Introduce yourself
If you’re brand new to coworking, fantastic! This is your opportunity to be the newbie and go introduce yourself. Remembering when you do so, give people as much information about yourself as you can so they will have more of an opportunity to find common ground and similar interests with you. Soon you’ll find out their job title, family members names, and before you know it you’ll be debating whether Game of Thrones or Vikings is a better TV show (obviously, you’ll agree on Game of Thrones).
Strike up a conversation
If you’re currently in coworking and aren’t sure if you’ve met everyone, simply introducing yourself with a “sorry I didn’t catch your name, there are so many faces to remember all at once”. If you’re not sure what to talk about, guess what; you all have something in common. You’re coworking! Talk about the environment, what you like about the spaces, your opinion on a coworking and virtual offices for example. Or a simple, ‘how long have you worked here?’
Offer advice or knowledge
The mentality in co-working is community-focused, and you’ll get out of it as much as you put in. If someone in your co-working space has a problem or issue, offering advice or support will go a long way to evolving the relationship. A simple 5 minutes of your time might make the world of difference to someone in a pickle, so don’t be afraid to have a quick chat over lunch and help your work friends!
Want to grab a coffee?
So simple. So effective. It’s low cost and low time commitment, and most people genuinely do want a coffee in the morning. This can be as simple asking one of the familiar faces in your shared workspace or on the hot desk next to you if they want to go on a coffee run or if they have 10 minutes to let you pick their brain about the latest project they’ve been working on.
Don’t eat at your desk
You might be busy and it’s easier to eat at your desk, but the lunchroom is buzzing around midday. Just making an appearance, asking how Tom’s going in his business workshops or simply talking about the weather will keep you in the loop.
Attend events
If there are events hosted at your co-working space, say yes! These are a fantastic opportunity to see your usually-busy work neighbours relaxing and having fun. At Waterman, we host regular events to help our tenants do exactly that; build relationships, network, mingle, have a glass of wine and blow off some steam after a busy week!
This may seem like a big list, take them one at a time and watch your network expand and your work friendships flourish! If you aren’t a part of a coworking office yet but suddenly want to, we offer some of the most beautiful shared workspaces and a variety from meeting rooms for hire to hot desks in Melbourne. Visit our website at www.waterman.com.au for more information.
