Day 29, the finish line is always within grasp, just one more day to go. Although, I must say, habits do form and much quicker than I initially thought they would.
It’s likely that I will continue with most of the 8 challenges beyond tomorrow and I already have some new challenges in the pipeline.
So today’s picture is of one of the chalk boards that we have at the hub to advertise events coming up, this particular one is a comedy & networking evening on 22nd October (shameless plug!).
My thoughts today turn again to co-working, which in itself is not a new thing, nor is collaboration. The whole concept of co-working, however, is evolving and it’s rapid rise globally is a reaction to a desire to have a real alternative to corporate world, to the isolation of working solo at home and to the cost of an office.
However, co-working is perhaps the wrong term, as really just working in the same physical space with other unrelated people, is not what it is about for me.
The fact is, humans are social animals and in order to thrive, be happy and in a good physical and mental state, we need to be around and interact with others.
So just working together is not it, it is interacting and building a community together, an eco-system, where the exchange is not simply chit-chat. The exchange must be social capital in order for co-working to be what it really should be.
It’s about using the physical space to create a social capital exchange, where both parties benefit from sharing and helping each other for no initial financial gain. The money will come, as the community becomes stronger and when the need arises. The needs will arise though as you will get to meet, like, know and trust others.
The corporate world is failing and is in decline, co-working is rising, but has yet to evolve as the solution. The solution lies in the meshing together of the evolving sharing economy and the old corporate world. They both need each other. Co-working is the catalyst for change.
Philip Dodson 