What to learn from an open workspace
By: Trinh Tran
Tags: Coworking, Design, Volunteer, Team, Diversity

More and more corporations are redesigning their office spaces. Cubicles and private desks are gradually replaced with sofas, shared desks and chairs, so offices get more open for collaboration and interaction. In 2015 Samsung spent millions of dollars on constructing its headquarter in the Silicon Valley. Executives hoped for more mix-and-mingle chances among workers when they placed a shared lobby between the floors. Why is such a giant in technology like Samsung pursuing a tentative open community model for their workspace? Let’s find out by having a look look at how great such a workspace can be.

Open up your plan, open up your future

Have you ever wondered about the rapid growth and surprising creativity of startups? Their workspace is one part of the answer. The idea behind it is that, everyone finds their own seat and sits next to whomever may help them. Subsequently, we can learn what we don’t know yet from our colleagues. This contributes to boosting the collaboration, productivity and even creativity. Because “two heads are better than one”.

The Shortcut Lab offers a collaborative workspace where you can learn, test your ideas and give a hand to a likewise-minded community

An open space helps out a lot in decreasing people’s aversion to stressful hierarchy offices. The workspace is not only for now but also the future. It is for us — adventurers in our entrepreneurial journey — to come and learn. It is, in fact, a community. The idea behind it is that we are all driven by common passion. When an idea pops up, we learn how to develop it, and make it happen. Then all entrepreneurial minds can create strong connections and we can engage in a real hub.

Energy is an epicenter

The energy in an open space comes from the team. We cannot deny the power of team building. No one ever wants to work among strangers and go home alone. The need for enjoying informal interaction is real. We can strengthen our team with lunches, small talks, or even outside activities. They are great opportunities for the whole team to collide and build up a contributive image of a real workspace. Subsequently, we give a hand to the community we are in.

On the other side, openness does not necessarily mean a total mash up. When we share a desk or a couch with our colleagues, we may feel that we are losing our privacy. Then it is about time that we put on our headphone and find our private corner. This is effective in relaxing and re-charging after a long period of talks and interactions.

Privacy in an open plan is necessary as well

Each of us will make it a real open space

There is one more thing to learn from startups: hierarchy does not really exist. Instead, all are welcome and there is no discrimination. No matter if you are a trainee, a student who just gets started with entrepreneurship or a refugee who is interested in kicking off your idea — you are equal to anyone else. Everyone has their own voice. Openness only exists when people can feel it.

The Shortcut Lab is for everyone.

Volunteer meeting is fun at The Shortcut.

Don’t forget about meetings! Meetings are usually perceived as a formal conference with laptops, screens, and serious faces. It might seem like you’re wasting time and only get stressed out. But if you open up your meetings to everyone and encourage the team to speak up about their ideas, you can get so much more out of it.

At the volunteer meetings at The Shortcut everyone is welcome to share their ideas and dive deeply in the organisation. All the peers are encouraged to take over the role of the host to create an interactive atmosphere. Laptops get shut down. Volunteers gather at the couch, start the conversation and soon it feels as if a group of friends is sharing stories.

An open community workspace benefits you and your future more than you expect. It is more than a creative physical place. It is a community where you are trained, you are learning and you feel welcome and can engage. Your presence there is meaningful. Last but not least, you are a part of the community. You empower it, contribute to it and build it as a hub where people share the same values as you.