Daily Buzz: Coworking’s Cultural Problems

Bringing an office full of people, or even just a few, into a coworking space may sound like a good way to boost your team’s creativity and collaboration. That’s one reason why coworking is expected to survive even as its big players struggle.

But coworking can complicate cultural cohesion, according to CMSWire contributor Kaya Ismail  (opens in a new tab).  “The problem is that there are many companies, teams, and independent contractors at coworking spaces that have vastly different goals,” he writes. And as Kenny Trinh, CEO and managing editor of Netbook News  (opens in a new tab), told Ismail, “When in a coworking space, it’s much more likely that your culture will be influenced by other companies as well.”

And that makes building a strong culture that’s specific to your organization particularly important when coworking is involved.  “If you don’t fight to build a strong company culture from day one, the lack of unity will lower team morale and productivity in the long run,” Ismail writes.

So employers that use coworking spaces need to strike a balance.  “Building a distinct company culture is essential, but remote employees will value freedom and the local community as well,” he adds.

Played-Up Privacy

At Apple, privacy is built into everything we make. You decide what you share, how you share it, and who you share it with. Here’s how we protect your data. https://t.co/TSJg1bJlAn  (opens in a new tab)

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 6, 2019  (opens in a new tab)

Do you put your privacy policy on a little-read part of your site, where users only occasionally stumble on it? Apple took the opposite approach this week, launching a new privacy section  (opens in a new tab) with detailed, well-organized discussions about how the company protects customer data.

If you’re looking for a way to demonstrate how seriously you take user data, Apple offers a good example.

Other Links of Note

Feel like you never have enough time? As Fast Company notes  (opens in a new tab), the problem may be that you’re trying to do too much.

Pricing your event isn’t a science, but you might occasionally need some pointers. Eventbrite’s guide to pricing strategy  (opens in a new tab) offers quite a few.

The upcoming holiday break could be a great time for your members to take advantage of the learning opportunities you offer. WBT Systems recommends promoting a “professional development day  (opens in a new tab).”

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