CoWorking News » Meinung

How to transform coworking from expression to collaboration

Felix Schürholz — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:14:22 +0000

In his TEDx talk in November 2009 Michel Bauwens made some very interesting observations about peer to peer production. He points to the fact that when people create something in common, they create their own infrastructure. On the other hand when people link to share their expression they tend to use a corporate infrastructure like Facebook or Flickr. I see coworking at the moment as a combination of these two.

There is now a great variety of coworking spaces some of which are based more on a “commons” foundation and some more on a “corporate” foundation. The work that is being carried out by the coworkers in these spaces tends to correlate to the foundation of the spaces. This means people working in more “corporate” coworking spaces tend to work more by themselves than people working in “commons” coworking spaces.

By means of deduction from the fact that there is very little to no common infrastructure between coworking spaces and coworking spaces (applies also to infrastructure between coworkers to coworkers) , it seems likely that the majority of work performed by coworkers in coworking spaces is individual or corporate in nature.

In contrast their is a lot of expression about collaborate coworking on platforms like Facebook. The danger I see is that the desired collaborate coworking I observe with a growing number of coworkers will not manifest effectively that way. As long as collaborative coworking rests in the realm of “expression” very little concrete collaboration takes place.

To change this and to evolve coworking the Free Coworking Group was set up. While still based on a corporate infrastructure like Facebook, the Group stands a very good chance to grow very quickly to gather the critical mass or momentum to build its own infrastructure.

To develop this process a number of tools will evolve in the same way as the Group will evolve. Two tools are already in place. The “Open International Coworking Calendar” to announce and promote Jellies and Free Coworking Offers. Secondly the Skill-Sharing list which evolves today from a Facebook document (via a Piratepad) into a GoogleDoc (Input), and Spreadsheet (Output).

Please use these tools and develop new ones!!! Free Coworking evolves by freely and actively using all tools that help to strengthen the Free Coworking Evolution.

Coworking Evolution: Coworking goes “Free Coworking”

Felix Schürholz — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:12:34 +0000

Yes it is true. Coworking is going to evolve into “Free Coworking”. I predict that within the coming year you will see a marked increase in “Free Coworking” offers. What do I mean by “Free Coworking”? ”Free Coworking” means that as a coworking space user you do not pay for the use of the desk, chair etc. How is that possible? Someone else is going to pay :-) !!! Why would anyone want to pay for your coworking space usage? Because “this someone else” is benefiting from your work. This might be a customer or client, a member of your project team, an organisation, a small or large cooperation, a foundation, the state – in short “Financial Capital” will pay the bill.

How are the coworkers and the coworking spaces going to attract this “Financial Capital”? It is the “Social Capital” that attracts it! What is the “Social Capital” in terms of a coworking community? Coworkers love the work they do. They love the people they work with. They believe in cooperation, teamwork and last but not least they believe that there are more good people around than bad!!! Why is that important?

Because this touches a frame of mind that many people have. Many people believe that good intention is a scarce resource. The contrary is true. Check with yourself and adjust if necessary. Translated to work and work output we find the following: To produce and distribute excellent services and products you need a special quality of cooperation. Only people who love what they do and who can work with the people they love can provide this. Coworking spaces can provide these excellent services and products more often and with a higher likelihood the more widespread “Free Coworking” will become. The key is an evolution of every party involved in the process. Only trust, openness, dedication, patience, fairness, sweat, fun and love will lead to “Free Coworking”. And the great thing is that it will work!!! It will not only work in one or two places, it will grow and grow.

The number of coworking spaces is rapidly going to increase because people just want to work this way!!! “Going to work” will have a totally new, fresh and positive connotation. Whereas before people dreaded to go to work because they had to do something they did not really like in an environment they felt not particularly comfortable in, now in a coworking space it is just the opposite. You can choose the people you work with and the work you do. How is that possible?

“Free Coworking” means working in teams and a community you choose. To be productive and happy you have to be able to say yes to everyone in your team and environment from the bottom of your heart including yourself. In many instances this will require an evolution for everyone involved. But once the team starts to evolve it does not take very long for it to become a “dream team”. Imagine the experience of working in a “dream team” once! This is great, but imagine you can do it again. Another day another “dream team” is going to form and more people are going to learn what it takes. And this goes on and on and everyday the social capital grows.

Still in doubt whether this might work? At the moment the setting up of a coworking space is largely a process of “Pull”. You tell people how great coworking is and you hope to convince them to come along and try it. This can be quite trying at times and aims to fill your space nothing more. Imagine people could work for free in your space and a “Push” process would start. People would want to push into your space. For someone to enter the coworking space for free, he or she would have to go through a certain “registration” process. This process would involve setting up a profile for this new coworker. What are the skills, experiences, interests and projects of this person. What would be an ideal team for this coworker etc.

