Member needs vs member wants: lessons for coworking from Nir Eyal

Guest post by DeShawn Brown, CEO Coworks

We are going deep for this one.

Nir Eyal, technologist and author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, has spent years studying human behavior and how technology can influence it.

His work offers valuable insights for anyone trying to shape user behavior, especially when introducing new products or services. As coworking spaces continue to adopt more technology to help streamline operations, engage their members, and improve experiences, it’s important to understand how to do this in a way that doesn’t end up alienating the people you need most.

In his article, “Why Behavior Change Apps Fail to Change Behavior,” Eyal breaks down the psychological principles that often prevent products from driving real behavior change. These same principles are just as valid for coworking and flex communities that adopt technology, from member apps to room booking software.

In the world of software, we call this friction. And you want to avoid it at all costs.

When introducing new tools and systems, it’s crucial to find a balance between what you, as the coworking space operator or community manager, need your members to do and what your members want to do.

Here’s how Eyal’s insights can help coworking space managers create an experience that encourages members to embrace change without feeling like they’re being forced.

When too much tech makes members feel constrained

Coworking space operators constantly face the challenge of introducing new processes and technology without making members feel overwhelmed or restricted. According to Eyal, when people’s autonomy is threatened, they feel constrained by their lack of choices and may resist doing the new behavior. Psychologists call this “reactance.” Originally a term used in electrical work, the behavioral version is just as sparky.

For instance, if you suddenly require all members to use an app for door access, booking spaces, or managing their accounts without offering easy training and onboarding periods of time, you might experience pushback.

People may feel as though they’re being forced to use a system that isn’t their choice. This sense of pressure can lead to frustration, and the very behavior you’re hoping to encourage — seamless use of the new tech — could backfire.

To prevent reactance, give your members options when introducing new technology. If you’re moving to a new check-in system, for example, offer a manual sign-in sheet as a temporary option for those not ready to use the app.

Over time, as they see the benefits and ease of the app, more members may naturally shift to using it. You’re giving them the power to choose, which is critical in reducing resistance.

Help your members feel in control

Eyal’s research shows that to change behavior effectively, products must ensure that users feel in control. People are more likely to adopt a new service or tool when they want to use it — not when they feel like they have no other option. In a coworking space, the same applies to the tools and services you offer.

When rolling out new software or processes, emphasize the benefits for your members. What’s in it for them? Show them how the app or system will make their lives easier, whether it’s booking a conference room in seconds or easily updating their membership details, or accessing a door with their phone. Instead of framing the new system as a “must-do” or a requirement, help members feel like they’re opting in because it improves their experience in your space.

For example, let’s say you’ve introduced a space management app that allows members to book desks or rooms more efficiently. Rather than simply telling them, “You have to use this app to book stuff,” communicate how this app gives them more control over their experience: faster booking, fewer conflicts over space usage, and the ability to plan their workdays better. This sense of autonomy can make the transition smoother.

Avoid creating “haftas”

One of Eyal’s key points is that trying to create entirely new behaviors is tough. These actions often feel like “haftas,” or actions members have to take, rather than choices. Eyal himself talks about a diet-tracking app that asks people to count calories, and how it felt alienating as someone who isn’t used to tracking their food intake. Similarly, in coworking, introducing a completely new, unfamiliar system without consideration for existing habits can lead to frustration.

Let’s take the introduction of a member app that tracks how long a person has spent in the coworking space. While it may provide useful data for operators, it can feel invasive to members who are not accustomed to such detailed tracking. This type of tool may create resistance because it doesn’t align with the member’s existing behaviors or routines.

Instead of focusing on completely new behaviors, try to build on habits that your members already have. If they’re used to swiping their key cards to enter the building, a simple extension of that behavior could be tapping their phone instead. By linking the new behavior to an existing one, you’re reducing the chance that members will feel like they’re being forced into a whole new way of doing things.

Make your members’ existing behaviors easier to do

Eyal suggests that the best way to change behavior is not by forcing entirely new actions but by making existing behaviors easier. When products or systems make a familiar routine simpler or more rewarding, users are more likely to choose the new, improved option.

For coworking communities, this might look like making it easier to book a meeting room online, rather than relying on a first-come, first-served or email only basis. If members already have a habit of reserving rooms, streamlining that process with a tech solution that eliminates the hassle can feel like a natural upgrade. Members will see the new system as enhancing their existing routines rather than creating new, burdensome steps.

Incorporating technology into day-to-day operations can sometimes feel like adding layers of complexity. But by focusing on how technology can simplify members’ lives, you can encourage them to adopt it more willingly.

Build on your members’ existing routines

Finally, Eyal points out that solutions are more likely to succeed when they cater to existing routines. Once you’ve made small changes, you can gradually introduce more complex actions over time, helping members adopt new habits in a way that feels natural rather than forced.

In the context of coworking, this might involve starting with something small, like introducing a mobile app for members to manage their bookings. Once they’re comfortable with that, you can add more features, like tracking usage patterns or unlocking doors via the app. The key is to build on what they’re already doing, so they don’t feel overwhelmed by too many changes at once.

Nir Eyal’s principles offer valuable lessons for the coworking space operators and community managers who are trying to strike the right balance between what they need members to do and what members want to do.

By focusing on autonomy, simplicity, and alignment with existing behaviors, you can introduce technology in a way that feels empowering, not overwhelming. As these member-driven spaces continue to evolve, finding that balance will be essential to keeping members engaged and happy while ensuring that your space runs efficiently.

About the Author:
DeShawn Brown is a seasoned entrepreneur and technologist with a degree in Computer Science Engineering from North Carolina State University. He has founded several tech startup companies, including Lithios Apps and Coworks, a fast growing proptech platform for flex space management and coworking.

DeShawn is a Google For Startups BFE 2018 Alum and Coworks is a Techstars-backed company ATL 2019. He has been on the stages of the Global Workspace Association, the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, and Internet of Things, among others. As a future-forward thinker, he is on a journey to push the limits of our society and create products that make a difference in people’s lives.

About Coworks:
Coworks is the only community-first platform with a mission to create a delightful experience for members and managers alike. With booking, billing, member directory, embedded forms, reporting, and resources, Coworks delivers automation, optimization, and engagement. The platform is designed for traditional coworking, enterprise flex space, incubator and entrepreneurship centers, social clubs, makerspaces, and other niche community operations.