Cultivating Business Relationships That Lead to Opportunity

When you look back on 2020 will you remember it as a year of despair or a time of great opportunity?  Today’s guest has joined the podcast to explain why these unprecedented times are filled with good news and opportunities for meaningful career change.  Thom Singer and Craig Brown welcome executive career coach Chris Hoff, the principle of Hoff Consulting, to discuss the importance of finding the opportunities in any situation, even in a pandemic. Chris highlights the importance of shaping the story that you tell yourself about your current situation, how to find the good even in these trying times, and the importance of focusing on the relationships that can lead to the greatest opportunities of your career.   On today’s podcast, you will learn: The value of shaping your narrative Narratives assist in connecting people and helping them visualize the result. Share your stories of resiliency and creativity as well as the stories of your trials.  Turning the negative into a positive starts with focusing on the moments of hopefulness. Ask questions that highlight moments of triumph in an environment of dismay. How to find the good news in bad situations Employ a confirmation bias by looking for the good in the information you consume. Changes in your career situation due to COVID-19 can be laced with opportunity. Identify the space between your comfort zone and where future possibilities lie. Tell the stories of success that have come as a result of your challenges.  Focus on the innovation that comes when change is forced upon you.  Effective ideas for improving your current situation  Feelings of isolation are only going to exacerbate your discouragement — don’t allow yourself to remain isolated. Now is the time to develop relationships with people in your professional and personal circles.  Look for ways to get outside of your own story through service and volunteering. How to cultivate business relationships that lead to opportunity Make yourself more visible to your company and your network. People matter more than ever in this current situation.  Check in on the people in your circles — try sending three texts a day.  Introverted people will benefit from a more concentrated effort to reach out.  Focusing on acts of service will take the ego out of your efforts.  Use social media as a tool to help increase your visibility.    Do you have an example of extraordinary efforts or innovation during these unprecedented times? We would love to hear your story and possibly interview you for an upcoming episode. Please reach out to us at www.DigitalEnterpriseSociety.org   Shareables: [8:05] “You can’t really know despair unless you have a vision for hope.” — Chris Hoff [10:10] “Employ the understanding that embedded in the bad news there is always good news to be found.” — Chris Hoff [16:20] “Things may seem bleak at times, but lean into it and trust that you’re going to find the next step.” — Chris Hoff [19:07] “There is always opportunity if you’re looking for it.” — Chris Hoff [21:07] “There is a lot more possibility than we might be able to see right now.” — Chris Hoff   Guest Bio: Dr. Chris Hoff is passionate about helping individuals become more fulfilled in their personal and professional lives, assisting organizations to meet and surpass their goals, and dissolving conflict between individuals, teams and in organizations in more creative ways. He began his career in sales and sales management with a division of a Fortune 500 company in the aerospace and defense industry. After winning individual and sales management awards (highest performance in sales, branch of the year), he went on to co-found Two Roads Professional Resources Inc., a full-service engineering and information technology staffing company.  After helping to grow the business to eight figures in sales and over 200 employees, Chris successfully exited the business in January 2010. During this successful run, he was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award finalist and was twice recognized for Excellence in Entrepreneurship by the Orange County Business Journal.   After finding corporate and entrepreneurial success, Chris decided to follow his dream of becoming a therapist. His formal education includes a Ph.D. from Loma Linda University in Marriage & Family Therapy where his concentration was in organizational development and systems consulting. Chris also received his Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University.