Humans are social animals, no matter what people today say. It became incredibly common for younger people, Millenials in particular, to identify themselves as introverted, with loner traits. Younger people are avoiding the commotion and crowded places and yet, ironically, more and more young people are simply flocking to the metropolitan areas.
Most of them are working remotely and enjoying the digital nomad lifestyle. Yet, this can sometimes get a bit lonely. This also applies if you own a promising startup and you want to build a healthy work atmosphere and team spirit.
Coworking spaces importance
The answer for both promising startups and freelancers that want to establish a healthy work routine lies in the coworking spaces. Coworking spaces gained huge popularity nowadays because they represent some sort of a middle ground between freelance work and the traditional office.
One of the major benefits of shared office space includes more social interaction. You will be inspired to work and give 100% when you see other people doing the same and how passionate they are about what they do.
Also, you will be more inspired to share your ideas with people who think alike. It all sounds great but there are certain downsides also. What if it gets too noisy to focus? What happens with shared office productivity when people start to chit-chat and that keeps on going?
Benefits of coworking spaces
Best Coworking spaces are often used to attract goal-oriented and mission-driven individuals who have a clear mission in their heads. If you are an entrepreneur with big dreams you know that the first years are of crucial importance.
Also, saving money plays a great role. When using shared offices you don’t have to worry about office supplies, are there enough beverages, reserving spaces on the parking lot for your employees, and more. For example, you can always have a meeting room available at every moment so you can have meetings with potential business partners.
Flexibility is also an important benefit – when owning a startup things can change drastically and your team can grow very fast. But it doesn’t seem to be such a big issue in coworking space, you can simply switch to a different package and get more people on board.
Another amazing benefit is networking with like-minded people. That could help you with better strategizing and forming alliances that could help you in the later stages of your business.
There is also an important emotional recharge aspect. When you are tired from work it is proven that short breaks and friendly chat can be used as a sort of ‘’reset’’. A friendly chat, a coffee break, real conversation with real people (not in a virtual way) can recharge your batteries even when it is Friday afternoon and you are ready to kickstart your weekend.
Downsides of coworking spaces
Now let’s see some of the downsides. The first downside is proximity to your competitors. Yes, there will be like-minded people around you but what happens when people are well… too like-minded?
Developing the same application, for example, having similar ideas, working in similar fields, etc. There you need to be very careful with distributing confidential information.
There are also problems connected with noise pollution in your workspace. Phones ringing constantly, phone calls that never end, there is a lively conversation and laughter going on somewhere around you, electrical appliances are buzzing…
Putting on headphones can solve the problem temporarily but in the end, it can cause you hearing damage if you turn up the volume too much to cancel the office noises. And it will be pretty distracting if you are working on important tasks that require focus or creativity.
Noise pollution is an invisible enemy of every business, small or big. It might be invisible but your employees are probably sensing it.
How to keep employees productive and everything in balance in shared spaces?
The important thing is not to get too carried away with breaks. Yes, a short break is completely fine but keep it short. If you keep prolonging your pause, it could lead to procrastination.
Not to mention that you can distract others. Try to explore the “deep work’’ philosophy and practice remaining focused.
Try not to get too distracted with a mobile phone or social media – unless your primary job includes working on social media. Also, skip private calls while you are working. Also, notice something that is called shallow work – checking spreadsheets, checking your emails, and so on and focus on what is really important.
It is also important to set your goals and steps for each day and try to stick to the plan. Create short-term and long-term goals and measure your results at the end of the week.
Office design and furniture arrangements also play an important role in productivity. First, no one would like to work in a dark and gloomy atmosphere, oozing with artificial light. So the more natural light the better.
In order to protect your privacy and your employees from the aforementioned noise pollution – consider improving the acoustical design of your shared office. That means you won’t tamper with office design too much because for example acoustical panels can fit any style and you won’t notice anything, you will just feel an improvement.
Remove noisy appliances as far as possible from the workspace – it will also help with decluttering an office space a bit. No more cable clusters everywhere. It will feel more spacey and it is a great psychological trick because your employees will not feel stuck or overwhelmed. Also, take care if there are any heating problems – if the office is too cold or too warm for work.
In order for everyone to feel more welcoming, try to add more life and art to the walls. Maybe that will inspire someone’s imagination. Personalize your space as much as possible with tiny yet effective details. Make your workspace environment clean by hiring professional cleaning services. This will also help with building a team culture.
Team buildings after work are always welcome – when you finished all the important tasks you can take your colleagues out for a drink
Bonus: What about productivity in the time of COVID-19?
This specific situation caught us all by surprise but all we can do at this moment is be flexible and adapt to this completely new situation. We have a few tips on our sleeve in order to help you and your team survive this situation.
First thing is to set your workspace properly. Find your little oasis of peace in your home and set everything, set the time span when you will be active and synchronize with your colleagues. You need to stay sharp because you can easily find yourself preparing fifth coffee that day.
Another thing is to find great project management software and embrace video conferencing. Zoom, Skype, or Slack are very popular at this moment for quick meetings. Communication is the most important aspect at this moment.
We already mentioned the importance of the pause – chat with your colleagues, share your experiences. If you need a ‘’real’’ conversation to boost your mood talk with your family. And most importantly, have fun.
