I attend and speak at dozens of conferences per year, and some of the groups are in very narrow niche industries. But once or twice a year they come together as a large group.

Even though working virtually and telecommuting are easier than ever before, the demand for conferences is also on the rise. One of the most positive impacts for those executives at conferences that I see, is their ability to connect with a bigger group -- a professional tribe -- that faces the same ups and downs they do. This is true, even though the conference attendees may be competitors.

3.) Call people.

Not emailing, not texting: Calling! Emailing and texting can provide a technological disconnect from human contact, but hearing another voice on the phone can really brighten your day. And it can remind you that you are not really alone, even if you feel lonely.

The next time you feel alone at work, just pick up a phone! Connect with another person.

Entrepreneurs and Solopreneurs are not Doomed

Entrepreneurs and solopreneurs are not doomed to be lonely at work. But they have to work harder to stay connected.

If you are an entrepreneur, solopreneur, or telecommuter, have you tried these strategies to stay connected?

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- Jason Schenker

Tags: #LonelyAtWork #jobs #economy #futureofwork #workforce #entrepreneur #solopreneur #startup #LinkedInLearning

Jason Schenker is ranked the world's leading Financial Market Futurist. He is the President of Prestige Economics, the Chairman of The Futurist Institute, and the Executive Director of the Texas Blockchain Association. 

Jason is also a LinkedIn Learning instructor for a forthcoming course on Financial Risk Management, which will be released in October 2017.