Engaging your workspace members shouldn’t be a source of anxiety, but it’s not rocket science, either. While you might have to experiment a little to find out what makes your client base tick, think of it as a fun social exercise that can add value to your member relationships and engage your on-site management in high-value community-building activities.
Building your workspace community foundations does not have to be stressful. Simply follow these five steps to help grow your member engagement:
1. Appoint an Ambassador
Having an advocate for member activities and events is key. With someone on your team acting as the point person, members will always know where to go when they need to connect or want to find out more about what’s going on in the member community. If you don’t have someone on your team to fill the roll, then look for a member that can fill the roll. The best person for the job should be easy to choose: simply look for the person who is actively tweeting, sharing, posting, starting conversations or coming up with ideas. For a person like this, being the community manager is something they come by naturally. You’ll just be making it official.
2. Plumb your imagination
Ideas, ideas. What makes your community tick? Finding out is easy: circulate a little survey amongst the membership. Do a little casual eavesdropping around the water cooler. Take what others are saying and turn it into something to rally around. Wine tasting, anyone? Sports? Golf? Book club? Host a networking event to get to know everybody and solicit ideas for future get-togethers. Change the theme each time and turn it into something that they’ll look forward to attending every month. The better your members get to know each other, the more it fosters collaboration and community.
3. Ask for opinions
Don’t just take your own word for it, take it to the people: ask your members what they really think about the workspace and encourage them to be candid. If you are able to make changes based on these suggestions, you will always have their respect and admiration. This could be as simple as flowers in the reception area or connecting with a local artist to provide visual appeal. Not all ideas are going to be great or viable, but you might be surprised at what comes out of it.
4. Use digital tools to connect
Give your members a digital forum from which to share ideas, connect and collaborate. This will give your busy members an opportunity to tune in on their own time to share their insights, photos, celebrate wins and connect with other like-minded professionals in a socially collaborative way.
5. Keep in mind
Digital communication works very well, but there is no substitute for honest-to-goodness face time (not the iOS kind). Connecting in the virtual realm should be an extension of your real-world conversations, providing value that goes beyond the in-person relationship. It can deliver a sense of connectedness to members who are only occasionally in the house, but your personal connections should be where it all begins.
Workspace Strategies is the Coworking and Shared Space management and consulting company in the United States. Connecting your real estate with ideas and out-of-the-box approaches to help you grow, they are committed to excellence in development and passionate about connecting.
