Working in a coworking space with your team is great. There is a constant exchange of ideas, tremendous opportunities for networking, and — on the more practical side of things — less maintenance costs to mind every month. All these considered, there are some challenges, too. For example, what about team culture? Does it thrive or strive in a shared workplace?

Come to think of it, does team culture even matter? The short answer is yes. Continue reading to learn more about why culture is important and how you can create and cultivate a strong team culture in a coworking environment.

WHAT’S TEAM CULTURE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

A lot of things. In the most basic sense, culture does the following to any organization:

• It helps everyone get along with each other;

• It motivates team members to perform well; and

• It can attract top talent to work with your team.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these benefits to understand why culture matters.

Culture turns an organization into a community

Team culture is an integral part of your organization’s identity. Most importantly, it actually does more than helping everyone get along. With the right ingredients, you can transform the workplace into a close-knit community — the kind where your employees feel like they belong.

Culture can bring out the best in everyone in your organization. And when your employees feel a deep sense of acceptance and belonging by being part of a team, their performance and productivity are positively affected.

What if the situation is reversed? Let’s say an organization has a culture of general mistrust and a laser-sharp focus on weakness. This can breed an environment where, instead of collaborating, teammates compete with each other in an unhealthy manner. The attrition rate will be high, and this can lead to people quitting and seeking greener pastures.

Culture can build a set-up that helps everyone succeed

Earlier, we mentioned that a good company culture can lead to increased productivity and better performance from your employees. This is because with culture, you can shape an environment where everyone can grow and succeed. Gallup calls this setting a “culture of engagement.”

In this kind of workplace, insights and ideas from employees are valued. They can also easily identify opportunities for growth and are probably occupying well-suited positions in the organization.

From here, it’s a domino effect. Engagement, avenues for growth, and being placed in compatible positions increase employees’ sense of belonging and excitement. These bolster productivity and performance and, finally, increase revenue by up to 33 percent.

Culture helps create a better team

If you’re constantly on the lookout for talented professionals to join your team, culture can help you achieve your goal. Not only does it keep your employees happy, motivated, and engaged, it also makes them the most reliable and effective brand ambassadors your organization can ever have.

Since they have first-hand experience on what it’s like to be a part of your team, happy employees are more likely to recommend your company to trusted friends, loved ones, and other acquaintances. And even if referrals are not always the perfect fit, 71 percent of professionals use such windows to explore other job opportunities in the organization. Your company is already on their radar. When the time is right, they’ll knock on your door again.

Having a strong and engaging culture in the workplace is also a magnet for young professionals for a variety of reasons. Interest and willingness to invest in their talents and expertise is one, and their alignment with your company’s mission, vision, and values is another. You can even use culture as a means to identify high-talent professionals from the pool of existing employees and applicants.

According to Gallup, less-talented individuals are more concerned about the transactional aspect of working for a company such as pay and benefits. There is nothing wrong with this as culture can’t feed a family or finance personal endeavors. High-talent individuals, however, also express interest about company values (and their own), personal growth, and creating lasting impact inside and outside the organization.

CREATING AND KEEPING A STRONG CULTURE IN A COWORKING PLACE

What happens to culture if you move or set up your team in a shared working environment? It can definitely grow, for sure, but not without challenges. Perhaps the hardest hurdle to overcome is the clash of cultures— between your team’s, the coworking space’s, and all the other contractors you share the space with.

In this clash of cultures, several outcomes can happen.

First, your employees might find themselves relating more to the coworking space’s culture than your own. Second, some of your employees can feel lost in a sea of personalities, missions, and values that they might feel like they are on their own instead of being part of an organization.

Third, other companies might influence your team’s culture. This becomes a challenge when you find your company at the receiving end of negative influences. Instead of inspiration, there might be some envy and unjust comparisons (i.e. your team is boring and not as fun, etc.), as well as annoyance towards other companies (i.e. they’re too loud, etc.)

The only way to overcome these challenges is to have a strong team culture and to maintain it, even as you move your team out of the shared workspace and expand your company. Here are several things you can do to establish and strengthen your team culture in the coworking space.

1. Make your company’s mission, vision, and values the backbone of your team’s culture

At the very heart of every “winning” culture is the organization’s mission, vision, and values. If your company doesn’t have these yet, now is the perfect time to sit down and start writing.

Begin with your company’s mission statement. Keep it short (one paragraph should suffice), summarizing your organization’s values and philosophy. What is your company all about? Follow this up by the vision, which reiterates your company’s goals and how your organization hopes to achieve these.

