Transitioning to a co-working space Heres what you need to know Viewpoint careers advice blog

Transitioning to a co-working space Here’s what you need to know Co-working is just for freelancers or one-man bands, right? Not quite.  In fact, as quickly as 2020, it is expected that 50% of large companies will have some form of shared office space. At the moment, IBM, Amazon, Airbnb, Facebook and UBS all use WeWork spaces. It is thought that co-working will increase by 15% over the next five years â€" indeed, in large cities such as London, New York and Chicago, such spaces have been expanding at an annual rate of about 20%. In Australia alone, the number of co-working spaces grew by a staggering 297% between 2013 and 2017. What is a co-working space? At a time when more and more businesses are opting for co-working spaces, it is becoming increasingly likely that your next role may be in one. So, in this blog, I’ll talk you through the pros and cons, and provide some advice on how to make the transition if you’ve decided that co-working may be the right next move for you. But let’s start with a definition. Oxford Dictionaries has defined the word ‘co-working’ as “the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge.” In the words of the online dictionary’s cited example, “The whole idea of co-working is to bring bright, creative people together and let the ideas collide.” What are the benefits of working in a co-working space? Co-working certainly isn’t for everyone, so before you make a decision, it’s important to fully understand what the advantages and disadvantages are. There’s been a huge amount of research and commentary about the pros and cons of working in a co-working space â€" so let’s start with the pros. Interaction with people: According to researchers at the University of Michigan, the most common reasons for people seeking co-working spaces are interaction with people (84%), random discoveries and opportunities (82%) and knowledge sharing (77%). It’s a similar situation as far as corporate co-workers are concerned. More flexibility: This Harvard Business Review article also explains how co-working space can give you the flexibility that you want and need. Co-working spaces are normally accessible on a true 24/7 basis, for example, so people can take their pick between putting in a long day when they have a deadline looming or need to make progress, and taking an extra break in the middle of the day to attend the gym. Increased control over your space: In the words of HBR writers Gretchen Spreitzer, Peter Bacevice and Lyndon Garrett, users of co-working spaces can also “choose whether they want to work in a quiet space so they can focus, or in a more collaborative space with shared tables where interaction is encouraged.” Creative freedom and the opportunity to upskill: Another great advantage of co-working is the opportunity that it gives you to fuel your creativity and upskill; a change of environment can be energising, while working with different people from inside and outside your organisation can spark creativity and innovative thinking. Sure enough, 68% of co-workers report improvements to their existing skill-set. Innovative thinking: However, one of the biggest co-working benefits of all is improved innovation, as people in a co-working space collectively share ideas and experience greater diversity of thought due to the variety of people from multiple organisations and industries that are all working in one space. It’s a mode of working that exposes you to ideas and best practice from other industries that you wouldn’t otherwise encounter in your current role if you were siloed in your office. Productivity: Other cited benefits of co-working include heightened productivity, as well as the fact that 84% of individuals surveyed in a 2015 study of 1,500 co-workers in 52 countries reported they were more engaged and motivated since joining their co-working community, with 89% of respondents conveying a higher degree of happiness. A sense of community: That word, ‘community’, is certainly a strong one in the world of co-working. A 2014 survey of more than 200 US co-workers conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business confirmed that belonging to a community was the most common reason for people to seek out a co-working space. This sense of community can help to improve your problem solving skills, and the users of a co-working space are often more than happy to help fellow co-workers to tackle a challenge. With even the likes of cafes and gyms potentially serving as amazing co-working spaces, it’s fair to say that the co-working culture has taken a strong hold across the world â€" bringing with it all of the aforementioned benefits. Are there any cons of co-working spaces? Yet while co-working can clearly provide many benefits, it can also present several challenges. It’s hardly the most private way of working, for instance, which also potentially means a lot of distractions. Someone simply slurping their coffee could drive you crazy if you’re already stressed out and trying to concentrate on an assignment with a tight deadline amid all of the other noise surrounding you â€" but having said this, such distractions are also common in a conventional office. Linked to this lack of privacy is a greater scope for personality clashes, a dilemma that anyone who has ever flat-shared will recognise. Any situation that places many people in close proximity to each other heightens the risk of such conflict, and it’s not as if there’s a HR department to formally resolve any disputes arising between the users of a co-working space. New to co-working? Here’s how to make the transition If you are confident that you can overcome these cons and think co-working might be for you, or indeed, have just accepted a position which is based in a co-working space, these tips will help you make the transition seamlessly: Make the effort to introduce yourself to your fellow co-workers â€" first impressions count! Set a routine as quickly as you can. You will have more flexibility in a co-working space, so it’s important that you are diligent and mindful of your time â€" otherwise, your productivity could suffer Make the most of the opportunity to work with different people each day to build your network, upskill and make new contacts. Many co-working spaces run regular networking and office events, so head along to these wherever possible Make your desk feel like home â€" experiment with different areas of the shared working space and see what works best for you Get to know the office/community manager â€" having a good relationship with them will make it easier to get help from them if the printer breaks or the Wi-Fi goes down Move to a quieter space if you know you are going to be on a long conference/video call that could be distracting for your co-workers Learn how to deal with distractions â€" you could purchase some headphones, for instance If you are working for a brand, keep your employer front of mind, rather than the culture of the office space you’re working in. It can be easy to feel detached, but regular communications and face-to-face meetings should help Eat away from your desk and take breaks out of the office. In many co-working spaces, everything is under one roof, so it can feel like there’s no need to get out, but the truth is that you do need to get out for your own wellbeing Prioritise face-to-face communication. Research has found that in open plan offices, which is what many co-working spaces are, the number of IM messages sent increased by 67%, while employees also spent 72% less time interacting in person in an open space. So, there you have it â€" my rundown of the huge value that co-working can have for many professionals, but also with some warnings for those of you who are anxious to ensure you manage the transition safely. If co-working is a mode of working that suits you, and you handle it in the right way, a wide range of benefits could result. Found this blog useful? Here are some other  Viewpoint  blogs that you might find interesting: How big banks made flexible working the norm Work is changing can your mindset keep up? 5 trends to shake up everyones workplace in 2019 Using mindfulness to improve how we work together Should wellness programmes be made compulsory?