By some accounts, the number of people who are working remotely has tripled over the last several years. That brings numerous benefits to employees and the companies they work for. Contrary to what many employers believed would be the case before this movement took shape, workers are often more productive when working outside the office than they are otherwise. They certainly experience a greater sense of freedom and satisfaction. Businesses, in turn, reap the rewards of that heightened employee satisfaction and output.
Despite the many benefits, though, having a remote workforce can make team projects a bit more difficult. After all, it’s not easy to bring teams together when their members aren’t even in the same space. That’s where coworking spaces come into play. They give remote workers established places to set up shop and get work done when home or other venues don’t quite suffice. They can be perfect settings for team to get together and collaborate on projects as well.
That being said, teamwork can still be somewhat challenging when coworkers aren’t meeting at the office. It’s not impossible to build effective teams in coworking spaces, though. As you’re considering renting a coworking space near you, think about the following best practices for creating strong teams and ensuring they work effectively.
1) Choose Team Members Wisely
No matter what type of work environment you have or what type of project is at hand, choosing the right team members is the key to success. Teamwork in coworking spaces is no different. In fact, it may even be important in this type of setting. Be sure your team is made up of experts in diverse fields, and make sure those fields are all relevant to the project they’re working on. At the same time, establish a clear hierarchy. Teams are generally only as effective as their leaders. When your team isn’t working at the office, having a strong leader is particularly crucial.
Still, the team leader is only one piece of the puzzle. Other team members need to be employees who are open-minded and willing to listen to their coworkers’ ideas. They also need to be assertive enough to use their own knowledge and skill sets to benefit the team. Those factors will come together to help the team excel on the project and get it done in a timely manner.
2) Create a Clear Timeline
When working outside the office, it’s easy to get sidetracked. That’s especially true when you bring together multiple employees to collaborate on a project. Each one has his or her own ideas about what should go into the project and how it should get done. Each person has his or her own life outside of the project as well.
With that being the case, it’s important to set a clear timeline from the beginning. Make sure everyone is aware of the end goal, but also establish smaller milestones along the way. Ensure everyone is aware of those mile markers as well. That will help keep everyone on track and working toward the same ultimate results.
3) Set the Team Up for Success
Additionally, be sure to set your team up for success from the start. Make sure they have everything they need to get the project done. For one, choosing a coworking space with a flexible layout can be helpful. That’ll allow the team to set up the space in a way that works best for them. It can give them the option of creating their own personal workspaces to make individual contributions to the project as well.
Your team also needs an array of tools to work with in that space. Project management tools are readily available at this point, and each one has its strong suits. Choose one that works best for your team and the project they’re collaborating on. Be sure it allows them to store and share information, edit it, and use outside resources when necessary among other features.
Of course, certain other tools are also essential. Those include the standard basics like pens, sticky notes, physical whiteboards, markers, and the like. If your team needs anything it doesn’t already have on hand, whether it’s a coffee maker or an extra person, don’t hesitate to provide it.
4) Communication Is Crucial
Be sure your team understands the importance of communication as well. No matter how much knowledge your team members have and what they can contribute to the team, if they don’t communicate effectively, the results will be less than satisfactory. Each team member needs to be able to convey his or her ideas clearly and concisely. Active listening is essential. Obviously, everyone isn’t going to agree on everything, but they need to be able to disagree respectfully and work out their differences effectively. With effective communication, you’ll have a stronger team.
5) Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities
Establishing clear roles and responsibilities for each team member and the team as a whole is likewise crucial. On top of that, be sure each person understands his or her role as part of the team. That will guarantee everyone pulls their weight and lives up to your expectations of them. It’ll foster accountability as well.
6) Create an Established Schedule
Having a well-established work schedule is also important. Otherwise, you might have team members coming in late, leaving early, or failing to show up at the coworking space at all. On the other hand, you might have different team members coming in on different days. Either way, it could lead to chaos, confusion, and a complete lack of productivity. Be sure everyone on the team understands when they’re expected to meet at the coworking space, and hold them to that schedule.
7) Constant Feedback
Finally, constant feedback is vital for collaborating on a project in a coworking space. That means listening to feedback from team members regarding what they need from you to be productive. It also means giving the team feedback on their ideas and progress. That ongoing feedback will help keep them on track and ensure the project is completed successfully.
Building Strong, Effective Teams
Remote work is becoming the norm at this point, and it’s expected to become even more common moving forward. Still, teamwork and collaboration on projects is as important as ever. Though building an effective team can be difficult with a remote workforce, coworking spaces can make it simpler. Find the right space for team members to come together and keep the best practices mentioned here in mind to help keep your teams strong and working efficiently.