You can support these statements by enumerating your company’s values.

2. Insert some workplace branding in your company’s designated area

One of the most visible ways to distinguish your company from your neighbors in the coworking space is by personalizing your team’s designated workspace. Dress up the area in company colors, make sure your company’s logo is visible in key spots, and remind your team about the company’s values through customized décor.

If the coworking space where you’re renting doesn’t allow this level of customization, you can still remind your employees that they’re part of your company through the little details. Company logo stickers on laptops and other workspace items, such as pads of paper, pens, and cups let you flaunt your company’s branding without disrupting office rules.

Work freebies in your company colors or with the logo also boost branding and culture. Hoodies, jackets, and throw blankets are practical items, especially if the management of the coworking space likes to keep the temperature cool. Water bottles emblazoned with your company’s tagline can also be taken anywhere, increasing your company’s exposure.

Lastly, give your employees free rein to decorate their own workspaces as they see fit. Let their individual personalities shine!

3. Make collaboration a part of your company’s regular routine

Keep all members of your team in the loop by regularly scheduling small meetings and brainstorming sessions. Everyone can also use this time to catch up on each other and just chat.

Your team can do so much in an hour. You can allow 30 minutes for casual chatter so your employees can bond, then reserve the other half for actual work, such as announcements, updates on projects, and whatnot. By dividing the time, you also help make the productive part of the meeting more focused and streamlined.

Aside from team meetings, set some time aside for one-on-one meetings. Through this, you’ll open lines of communication with your team members and make them feel like they can talk to you about anything. Hear their ideas, ask for their opinions— these will make them more engaged with the team. And as we’ve established earlier, engaged employees make a better and more productive workforce.

4. Participate in coworking events and other occasions

It’s common for many coworking spaces to constantly host events, from talks and seminars to mixers and movie nights. Take advantage of these events! Bring the rest of the team so they can learn new things, get to know one another, network with other professionals in the coworking space, and increase brand exposure.

Don’t just stop with participating in these coworking events. Have your team host a couple, as well! Share your company’s products and services to neighboring companies and showcase the skills and expertise of your talented team by having them talk during these events.

5. Organize outings outside of work

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. The same can be said about your employees. Get to know one another, open doors for more engagement, and make your team feel closer than ever by organizing fun activities outside of the workplace.

If your employees love to drink, why not invite them to a bar after work for some happy hour frivolities? Do they love karaoke? Maybe you can make Friday night karaoke a thing. Team lunches and dinners, with the conversation free of work, are also simple and easy ways to foster team spirit and keep the company culture alive and thriving.

You can also go beyond the after-hours activities and organize team-building activities, which can take place over the weekend. Treat your team. Take them out of town for some recreation and relaxation. Play team games, from sports to card games, and organize other small activities so you and the rest of the team can bond without the pressures of work.

For activities outside of work, prohibit any talk of work and make sure to enforce this strictly. Encourage your employees to get to know each other, as they definitely have more things in common than just work projects or having you as their boss.

6. Make the most out of social apps

Communication can be a challenge in a shared work environment. It’s either the neighboring companies that are too loud, or your team is the one that is disrupting the peace. The layout given to your team might not also be conducive for regular, face-to-face communication, which makes it even harder to talk to each other.

These reasons are why you should introduce a social app to the team. Everyone can set up different channels, with some dedicated solely for work to keep everyone in the loop, one for general announcements, and one for non-work-related chatter.

Social apps like, Bitrix24, Workplace by Facebook, Google Hangouts, and Cisco Spark also help enormously in cases when some of your employees are working remotely.

If you don’t want to rely on social apps for constant communication and exchange of ideas, consider propping up an idea board somewhere in your company’s dedicated space.

7. Don’t forget to celebrate wins

Keep the team morale high and the momentum going by celebrating wins, which you can do through a number of things. You can announce team and individual accomplishments through email blasts and on the company’s social app.

Goals achieved and stellar performances can also be displayed at various points within the company’s designated workspace. You can also treat the entire team for their accomplishments by taking them out to lunch or dinner.

8. Keep everyone challenged

Set team goals each week and keep them prominently displayed in your company’s work area. If your team uses apps like Trello and MeisterTask, you can also post the weekly and monthly goals online.

Another way to keep everyone challenged is to create little side projects and open these up for volunteers. Doing so will help nurture a culture of collaboration, innovation, and creativity. You will also be able to identify opportunities for growth for your employees.

Looking for coworking spaces in the Philippines where you can nurture a strong team culture? LOFT might just be the place. Talk to us today to find space for your team.