What are some of the differences in workplace culture you've noticed between a coworking space and other workplaces you've worked in?
I think coworking creates quite a different culture to other workplaces. The atmosphere is different here because everyone works in different areas of business, with different rhythms. At the old firm I worked at, when three or four of you were under pressure because of deadlines or for whatever reason, that sense of tension tended to permeate through the office and affect everyone. But I've never noticed those vibes in the collective.
What are some rules of coworking etiquette that you've learnt?
Some of these depend on the setup of your workspace. So if it's open plan then you'll obviously have noise issues. Someone having a dispute on the phone that everyone else can hear is pretty distracting - and sometimes funny. I have kids, so I tell them to please walk up the stairs quietly when they come in. We also have a shared printer, and every now and then I need to run quite a few sheets off when we're getting a submission ready, so I'll check to see if anyone needs to use it urgently before pressing 'print'. There's also a shared meeting room, so the same rules apply for using that.
What have been some of the challenges you've encountered in terms of making coworking work for you and your business?
I guess if there's 'one' of anything - like one printer or one shared meeting room - then internal communication becomes important to let everyone else know your intentions to use those things. It's good now that we use Slack, which is a piece of software that's handy for in-house communication. You can message individuals directly, or share news with everyone in the group, and that's how we avoid any potential conflicts - or do things like sell eggs!
What are some dos and don'ts of coworking that you'd share with another business owner looking to move into this kind of environment?
Do:
• Have a weekly catchup where everyone gets together for a morning coffee. This has benefits on a whole lot of levels.
• Get some internal communication software, like Slack or Campfire.
• Have areas where private conversations or meetings can take place. Currently • we're looking at creating a breakout space or pod that can be installed as a freestanding meeting room.
Don't:
• Wear overpowering perfume in an open plan working space. Some people are just too polite sometimes to mention they don't like the Brut!
• Try to jump in on someone else's client after they've just had a meeting with them to sell your product. I can see this strategy being employed all over any coworking space, and it could jeopardise the relationship that's been established between your coworker and their client. Try another angle to nab them outside of your work environment if you're that desperate. Further to that don't steal anyone else's client. Just don't.
• Use the environment as an opportunity to sell your products to your coworkers. The idea is to set up your business in the coworking space to sell your product to the world; if people within the environment are interested in your services or products, they'll approach you first.
