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‘Working in the UnOffice’ in the Financial Times

Posted: August 24th, 2012 | Author: Genevieve DeGuzman | Filed under: Articles, Coworking, Press | Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Last week, we talked to Ian Sanders writing for The Financial Times about coworking, collaboration, and the sparks of creativity that come from working alongside others. Read the feature article, “The Lure of the Water Cooler” (22 August 2012), here (PDF Download).

Genevieve’s Q&A in all its glory (what didn’t get printed) is below:

You’ve said coworking spaces are challenging conventional notions of where innovation and creativity come from – how so?

I’ve always been torn between whether I’m more productive and creative when I’m working alone or when I’m working alongside others. The world wants to create a dramatic rift between those who root for collaboration and the virtues of work pow-wows and brainstorming, and those who prefer burning the midnight oil, alone, in self-inflicted solitary confinement. And yet, I’ve found that BOTH types of environments are important for innovation and creativity.

Collaboration can jumpstart your creativity, especially in cases where group work is organic, such as casual conversations leading to re-interpretations of existing ideas, those small epiphanies. But there’s also the case for working by yourself, away from distractions, where you can protect yourself from “groupthink,” and where your quirky ideas have time to evolve on their own and not get shot down too soon.

Innovation comes from being part of a larger group–of people, ideas–all shaping your worldview and thoughts. But then you can’t just be an open receptacle all of the time. There comes a time when you need to stop chatting and talking to others and actually sit down and get some work done. So, for me, creativity also comes being able to work quietly, to be mindful, and focus and think critically about a question or problem–away from the noise and buzz of other people’s opinions, thoughts.

Coworking, with its emphasis on working independently alongside others,  gives you BOTH these modes of working. It’s perfect. That’s why I think it upends the convention that innovation and creativity are borne out of only one way of working.

How much of a factor is social interaction for attracting people to coworking spaces – does it give people a good sense of belonging?

Social interaction is important; some might consider it the backbone of coworking. But many people don’t realize that there are different kinds of social interaction at coworking spaces and depending on the space, some get more emphasis than others. Case in point: Some people find the schmoozing and emphasis on networking events disconcerting. We aren’t all social butterflies. I know a lot of people who find the coworking scene a tad too “trendy,” especially the coworking scenes in big cities, like NYC and San Francisco. They’ll go to one or two special events out of curiosity, but feel intimidated when they see/hear members bragging about getting VC funding and tripling revenues, and so on. (Though I’d argue that they’re going to the wrong space…). With everything from brownbag lunches and guest lectures, to mixers and group outings, there are a lot of ways to feel like you’re a part of your coworking community. A “sense of belonging” is much more than meeting people and exchanging business cards at after-hour events and mixers. For me, belonging–the point where you feel like your space is your community–takes time and also takes finding the space that fits your personality.

In a world where wifi is everywhere and people can work out of local coffee shops, why do you think coworking spaces are still popular?

True. The coffee shops and wifi hotspots will always be there for the independents who don’t want to work at home–but also don’t want to pay membership fees to be a part of a coworking space. What coworking spaces do is offer an alternative. It’s a more structured, orderly environment than your random stool at the Starbucks counter, but it’s less structured than, say, your typical business incubator (which coworking spaces are often contrasted against). If you’re looking for a community of fellow entrepreneurs to be around, it’s the best place to work. You can’t get that kind of camaraderie at your coffee joint or airport lounge.

And lastly, public wifi spots can be riddled with security holes. If you’re working on sensitive material or if you just don’t want the risks of being exposed to wifi sniffers, working at a coworking space with a secure network is a better option. You also don’t have to worry about random theft or losing your beloved spot just because you left for a bathroom break.

I’m interested in how ideas cross pollinate in coworking spaces. Have you encountered any examples you can share of how collaborations spawn ideas that pollinate in a random/ unplanned way?

