The sense of community, human connections and its impact at co-working spaces

Technological advances have transformed where, when, and how people work.

We are a generation that believes in the power of community. From the basic, almost inherent need for human connection - be it professional or social - community is the driving force in creating a dynamic environment. This is primarily because this generation is seeing a major shift in the way one works and lives.

Technological advances have transformed where, when, and how people work. As the world becomes a more digital place, we cannot forget about the human connection. Today, that human connection, the people, the culture and the community form the lifeblood of the future of work.

In its analysis of ‘Why co-working is the future of work’, JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), an American professional services and investment management company, mentions that individuals today look to collaborative spaces to be a part of something bigger. This is where the power of community comes into play - to motivate one to innovate, to sustain a strong common culture, and to drive productivity and collaboration. This is also why, at WeWork, community is the lifeline for our members’ success. We truly believe that ‘We’ is greater than ‘me’.

A strong community offers its members a sense of belonging, and an opportunity for personal and professional development. An interactive member network not only fosters a culture of knowledge transfers, but also offers the scope for cultivating new skill-sets, and avenues for successful collaborations. The potential of developing new connections has also emerged as one of the primary reasons why people move to work in a shared/collaborative space.

Several studies (The London School of Economics, for instance) have consistently identified rich social bonds and meaningful relationships as the originator of happiness. Being a part of such strong communities helps build those relationships in a faster, more scalable way. To facilitate this, our community team goes the extra mile to cultivate a unique experience that meets the needs of each member.

Working within a community truly helps leverage the network of its people for marketing one’s own products and services, and build meaningful networks. It is no surprise then that globally 70% WeWork’s members have collaborated and 50% have done business together.

Collaborative spaces are redefining success as measured by personal fulfilment. They are made up of like-minded professionals from different industries and backgrounds, thus providing an avenue to work in tandem and learn from one another. They offer members high-quality and world-class spaces, use technology to understand how space can be utilized more efficiently, and most importantly, encourage collaboration by bringing passionate people together.

What all great collaborative spaces must keep in mind is that strong communities help build strong businesses. Thus, the greatest resource for such a space is the network of businesses that come to occupy them – and the greatest aim, therefore, must be to act as a platform for each and every creator, brand and business, in order to amplify the professional and social connections amongst these businesses.

That is when the magic happens. Community is the most meaningful differentiation for a collaborative workspace. When members feel that they belong to a group that can grow stronger by working together, dynamic connections form to help those companies change the world in their own special way.

Ryan Bennett is Co-CWeO, WeWork India

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