I hope that you had a chance to read the recent article on coworking in IEDC's EDnow newsletter (It's only available to members, so if you are an IEDC member, you can grab it here). It goes into some depth on the phenomenon of coworking and what it means to economic development. If you don't already understand the concept of coworking, you can learn more by reading the article, checking out Deskmag, attending the Global Coworking Unconference Conference (shameless plug: I'll… Read More »
Yes, Marissa hit the panic button, and Yahoo’s new ban on “working from home” has ignited a huge firestorm from a long-smoldering debate over how to manage worklife balance and workplace productivity. However, pitting working from home against working from a central headquarters office misses the point. Neither the home office nor the centralized HQ is the complete answer anymore. Worklife, has become infinitely more interesting and requires a more thoughtful approach, since knowledge workers now choose how, when and… Read More »
Corporate leaders have started to pay attention to the buzz and research around culture and employee engagement, as they are seeing that these are critical to attracting and retaining talent, and they have a direct connection to their bottom line. The realization is that the sea of cubicles is not quite conducive to deep employee engagement and it’s time to evolve the open office space concept to fit a more dynamic digital economy. Most research happening around workspace design, collaboration… Read More »
ONE of the most crucial elements of a successful co-working space is the design. Like the people who use the environment, it needs to be flexible, fluid and creative. Still, it is a constant work in progress as the community moulds the physical surroundings from the inside out and it can be rearranged as needs change. Seven years’ experience has proven there are some key ideas that enhance the collaborative environment. This video, created by head architects of The Hub… Read More »
WHAT if you could be a co-worker and creative social innovator outside of the usual metropolitan mould? By taking the spirit of collaboration and the principal of co-working to regional communities, opportunities are injected into the equation, not removed. Traditionally the progressive business and entrepreneurial world has considered cities as meccas for the birth and development of new projects. Yet taking these people, ideas, attitudes and concepts to a country environment can be twice as beneficial. First by providing a… Read More »
The coworking movement has survived it's infancy, learned to walk and talk, enjoyed the freedom of childhood, and now sits somewhere in its young adult phase. The individualism of childhood fades as teens begin to run in packs, so excited to have found others like themselves. At that stage, you bond by defining what you are not, i.e. "we are not a typical office", and rebelling against difference in others, I.e. "that place is not a 'real' coworking space". At… Read More »
