Coworking Champions

Becoming a champion is a very special opportunity. Not everyone working in a shared workspace has the enthusiasm and skills that it takes to accomplish the tasks of champions, who must be highly motivated individuals with great communication skills, ease in interacting with both members internally and the public externally, and a high level of organizational skills as well.

Champions are the “faces” or “points of contact” in shared workspaces–the primary people responsible for ensuring that their spaces are operating smoothly, events are well-attended, and everything related to the spaces and members unfolds as seamlessly as possible. Their mission is to create successful spaces: settings in which like-minded people are encouraged and enabled to network, learn, collaborate, and grow, and enjoy their workspace experiences.

A champion’s role may expand depending upon his or her success in setting a strategic vision with the founder(s), ensuring that this vision is implemented, and increasing the financial strength and scope of the space as a whole. The champion knows how to engage community members to foster a sense of intrinsic ownership. Motivated by the core values of the shared space, the champion inspires other members to be similarly motivated and to contribute to establishing a feeling of true community.

A trained champion is a highly self-motivated person who is excited to be working in a collaborative environment. He or she has excellent organizational skills, is able to see what needs to be done, and makes it happen without the need for daily supervision or guidance. Possessing outstanding communication skills as well, the champion interfaces internally with members, existing networks, and the space founder(s), and externally through social media and the press.

A champion’s detailed responsibilities typically include the following: acting as the point of contact for members on a daily basis; on-boarding new and existing members; conducting tours for prospective members; and developing the workspace community by ensuring that each member is doing his or her part to collaborate to make the space run seamlessly. Champions are also responsible for initiating all communication and marketing both within the space and in the larger community. The champion creates and maintains the website, newsletters, blogs, special event flyers, and performs PR outreach by using social media and the press. Finally, special event organization and production also fall within the scope of a champion’s responsibilities.

Varela Consulting, a world leader in conducting trainings for shared workspace conception, development, and ongoing maintenance will soon be offering an eight-week Champion Training program, which will include two full days of on-boarding, plus two hours per week of ongoing support for the duration of the program. The champion training may also be extended once the basic program responsibilities have been mastered.

We will use videos, one-on-one sessions, and assigned readings to transmit the necessary skills. We will evaluate each champion continuously throughout the process to ensure understanding and retention based on rubrics specially designed for each responsibility detailed above.

If you work in a shared workspace and think that you have what it takes to become a true champion, or if you own or manage such a space and have identified one or more individuals whom you feel are well suited to take on these new and exciting responsibilities, please contact Varela Consulting for more information about our upcoming trainings.