The Types of Members You’ll Find in a Shared Workspace

The Types of Members You’ll Find in a Shared Workspace

Coworking spaces are  magical places. With an extensive variety of professions and personalities, it’s easy to start sorting members into categories. With more and more people choosing to use shared workspaces every day, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to introduce you to some of the personality types you might find in a coworking space!

The Newbie

We’ve all been here. It’s daunting walking into a shared space. You can’t help but feel like everyone else is on a different level. You sit quietly trying to be discreet and invisible as possible – which sadly just makes your presence all that more noticeable! You’re scared to make yourself a coffee and you question whether the jar of biscuits labeled “help yourself” actually means you can help yourself. But this stage doesn’t last long, and eventually we can identify you as one of the other personality types you’ll find in a coworking space.

The Social Butterfly

Always huddling by the coffee machine, these members will use any excuse to include everyone in conversations about new local coffee shops and weekends away. With a break in conversation, the social butterfly is waiting for their next phone call or breaking up their work with a strategic question that will surely result in a thirty minute conversation that gets them to lunch. These are the members who bring that bubbly community vibe we love!

The Introvert
Coworking spaces might not seem like the ideal environment for introverts, and we understand why! It’s a common fear of the introverted among us that coworking spaces are all small talk and unscheduled disruptions. In reality coworking spaces are like the love child of a caffeine-fueled office and a cozy library. You get to work alongside other people without actually having to interact with them… unless you want to, of course. These members can usually be found hiding in the strategically designed quiet corners, or constantly wearing headphones to give the social butterflies a subtle hint!
The Full-time Parent/Part-time Member

Racing in the door with four bags in tow, the full time parent finds a desk and begins to unpack. Not five minutes after their fingers hit their keyboard, a loud ringtone indicates their professional intentions are short lived. Out the door almost as fast as they entered, these members are gone in a glimpse to pick up their third sick child from daycare this week. Hopefully next week is the week for productivity! Their resilience and dedication does not go unnoticed.

The Entrepreneur

These are the YES members. Business owners and creators with a need for professional excitement! With a 1:30PM-2:30PM gap in their planner, a gap in the market has become their next business venture that will have them cursing their inability to use the word no. However, without them, who would we look to for motivation and a kick up the back side when we’re slacking off?

The Networker

One of the many perks of a coworking space is the range of occupations you will find under the one roof. And what better place for someone who strives to reach their goal of three professional connections per day than here! These members are known for accepting any form of work related collaboration, they’re the first ones to plug their business, and even have prime real estate on the overflowing business card table. Ever in need of a certain service, don’t fret! These guys are a walking member catalog and will have you connected in no time.

The Member who is Part of the Furniture

No matter what time of day you come in, this member is always here. Do they ever sleep? Do they believe in holidays? Is that the shirt they wore yesterday… have they been here all night?! These members make total use of their memberships, all the perks, and the 24/7 access. On the off chance they aren’t in one day, their absence does not go unnoticed and something feels slightly wrong. The staff members love these members, they are guaranteed company every day!

The Ghost

You never see these members but yet small hints tell you they’re always here. Maybe it’s a coffee cup when you arrive in the morning, or a monitor screen moved from one end of one desk to the other. This member seems like a myth to many of us and when we do see them, it’s definitely fleeting.

The Early Bird

As you walk in the door at 8:59am this member is set up, coffee in hand, ready to work! In fact, they’ve been here since 7am and have already managed to complete half of their tasks for the day. They’ll make sure to tell you just how much of an early start they had, possibly beginning with a sunrise swim, followed by a large swig of some green smoothie that gives them all of the vitamins and minerals they need for a productive day! Let’s be honest – we wish we were them.

The DJs Worst Nightmare

Requests make up 80% of this member’s personality! Unique snacks, the newest milk alternative, the AC set to 21.5 Degrees with a minimal fan. Sometimes it may seem they haven’t clued onto the co element of co-working – but in reality they’re probably just asking for what every other member desires.

The Member who Understands Balance!

Sticking to a strict schedule, this member is in at 9am and out by 5pm. Their weekends consist of a muted phone and a whole lot of family time. Lunch time rolls around and you won’t catch them dead shoving a sandwich in their mouth while on a last minute zoom meeting. Instead they’re using their break to soak up some sun while listening to the last half of their favourite podcast! We can all dream.

 

Our members here at WorkLife make each day different and enjoyable. Without each and every one of the above types, we wouldn’t have the thriving and diverse community we do at all of our spaces.
Did you see yourself in any of these member types? We would love to hear how you identified and whether you have any others we may have missed!

Let us know here!

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