Coworking communities form some of the most diverse, vibrant workspaces in the modern office. Not only do these offices provide businesses with valuable workspace, but they are also great places to network and build teams. In London, where rents can be typically higher, coworking is a flexible solution that can provide a social platform for start-ups and other businesses.
The only problem with coworking is that it can be a very social environment. Furthermore, getting work can be a problem if networking and other social interaction interrupt the natural flow of industry, except there is a way to remain focused in the often-dynamic place called coworking. Mastering the more social aspects of the coworking space is possible and without sacrificing your concentration or ability to work.
Let’s take a closer look at how you can keep your focus and remain on track while working in a coworking space.
Set The Tone Of Conversation
Establish boundaries needed to remain focused. Because of the way the coworking space is designed, professionals flow in and out of the space freely. Moreover, while there are definitive areas to work, the office is usually a shared space with an open plan. Take a look at Servcorp London at http://www.servcorp.co.uk/en/coworking/ to the way a typical office is organised.
One way to avoid being distracted by side conversations and people milling about the office is to clearly establish boundaries that tell people that while you are at the hot desk or other workstation you are unavailable. One way to do this is to establish a pattern of only holding short conversations and then returning to work. Better yet, limiting conversations to small or lunch breaks can set the tone for the types of boundaries you would like to set. The point is to clearly set the type of boundaries that do not offend others but allow you to socially interact with others in the space.
Find Your Space
Another way to find your focus is to work in a place that is not the social hub of the space. Moving away from the more popular work areas can at least provide you with an environment that does invite conversation and a quiet place to work. If working at a hot desk, it might be more difficult, but consider alternating the time that you work in the coworking space to avoid the peak, noisy times. With many coworking spaces adopting a 24/7 format, working very early or very late might be a better solution for keeping your concentration. Another solution might be to rent a dedicated desk or private office for more privacy.
Give Yourself A “To Do” List
To guarantee you complete all of the tasks, write down the major tasks as a reminder to remain on task. If necessary, include a list of objectives that can help you complete these tasks. If anything, the list, when completed, can give are benchmarks of your progress.
Alternate Your Workload
The best concentration killer is burnout. The workspace is a wonderful tool in that it provides businesses with a social outlet within the workspace. As opposed to working full blast every day, consider designating one or two days a week for doing light housekeeping at work. Make and return calls, set appointments and meetings, network in the space, or even attend an event as a part of networking. The point is to spend some time doing work not directly related to your job so that when you do return to your job-related work, you feel refreshed.
Remaining Productive And Focused
The whole purpose of coworking is to provide entrepreneurs with the type of support needed to manage and grow a business. The often-collaborative environment is also one that provides opportunities for camaraderie, but alternatively, this environment can be distracting. To avoid the common malady of being distracted in the workspace, your plan of action should include one of the above suggestions or all of them.