Thanks to an internet platform coworkers could indicate when and where they were available and interested to participate in a project. The client and/or the project representative would invite the coworkers in the coworking space or the area of the coworking space reserved for “Free Coworking”. The team building and the project could start.

This is how I see “Free Coworking” to develop in practical steps. There will be existing coworking spaces that will offer some areas of their operation for “Free Coworking”, while there will also be some new spaces that will start with “Free Coworking” from the word go. To support both types we will set up an additional coworking directory called the “Free CoWorking Directory”.

If you look at the enthusiasm for the upcoming Jellyweek (16th to 22nd of January) you get a good indication that the time for “Free Coworking” has definitely come. If you want to lend your support to “Free Coworking” beyond the Jellyweek join our Facebook Group “Free Coworking“. The aim of the Facebook Group is to raise in excess of 15.000.000 € in Social Capital which equates in my calculation to more than 10.000 committed members to this cause. Join and spread the word for “Free Coworking”!!!

If you are still in doubt whether this might work get inspiration from the video below.

Why Coworking is going to change the world in 2012 (Scientific Evidence) !!!

Felix Schürholz — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:30:42 +0000

Now we have scientific evidence by Margaret Chatham Crofoot and Ian C. Gilby that small groups have a competitive advantage over larger groups. Translated in terms of changing the world: Small groups like coworking spaces or action groups have a competitive advantage over society as a whole in bringing about a change. Here is what Chatham Crofoot and Gilby found in an experiment with wild capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus) groups:”Although numerical superiority is assumed to provide a competitive advantage, small groups can generally defend their ranges, even when greatly outnumbered. The prevailing explanation for this puzzling phenomenon is that individuals in relatively large groups experience a greater temptation to flee from conflicts, in effect levelling the balance of power.”

Well this is a very positive perspective for all coworkers and activists!!! But it will not happen by itself. Only collaboration by everybody will make the difference!!! So let us gather strength and resolve for 2012!!! With creativity, fun and lots of positive energy!!!

Here are three projects you can get involved in straight away to make a change: 1. Coworking Radio / Coworking Song 2. “Waste becomes Resource Campaign” (Facebook Group) 3. CoWorking Calendar / Special Dates

We wish you a very happy, very successful and very focussed 2012!!! Together we can make it happen!!!

Is Coworking ready for “Coworking Radio”?

Felix Schürholz — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:34:49 +0000

Inspired by Marit Larsen´s song “If a song could get me you” and my long-held conviction that coworking and radio can benefit hugely from another I like to ask whether 2012 will see “Coworking Radio” come alive? A lot of what coworking has been about up to now passes via written texts (emails, websites etc.) – through an interface that is usually a keyboard. I believe spoken texts, live interviews, music, dancing and singing will be very important aspects of our work to come. In an empathic world we need to exchange more than short text messages and emails. Without the “spoken word and music” enthusiasm for new challenges will be very scarce. States of “Flow” as described by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi currently occur very rarely. We need to activate our voices and bodies to be more productive, more energetic. Our society and our planet needs action now. We need to become whole and happy individuals.

Coworking Radio could be a wonderful tool of cooperation between coworking spaces as well as an excellent marketing opportunity for all coworkers and their projects. Listening to “Coworking Radio” while working, walking, driving, travelling, there could be so much information that could pass at the same time. Radio gives us back a linear quality of consumption of information which is so important for the cohesiveness of a group. I think, we would only need something like 80,000€ to provide Coworking Radio with a three year budget. On a plattform like “Kickstarter” we could set up a project to pledge the money. Please comment and get involved. I pledge the first 100€.

Coworking Spaces: Distributors or Receivers of “Microwork”

Felix Schürholz — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:40:48 +0000

When you sit in a coworking space in the first world, you would rarely think of yourself as a member of a “Digital Factory” (where physical brains are the machines of a linear production process). Even less likely that you would be grateful for this compared to someone in a “Digital Factory” in Haiti carrying out a “Mircowork” job and thereby feeding their family and friends. Leila Janah and Samasource are already changing the lives of people in 6 countries. I think they are also changing our lives in the “first world”. It is time to understand that we are not living on an island. “Microwork” might come your way whether you like it or not. Create the world or the world will create you.

