Four Ideas to Bond with Your Team in a Coworking Space

Businesses across the country are taking advantage of the incredible benefits that coworking spaces provide.  For business and solopreneurs utilizing shared spaces, it’s important to foster a sense of community by providing experiences and not relying solely on cool facilities.  The best workspaces stand out by creating community through activities that enable members to establish healthy bonds.

In a healthy coworking space, you can build meaningful relationships with people from diverse ethnic and professional backgrounds.  We’d love to share four opportunities that are great ways to build connections in a coworking environment and enrich your professional experience. Here are four ideas to bond with your team in a coworking space.

Join Support or Accountability Groups

Working alone can be challenging at times, and feedback from peers can be a godsend when faced with deadlines. 83% of coworking members report being less lonely after joining a coworking space. Your co-space should enable members to open up about their challenges, seek guidance from one another, and form genuine connections along the way.

Support groups or accountability groups are a great way to tackle challenges, thrive in work, and emerge as a better professional in the end. When you join this kind of group, you’ll build a sense of accountability and significance alongside the other members. There are many easy-to-use, online resources that make maintaining these groups simpler.

It’s helpful to schedule regular times to connect with your group so you can talk through challenges, support each other, and then commit to specific goals that you want the group to hold you accountable to. You’ll be amazed at the inspiration and motivation you get when you know you have a group of professionals supporting you and keeping you accountable. You’ll see increased focus and more importantly – increased results!

Ask the Community Manager

Sometimes, coworking spaces present a reality of loneliness if you’re not proactive in developing critical relationships that are available to you.  Just like in any traditional office, the interactions made in the first week are significant in setting the tone for future professional relationships.

Always remember to talk to the Community Manager so you can get connected to the right people as quickly as possible. Great Community Managers will know a little about everyone, and they’re happy to introduce you to other professionals that you’ll love connecting with.

Don’t hesitate to leverage the Community Manager to meet as many members as possible. As you meet other members, remember the Golden Rule.  Try to learn about members personally and professionally and minimize your own sales pitch.

Mingle at Happy Hours and Social Events

Almost 79% of people report that after joining a coworking spac,e their social networks expanded greatly due to the inherent nature of the setup.

Out of the many methods employed, happy hours are a fun way to connect in a non-work-related environment. Most coworking spaces keep their Happy Hour inclusive by providing a variety of events to appeal to every professional. There are hours for confectionery lovers and hours serving tea or coffee. Look for events in the community section to strike conversations with teammates over shared interests.

Social events are also good opportunities to casually connect with people of varying interests and relax. Join events such as yoga and Pilates, field trips, musical evenings, competitive events like game nights and competitions to bond with your team.

You may even send an invite to a self-hosted event outside the community section to teammates to form camaraderie.

Employ Tools to Connect

There are various ways to stay connected with your team beyond coworking hours. The use of digital tools and social media will enhance your collaboration on projects, improve productivity, and strengthen bonds. However, it’s always important to remember healthy boundaries between personal and professional.

Healthy interactions lead to successful teams. Hence, as a rule, message and check with another team member before approaching them for discussions. LinkedIn is a convenient way to maintain professional connections while Facebook and Instagram are usually for more casual relationships.

If you’re working in a team or on multiple teams, there are incredible digital tools that you should consider using if you’re not already doing so. Slack is one of the fastest-growing companies in the world and allows professionals in a coworking space to collaborate with effectiveness and efficiency.  We also recommend Asana, MS Suite, and Google Suite as incredible tools for collaboration and production.

With these four tips, we hope your coworking experience is enriched and you experience maximum productivity and connections this year.