February 20, 2024
By Maryann Baldwin, The Works Business Coach and SBDC Counselor
Sure, The Works offers a Coworking space for freelancers, entrepreneurs, remote workers, dreamers, visitors and the like. But what does that really mean? Did you know that Coworking, with a capital “C”, is actually a movement? That there are literally thousands of coworking communities around the world? And that there is a manifesto that the industry revolves around that states our hopes and ambitions for what these spaces can make possible?
This month, we are celebrating what puts the “CO” in Coworking - we want you and others to “come CO with us,” and we want you to know what that really means. We embrace all the “CO” words in our mission to spark community and economic growth in our rural communities:
Collaborate
Community
Co-create
Cooperate
Collective
Coherence
What other CO words can you think of?!
You can read the entire Coworking Manifesto here, but in a nutshell, it embodies all the COs listed above, and these specific values:
collaboration over competition
community over agendas
participation over observation
doing over saying
friendship over formality
boldness over assurance
learning over expertise
people over personalities
"value ecosystem" over "value chain"
We believe that no idea is silly, but sometimes getting silly with an idea can help bring something valuable to life! If you see something in the way of a need or an opportunity in the world around you, it’s likely there’s the seed of something there to explore and to get curious about. Coworking is certainly all about getting things done, but it’s also about fostering a community where we can:
get curious
explore ideas
test out a hunch
share an idea and hear from others
discover where you can take that silly idea if it’s something that lights you up and speaks to your values and passion
The Works, and yours truly, the founder, creator and owner of The Works, collectively are committed to upholding this Coworking Manifesto and all the values and aspirations it embodies.
So many good things have happened in our bright little spot in the heart of Lansing, along the Mississippi River, and we can’t wait to see what the next 3 years have to offer!
Want to be part of our movement? Schedule a Discovery Call today and learn how we might help to inspire you!