Trends in der Berichterstattung über Coworking in Deutschland und den USA

Felix Schürholz — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:05:27 +0000

Die Berichterstattung ist in diesem Fall, Deutschland (Otto zieht es ins Betahaus, Spiegel Online bzw. Manager Magazin), wie so häufig, etwas distanziert. Man spürt, hier trifft eine etablierte Kultur auf etwas, was sie noch nicht greifen kann. Anders, als die Firma Regus, in den USA, mit ihrer Pressemitteilung vom 7. November 2011, wie der Artikel von Small Business Labs fundiert erläutert. Hier macht man sich einfach “das Neue” zu eigen, um selbst “Neu” zu erscheinen. Meiner Meinung nach ist Coworking jedoch weder hier, noch dort, im Mainstream wirklich angekommen. Dies hat weniger mit der Berichterstattung zu tun, die in den USA vielleicht grundsätzlich etwas offener und optimistischer ist, als bei uns. Vielmehr sind die Produkte und Dienstleistungen der Coworker für den Mainstream bisher nicht sichtbar. Zum anderen ist von Bedeutung, wie der Spiegel Online Artikel zurecht erwähnt, inwieweit sich die etablierten Firmen für diese neue Arbeitswelt öffnen werden. Vieles bewegt sich schon, und ich nehme an, dass wir schon bald noch mehr Konkretes sehen werden.

Object Orange for Coworking?

Felix Schürholz — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:52:28 +0000

Some people believe that an “Object Orange like strategy” could yield more coworking spaces in the world. What do you think?

Steve Jobs made computers fun and cool and thereby made coworking possible

Felix Schürholz — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:03:31 +0000

I believe there is a strong connection and interdependence between coworking and the way Apple made the use of computers fun, aesthetic and user-oriented. When you go into a coworking space you do not want an explanation how things are done. You expect to start straight away without a manual. Follow your intuition and curiosity then things just start rolling. Many coworking spaces are successfully applying this recipe and I believe that it is not a coincidence that many of these people use a computer that was inspired and developed by Steve Jobs and his colleagues. Put your heart or an “Apple” ;-) in your work and things just start to flow. Collaboration needs a sense for and attention to detail, it needs the heart of everyone involved and it needs to be fun. Steve Jobs showed how this could be the foundation of the most successful technology company today. There is a lot we can learn from Steve Jobs and his partners. Stay hungry and foolish, Jobs advised the Stanford Students in 2005 in his famous speech. He could have added, collaborate in a way that is fun and productive. Of course he would have had a coworking space in mind based on the principles and visions that kept him going even in the face of a fatal disease. Thank You Steve Jobs!!! Coworking would not have come about without your visions and products.

To illustrate my point look for example at some of the coworking spaces in Spain, like utopic_US. They embody to me the “Steve Jobs Coworking Feeling”. Not every space has to be like this, but it is certainly an inspiration.

Coworking and Work-Life Balance

Felix Schürholz — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:06:04 +0000

One of the great things when you come back from a holiday is that you are more sensitive and more observant concerning your daily life and routines. Now is a great chance to change and improve small and big aspects in your work and life balance. If you happen to work in a company there is usually very little scope and opportunity for larger changes. If on the other hand you work at home or in a coworking space the largest limiting factor is usually you and your routines. What would you like to change, which aspect of your work-life balance needs more attention?

Working at home this exercise can take a day, for others it might take a week, or even longer. If you have the time, that is fine, but if you need quicker results, consider the “fast track”. Being at home you can feel and search your soul for a long time, but what you will not get is a fast and “multi-dimensional” feedback. Being in a coworking space is completely different. You will get almost instant feedback and not only that you will also get the latest news and, if you care for it, the latest gossip.

Sometimes the feedback will tell you that you are on the right track, sometimes you will find out that you are not. Now, apart from redesigning or rescheduling your plans you might consider getting advice or coaching. You will find that in most coworking spaces there are many consultants and coaches. I, in coworking spaces in Munich for example, offer a decision coaching, if you are unsure which path or option you want to follow. Use the opportunity to meet and talk to your local consultants and coaches. Get to know them and clarify the essence of your problem.

Whatever route you take, make sure that your heart is in it and your energy flows freely.

Project of the Week>>> Joint communication initiative

Felix Schürholz — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 09:50:26 +0000

In relation to our second birthday yesterday and as a general coworking challenge I like to launch the “Joint communication initiative for coworking”. Coworking never sleeps, so it would be very useful to give local coworking correspondents in every time zone access to the CoWorking News site to write and publish their articles. The successful launch of the “Open International CoWorking Calendar” provides a strong argument, that this can work very well.

The reason for choosing the ”Joint communication initiative” as “Project of the Week” for “Week 22″ in 2011: Coworking is about collaboration and communication. In the same way as we change our behaviour from moving out of our home office to a coworking space, we need to change our behaviour from not communicating about our work to communicating about our work. Some people do this by posting on Facebook, Twitter, XING, Linkedin etc. or on their own website. This is good, but we can do much better. We all know that “internet surfing” is not only very time consuming it is also very ineffective. Facebook, Twitter and similar services are ephemeral. Once the news item has fallen of the first page, it is lost for systematic retrieval. CoWorking News with its extensive search function and categories is quite different. It offers an ideal and long lasting database to document coworking activity which the next day remains as coworking history for everyone to see and read.
When we join our communication activities knowledge and information is gathered for all of us. Nothing is lost and can be put to good use.