Coworking spaces have gained immense popularity in recent years as they allow both groups & individuals to control their surroundings in a workplace. This allows the workspace to become alive with the immense energy of the professionals operating from the coworking space. Coworking spaces are usually curated as per the culture and the free-flowing atmosphere, which is ensured to suit a variety of work mode options.

There has been a considerable increase in the number of independent workers and self-employed professionals in India in the recent years. There has also been a major rise in telecommuting that is facilitating more and more people to work independently from remote locations. This leads to a lot of people working from their residences, coffee shops etc, which eventually results in loneliness & lack of motivation. Humans are social beings and thus they  benefit from working with other people as they are able to socialize & learn a lot of new things.

Around a decade back, few independent and self-employed workers started working from other people’s homes in order to get over the issue of isolation. This eventually become popular and the idea of hiring a space and the initiative of growing a community of independent workers started. This particular unique way of working is newly termed as “coworking”. This is indeed deemed to be different than the traditional meaning of “co-working”. Many dictionaries tend to correct the newer “coworking” to “co-working”. The result is that both of these spellings are literally used to mean the same thing. However, the context is more crucial than the meaning.

Its obvious that instead of defining the coworking spaces, let us understand the underlying values of an ideal coworking space which drives all the benefits for its members by creating a thriving work atmosphere.

The coworking values which create a thriving work atmosphere are discussed below:

• Openness– It is a proven fact that the professionals while working within a community can help in building empathy & trust amongst the members of the community. This is absolutely true for the coworking community. This also leads to openness amongst the members in terms of sharing the know-how, ideas and experience. In an ideal coworking space, both the community and space are open to interaction with the teams operating from the same workplace.
• Accessibility– One of the major characteristics of a great coworking space is that it is accessible 24*7 and the members in a coworking space always have an opportunity of collaborating, connecting and creating while at work and every member is welcome to be an active part of the growing community in the coworking space.
• Collaboration– Being open to new ideas and curious to share information creates synergy. When there are informal brainstorming sessions happening in a coworking space, it leads to new learning and fruitful business collaborations between the coworkers which at times can even develop into partnerships.
• Sustainability– The coworking spaces are affordable and cost-effective. So, the entrepreneurs, freelancers and the other professionals who opt for the coworking space find this to be a sustainable option for sure. The coworking spaces facilitate the members to build a sustainable business as well as help reduce waste and contribute significantly to the environment.
• Community– Every coworking space aims at building an effective community within the coworking space. Being a part of an active community has got several advantages and the members of the coworking space are able to make the most out of it by being a part of a thriving community.

People are found to be much happier operating from coworking spaces as they have an opportunity to belong to a part of a thriving community and also they have a better sense of control operating from the coworking spaces.

To share your views, experiences or queries regarding the coworking spaces, please write to us in the comment box below.