Every business and organization we interviewed for our book, Working in the UnOffice (Night Owls Press), shared examples of where a chance encounter or conversation with another member at a coworking space led to something serendipitous. That’s what we found so fascinating in our research and interviews. People talked about this brownbag lunch, or that evening lecture, or those weekly after-hour socials; not to mention the conversations with people they bumped into in the kitchen or common areas. Some people get simple recommendations for tax accountants or baby-sitters for their kids; others find themselves getting a critical introduction to someone that leads to a job or project. And there are a handful who found such a rapport with people at their space that they joined forces with others on a new venture. Loosecubes.com (whose CEO wrote our Foreword) started in a coworking space in NYC, and now they’re coworking evangelists themselves, bringing the work movement beyond standalone coworking spaces and into office spaces across the world.

Is there an ideal mix of different roles, businesses and personality types that every co-working space needs to work?

People have their own definition of their ideal coworking space so it depends on the space’s mission. My ideal coworking space falls within the broad definition of coworking, which is a set-up where a diverse group of people, who are working on their own projects and organizations, come together in a shared space.

But diverse can mean many things: Is it having different industries and fields in a space? Or, just different niches? For example, you can have a space that’s made up of only tech-focused startups (which seems like a homogenous grouping)… but then you find out that the startups are in different niches: There’s a guy working on a car-sharing smartphone app, a woman running a digital marketing company, a group trying to come up with a web-based literary magazine.

What makes a space work is if the members don’t work in their own bubbles. Having pockets of creativity all in one building is great, but what you really want is spillover: startups sharing ideas, exchanging services, and so on. Like the marketing company working with the literary magazine to build up a reading audience; or the car-sharing app developer introducing the digital marketer to a group of freelance bloggers.

You also have a more intangible definition of diversity–the kind that comes from having people around who have different backgrounds or life experiences. These are the folks that will help you not only improve your business but prod the walls and fences of your thinking and worldview, making you a better entrepreneur.

And finally: Any do’s and dont’s for executives and workers to consider when they’re sharing coworking spaces?

Get out there and ditch the office. There’s a big debate about whether private offices and nooks in a coworking space defeat the purpose of achieving community and collaboration out of a motley group of people. You have cubicle-oriented shared office suites like those run by Regus that are trying to re-brand themselves as coworking spaces. I’m sure they’re doing just fine despite the scoffs from many in the ‘purist’ coworking ranks. While I understand the need for hermetic enclosures (I’m the type that can’t write with too much distraction and activity going around me), I also think if you settle and plant roots in a room with walls, it defeats the purpose of joining a coworking space. Coworking is about being surprised, about finding yourself saying, “Oh yeah, that’s a different way of looking at this problem” after a conversation at the coffee machine. I’d recommend sitting out there among the open desks instead of renting a private office. You’re rubbing elbows with others. Coworking is about getting away from the old model of working (the office).

Also, befriend the community manager at your space. These stewards know everyone in the space and are the unofficial gatekeepers to networking opportunities. They can be a great conduit to setting up meetings or introductions with others.

Finally, be helpful and talk to others, but don’t force it. “Don’t be a jerk”–that’s a given, but less obvious is “Don’t be a fake.” People respond to authenticity. You’ll be surprised at how many doors open up from just a friendly, no-agenda, casual conversation every morning with your neighbor before you settle down to work or at the water cooler. After what we learned researching coworking and its impact on businesses, I realize more than ever the importance of “weak ties.” The best leads come from acquaintances and colleagues, rather than close friends or people we know well. Coworking spaces are the best places to cultivate those so-called weak ties.

Find out more about coworking with Working in the UnOffice: A Guide to Coworking for Indie Workers, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits (Night Owls Press, 2011).

3 Ways to Improve Collaboration for Virtual Teams

Posted: April 2nd, 2012 | Author: Genevieve DeGuzman | Filed under: Articles, Coworking, Entrepreneurship & Business | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

(Note: This post was originally written for WorkSnug.)

In the book Future Work: How Businesses Can Adapt and Thrive in the New World of Work, authors Alison Maitland and Peter Thomson break with the old paradigms of what constitutes work in the digital age. They argue that we now live in a “creative economy” where ideas and innovation are now the make-or-break factors in succeeding in business. The best way to cultivate and encourage innovative thinking is to create workplace environments where people can “take the initiative, make connections, and seize opportunities without waiting for direction.”

While the authors discuss work in the context of large companies, focusing on what management can do to change their organizations to work more efficiently, the central idea of “managing well by managing less” resonates for everyone.

