As freelancing, remote work, and co-working grow in popularity, co-working spaces are predicted to comprise 30 percent of all commercial property. More and more companies and individual workers have discovered the numerous benefits of co-working spaces. Various amenities and better work-life balance seem obvious, but what about the co-working community itself? It has a lot to offer!
Get involved. Co-working spaces are designed around the idea of bringing together professionals of various disciplines, where collaboration and socialization can occur. To that end, many co-working spaces host regular happy hours, workshops, and networking events. Take the opportunity to form business relationships that might offer mutual benefits, or even open entirely new avenues for your career.
Ask for help. When you ask another co-worker for help, you demonstrate your appreciation for their expertise. They are likely to respond in kind in the future, and you can form valuable symbiotic relationships this way.
Offer reactive assistance. On the flip side of that coin, be ready to offer assistance when it is needed. But remember that some people are annoyed by offers to help when they haven’t asked. Focus on reactive assistance, pitching in when help is requested.
Establish a routine. You might actually enjoy the co-working community so much that you get distracted from your work! For more extraverted types, you might need to establish a daily schedule that allows you to socialize or enjoy the space’s amenities in brief spurts throughout the day. For example, you might set a timer to work for 25 minutes and then enjoy a five minute break.
Purchase headphones. It sounds like a minor thing, but headphones do much more than block out ambient noise. They’re the universal signal for, “I’m working right now!”
For more information on how co-working spaces and communities can benefit you, drop by Parlay Cafe for a tour and a beverage. You can request a free one-hour pass here: https://parlay.cafe/daypass/