Co-working spaces encourage business innovation – but that’s not enough

By: Anne-Laure McLeman
Tag(s): Workplace
Published: Dec 06, 2019
Co-working spaces encourage business innovation – but that’s not enough

We're entering an "entrepreneurial age". Millennials – now the largest segment of the population – are much more likely than previous generations to start their own businesses or join small start-ups rather than seek the security of working for a big employer.

A wave of new shared office space is springing up to support this entrepreneurial boom. In places like Second Home in Spitalfields, entrepreneurs can mingle over free tea and coffee at a central bar, perform daily meditation sessions together in a dedicated area, or glance up from their desks to view their counterparts though the transparent plastic walls that divide the space. 

All of this is designed to foster "creative collisions" within a community of like-minded people, according to Second Home's founders. Even big companies are moving teams into these venues, hoping to cash in on the innovation that is supposed to flow from them. But Dr Carl Frey, an expert on technology and employment at the University of Oxford, warns that: "A co-working space alone is not enough to drive innovation; the key aspect is, and always will be, people."

In other words, promoting chance meetings over macchiatos or after yoga classes is not enough. People need tools, such as Google Workspace, that let them collaborate over the longer term, so that they can develop and deliver on those initial bright ideas. That means, for example, being able to simultaneously comment on and edit shared documents, hold immediate video meetings with partners on three continents without special equipment, or quickly build apps that improve interactions with customers. And you can do all of that without moving into a co-working space: today's social media tools make it easier than ever to find like-minded people without needing to bump into them in real life.

Of course, this isn't news to us here at Ancoris. Helping our customers become more creative, innovative and successful is what we do, by giving their people the tools to let them really connect – with each other, with partners and with customers – to change the way they work. All without a free coffee bar or meditation zone in sight.

If you would to to find out how we can help you to create a more collaborative and connect workforce, come and talk to our digital transformation experts. We can advise you on how to create a digital workplace fit for all employees.

 

Contact our Google Workspace experts

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