Coworking is a situation where different self-employed people or employees from different companies work remotely in a specific office or work environment. This allows employees to share ideas and equipment within the office space. As with any other work environment, coworking space comes with its own challenges and setbacks, but with the right attitude and work culture, you can get the most out of working with different professionals in the same environment. Below are some tips to help you get the most out of working with a coworking space:
Have A Good Rapport With Your Community Manager:
Although not mandatory, almost all coworking offices have a community Manager who oversees the smooth running of the workspace. If your workspace has one, he/she would most likely be the first person you would interact with while securing your workspace. It is important that you develop and maintain a good rapport with this person as your success in operating smoothly in the space is to some degree, dependent on your relationship with him/her. These community managers act as resource persons in the sense that they have adequate information as to who the residents of the space are, the best ways to get around bottlenecks that may arise, how to push your services to your desired clients, etc.
Make sure to ask questions whenever you are in doubt to help you speed up the process of adapting to your environment.
Efficiency:
Efficiency has to do first of all with knowing what you are doing. It, however, it does not stop there. It also has to do with how well you organize your time to achieve maximum results in as little time as possible. To be efficient, you have to be disciplined and organized while being very skillful at what you do. Develop a routine. Do the hard tasks first. Do not take your eyes off the job until you have finished. Be neat. Organize your files and documents properly. Do not be sloppy.
The importance of being efficient in a co-working environment cannot be over-emphasized as it helps not only your productivity but ensures that you are not a burden to other workers in your space.
Choose the Best Corner Available:
Closely linked with efficiency, is the need to pick the best place available in order to shut out distractions and to keep you focused. Don’t just pick any space, ensure that you evaluate the environment well enough to be able to pick the one that is best adapted to your needs. For example, it is wiser to pick a space that gives you some level of privacy, that is close to the equipment shared and is far away from certain kinds of distractions. It would be wise also to factor in your personality and allergies while picking a space. For example, if you are one to catch a cold very easily, it is not advisable that you pick a space directly under the fan or air conditioning.
Network:
While it is admirable to have a certain level of privacy in ensuring your productivity, it is key to also make sure that you do not operate in a solo manner. No one has made it alone. The importance of having a community around you should not be neglected. Among the other residents of your co-working space may be people with the skill sets or ideas and connections that you need to get to the next level. Make out time to know your coworkers and interact with them. It will help you a great deal.
Involvement in Activities:
Very instrumental to networking is your involvement in Activities organized by the community. From more professional events like conferences and workshops to less formal ones like get-togethers and game shows, it is important that you register your presence there. Make contributions to whatever activities your community hosts. This ensures your visibility, enhances your interaction with your co-workers and helps a great deal in helping you achieve a sense of belonging.
Be Proactive:
To make the best out of working from a co-working space, you should learn to take the initiative in certain instances. Thrive to not just be an added figure to the community but to also make very meaningful contributions to the welfare of the community in general. You can be proactive by sharing information to your co-workers in your area of expertise or initiating programs that would benefit others.
Be a good team player:
It is necessary to make sure that you are totally invested in whatever task you set to do whether personally or collectively. While working with a team, make sure you’re an active member of that team and not just a passive one.
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