Coworking can be an excellent way to forge meaningful professional relationships with like-minded self-starters and remote workers in your city. Here’s how you can expect to build your relationships with others in a diverse coworking environment at Center 615 in Nashville.
The Many Types of Professional Relationships
Whether you’re coworking or working in a traditional office space, there are a number of relationships you can build with others in a professional setting. Informal networking is something that’s universal in a workplace, and it’s very important. Making work friends can help ensure that you feel fulfilled at work, and workplace friendships can become full-fledged friendships in many cases. These relationships can be very rewarding on a personal level and can benefit your productivity, too. Informal workplace relationships can become trusted relationships, which are strong bonds that can keep people connected even if the work they’re doing changes. Strategic relationships are quite different from informal relationships because they’re based on intentional networking. In a coworking space, these relationships are going to be important.
Finding people who work in similar industries and seeking them out in a targeted way might sound impersonal, but it’s a huge part of networking. These types of relationships should be founded on mutual benefit, meaning both parties can stand to gain something from the connection made. Mentor and mentee relationships are mostly found in traditional office spaces, but they can happen in the best coworking spaces, too. Finding someone in a similar or the same field as you with more experience can greatly help you. These people have experiences they can share with you and advise you on career moves and problem-solving. Finding a mentor can be tricky, but these relationships are important for advancing in many industries where experience matters. No matter what type of relationship you’re looking to grow in a coworking space, it’s important to remember that nobody is simply a means to an end. Strong professional relationships are based on mutual respect and a drive to improve oneself.
If you’re looking for a coworking space near you that offers this sort of collaborative environment, look no further than Center 615. We strive to provide Nashville professionals with the absolute best place to work, and there is no shortage of opportunities for collaboration and friendship.
Benefits of Collaboration in Coworking
So, what do you gain from coworking that you can’t find in a traditional office space? More people are working remotely full-time than ever before, and these jobs can feel a bit isolated. A coworking space is an excellent place to go when you’re sick and tired of being cooped up at home. Beyond simply shaking off the solitude of working from home, a coworking space can inspire real collaboration at work. Networking is next to impossible from home, but for startups and small businesses, it’s necessary to thrive. A coworking space puts you alongside other entrepreneurs and business professionals who are working in your city. You can quickly forge powerful business relationships with other local companies and help each other out by finding new clients, getting new supply chains, or simply sharing ideas.
Out-of-the-box ideas can emerge from working with other people in the same space. People from all walks of life work in coworking spaces, meaning you can find creatives, analysts, and finance gurus all in one place. The missing piece of your company could be your deskmate doing freelance accounting work or writing affordable copy that you desperately need for your business’s website. Going into a coworking space can be daunting, as there are relationships that are already in place. But the wonderful part of coworking is that everyone is in the same boat. There’s no corporate office culture in a coworking space. There are no strange nuances to sift through or bureaucratic structures in place to keep you from talking to people at every level. A coworking space is a real melting pot of professional relationships, and that can be excellent for growing your career.
Best Practices for Effective Collaboration
How can a shared workspace be used for collaboration most effectively? One of the most important parts of any business relationship is communication. Ensuring that you’re effectively and clearly communicating with others is critical in a professional setting. Make sure that you are always courteous and considerate of others’ time and work when communicating in a coworking space. Casual chats or business conversations can run long, so making sure you’re respecting the other party’s productivity is key. When planning meetings or discussions, stick to the time that you scheduled.
A coworking space can be tricky to navigate socially, so make sure that when you’re taking a break from work to chat with someone else, you’re not talking to them while they’re still trying to get work done. Draft your emails with concise language, and make sure your ideas are getting across efficiently. This will ensure that your professional relationships and networking efforts are effective and not a distraction. If you do want to take a mutual conversation off the clock, make sure it’s in an appropriate setting that’s comfortable for both of you. Fostering strong professional relationships can give way to meaningful personal friendships, but you can’t always expect that. Don’t force a relationship to turn into a work collaboration if the other person or business doesn’t seem interested. There’s no shame in trying to make beneficial connections at work, but the wrong energy can be interpreted as hostility or self-serving behavior.
Ultimately, in a coworking setting, respect is critical. Know that everyone else in this space with you chose to be there, and they are likely interested in developing professional relationships. Communicate clearly and be upfront, and you’ll undoubtedly make meaningful connections.
Collaborate With ConfidenceCenter 615 is a coworking space in the heart of downtown Nashville with an ethos focused on collaboration. If you’re ready to forge professional relationships in your industry, schedule a tour of our coworking space today.
