How much knowledge is in the room?
BAD COMPANY EST.2017
The answer is lots—lots and lots and lots. The real question is, how do we capture and use that knowledge? The most valuable asset in a co-working space is the collective knowledge of the room. Bad Company is a goldmine of freelancers, entrepreneurs, consultants and professionals from various industries, each armed with unique skills and insights waiting to be untapped.
A few weeks ago, one of our Baddies had broken a desk. The desk went down, but it did not go up. It's awkward for a business with “sit/stand desks'' plastered all over the website. No jokes, 2 hours later, I was standing at my desk and pulled my power cord out, and it broke. With the death of two desks in two hours, I went from “fine” to gutted real quick. After two weeks of standing, someone noticed and asked how I managed to stand so much. With my strong honesty policy, I told him about the desk-breaking saga. And with no word of a lie, our resident IT consultant said, “Oh, you just need to reset them. This is how you do it.” He used to work for a company that distributed desks—boom, knowledge in the room.
How do we capture this knowledge? Once upon a time, I was in a training role and in an attempt to get all the knowledge out of the room, I would ask, “How much does this cow weigh?” Some people guessed 200kgs and others 2000kgs. With all the answers written on Post-It notes and averaged, the weight was only a few kgs off the actual weight. Participants were always surprised by how close the collective got to the cow's weight. Again, knowledge in the room.
Short of getting a CV from everyone to understand their work experience or putting out Post-Its to help you solve an insurmountable problem, here are some ways we encourage our members to capture the knowledge when working in a co-working space:
Embrace Networking Opportunities: It’s simple - "know your tribe people" – understanding and connecting with those (a desk away) who resonate with your goals and values can be immensely rewarding. At Bad Company, we're all about fostering connections and growth. Our members not only participate in networking events but also take the lead and host their own. Whether it's putting the kettle on for not just yourself or suggesting a lunchtime panel discussion, our community is always open to your business taking the stage. So, don't hesitate to step forward and create opportunities for collaboration and mutual support within the crew!
Engage in Knowledge Sharing: This happens a lot for us on our FB messenger chat. When you sign up with BC you get welcomed onto the private group which fosters everything from run groups and flatmate searches to service recommendations. I don't think we've had a query go unanswered! Within our culture there are others who have navigated similar challenges or achieved goals you also aspire to reach. Let's not reinvent the wheel, people. Sharing is caring and it's how we do best.
Utilise Shared Resources: Simply book (via our APP) a meeting room or go casual on it and workshop / hold discussions in communal areas. You never know who you might meet or what insights they could offer. Building genuine relationships with the community and trusting in the spontaneous encounter. You never know when it can lead to valuable collaborations, mentorships or referrals.
“Within our vibrant ecosystem of knowledge, creativity, and opportunity here, we believe that collaboration fuels innovation…”
Within our vibrant ecosystem of knowledge, creativity, and opportunity here, we believe that collaboration fuels innovation, and being part of a coworking space unlocks the collective wisdom in the room. From networking opportunities to knowledge sharing and utilising shared resources, we're all about turning potential into purpose, together.
Written by: Belinda Williams
Bad Company’s 1st Franchisee
Hastings, Hawkes Bay. 2023
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