For all kinds of remote or flexible workers, the idea of autonomy as a driver to be more creative and productive isn’t anything new. Many of us take on different projects, or consult and work on different projects because we value that independence.

But even independent professionals sometimes fall into the prevailing patterns of work, putting up boundaries of how, where, and when we work. Drawing from the themes of Future Work, here are three ways to improve the way you collaborate and work with and alongside other location independent colleagues, freelancers and team members:

1. A little faith goes a long way.

Trust. How open-minded and flexible are you when it comes to working with others? When I first started working for myself, I was guilty of being a control freak, micromanaging contractors, vendors, and even fellow editors. Typical command-and-control. I learned, however, that this only stressed me out and alienated other people. Now, I let each person I hire or work with generate his or her own inertia toward meeting a goal. Maybe I give them a little push, but otherwise I leave them alone. People relying on self-direction rather than the proverbial “lash” work harder. Autonomy is a great motivator. If you expect firm results and communicate that expectation well, people usually rise to the occasion and give you results.

Simplify projects by setting down weekly and monthly goals (e.g. “I want to see Chapters 1 and 2 revised by the end of the week”), and then letting your team members do their thing to achieve those goals. Resist the urge to check-in every day. Sometimes no news is good news. That may smack of “bad communication”, but it actually makes a lot of sense. You only want to hear from people during the week if there’s going to be a snag in their timeline to deliver. From a manager’s perspective, it can be liberating to “let go”. Now, I can focus on playing the role of the coordinator and enabler that everyone likes, rather than no-fun, finger-wagging supervisor.

You might think that this kind of trust should be earned over time after people have proven that they are reliable. Well, if you’ve screened well and hired the best people for a job, then you don’t have anything to worry about. The real test is not in what they put in, but what they produce. Results, results, results…which leads me to my next point.

2. Decouple achievement from time.

I’ve written about how corporate clockwork is the bane of our working existence. It’s time we all start rewarding output and results rather than input. Why? The “long-hours” culture rewards face-time and penalizes people that can get a job done in a shorter amount of time. In fact, the more hours spent on a job often leads to a lot of time wasted. When you crunch the numbers, that’s less productivity per hour. Not very efficient, not good for business, and not good for everyone’s morale.

But, if we work by the ‘results only’ philosophy, then we tap into our reserves of ingenuity, thinking of better ways to get work done. Daniel Pink, author of Drive, writes about how motivation plays a crucial role in how much people can achieve. You don’t have to read a ton of books on management practices or implement arcane strategies with strange acronyms. It’s all about harnessing the power of self-drive, self-direction— and empowering and trusting people to make decisions on their own. Let everyone on your team decide what works best for him or her to do the work. “Don’t dictate, delegate” is a useful maxim for managing your team. We’ve all grown up with the prevailing view that time in only matters. With this ingrained view, it’s not easy to see that there are other better ways to handle projects and get work done.

3. Finally, find a balance and know the preferences of your team members.

When people are dispersed across borders, working in different locations, or when you don’t have a central office, it’s easy to get complacent and manage by prescription— throwing out old rules only to put in new rules. There’s a comic by Roger Beale of a man complaining to his coworker because his boss told him to be “autonomous, location-independent, and results-driven”. He gripes, “She doesn’t need to see me for six months. It sounds like the sack.”

Remember, flexibility means giving your team members the choice to decide their own schedules. How people produce their best work will always depend on their individual preferences and quirky work habits. One person might be more of a night owl (that’s me!). Another may be an early bird. Some people might want to work longer days, but fewer days during the week; others prefer shorter days but don’t mind working on weekends. I know many people who do their best work when they work alone, enduring long solitary spells in a home office that requires intense concentration. I also know colleagues who can’t handle working at home alone. The silence is deafening. They get distracted by the TV or with doing little errands around the house. If your entire team is highly self-driven, lucky you for scoring the A-Team of workers— but if not, then you’ll need to provide the needed “office hours” to meet with them either in person or over Skype, giving more personal encouragement. Who knows, maybe the 8-hour day, five days a week works for some people, and they don’t want to give that up, no matter how you rail against the corporate clockwork.

In the future of work, that’s OK. The real revolution is not in the actual practices, but in letting people decide for themselves and to take ownership of what they do.