New Office, new challenges!
How about one of those buildings?
So, months ago we were discussing the ideal place we should work and all that that entails. We wanted somewhere easy to get to from where we lived, somewhere that was modern, had ‘energy’, and which allowed us to concentrate, meet clients and have fun. Simple really, right?
We were coming from a corporate environment which is modernizing itself, so we’re entirely used to having dedicated desks, an actual physical telephone (If not a PA to answer your phone if you’re not around), meeting rooms to use whenever you liked and all the other benefits that a large corporate provides.
What do you do in this situation? Well you Google the problem of course, and then try out a few.
On the bank of the Thames anyone?
So that’s what we did for weeks. From the bank of the river Thames in Kingston, to the heart (and top) of The City, we tested the waters. What an experience it was.
Firstly, before trialing any we had to familiarize ourselves with the terminology, we weren’t novices at this luckily. ‘Work from Home’, ‘Remote Working’ and ‘Mobile Working’ are pretty easily understood and we had done that for years but try ‘Co-working spaces’ or ‘Hot desk zones’ and it gets more complicated.
I assure you also that you may think you know what they mean, but have you tried printing in the wrong ‘hot desk zone’? How about booking a conference room for a day in a ‘Co-working space’? (That was an expensive surprise).
Anyway, we learnt all about it, and met some amazing companies along the way who provide dedicated desks for startups and heaps of help too. We also had quite a few lattes along the way, more on that in another post. Some good, some bad. The range of co-working spaces in London now is phenomenal with spaces available from Kingston to The City, for cheap spaces, to all- inclusive private clubs. Whatever you want is available, and the whole experience has opened our eyes to a different way of working.
It’s also always worth bearing in mind office etiquette, not that it’s much different from any other office.
Is Corporate the way for you?
The key to enjoying life in an office is respecting your peers (or your co-workers) and everything that implies. Namely, but not exclusively: Keep your desk clean and clear, don’t eat food at your desk, come to a mutual agreement over lighting, temperature and be mindful with music, chats at your desk and ad-hoc meetings to name a few.
One key difference is in a co-working space it’s imperative to get to know your neighbours, invest time in them, and knowing their businesses and who they are, as a co-working space doesn’t have the support mechanisms of a dedicated business, and can be quite an isolating experience which will make your office life quite disheartening.
Balancing that, a co-working space can offer a huge variety of complementary businesses and experiences that a more traditional dedicated office lacks, and its one of the reasons we chose to work in a co-working space. The energy and enthusiasm are something to be seen and felt!
Lastly, as a consequence of supporting a much more flexible office-working environment we’ve had to consider one or two other changes in our systems and processes. Luckily for us that works towards meeting our plans for the future. Not all change is bad right? Bring it on!