By now it’s the standard in coworking spaces and is becoming the practice in more and more firms: the job of the community manager – often called feel-good manager – is taking shape. We’ve been doing some research on what this position entails and why it can foster collaboration and success.

Community? Feel good? Happiness?

Many concepts – one meaning. A community manager is primarily the contact person for a great variety of issues and coordinates the concerns of all employees in the office. The paramount objectives include maintaining a palpable and positive organisational culture that is shared by everyone, also providing support and aid in conflicts and controlling the observance of office policy. In addition, community managers plan internal events, lectures and talks and after-work activities. Depending on the firm’s size, a feel-good manager works full time or does this job on the side of his main occupation. Specific training for community management doesn’t exist; however, courses and training are available. Important components of this task primarily involve soft skills such as a communicative nature, independent and organised work, and empathy.

Focus on coworking.

The community manager plays a key role in coworking spaces. When many different persons share a workspace but don’t actually work together directly, certain guidelines are indispensable. Among the common denominators of office policy are communal rules on such themes as cleanliness, noise, smells and manners, also a code of behaviour for collectively used spaces and technologies, and consensus on a clean desk policy. The latter is particularly important in coworking spaces in order to maintain a clean and tidy appearance. Hence there is a need for a central person who checks that these rules are observed, and acts as contact person for the overall coworking community.

Besides interpersonal themes, community managers in the coworking office also have to deal with a fair amount of organisational tasks. For example, they are responsible that each workplace is properly equipped. They organise office furniture, technical hardware and functioning Internet connections. In addition, the community manager is in charge of rent contract administration and the budgeting of the entire office infrastructure.  A continual task is that of quality assurance: feedback rounds with all participants, and also the management of the company’s external image including public relations merge together in the central task area represented by the community manager.

Besides permanent further development and improvement of the office infrastructure, he or she continually organises lectures, bar camps and workshops, onboarding events and after-work activities. After all, the capital of the coworking space is the sum total of space and community. Flawless equipment, office spaces supporting activity-based tasks, and a vital and inspiring community spirit are the elements that form the bond between the members and their coworking community.

Conclusion:

Community managers act as a communal hub in offices, particularly in coworking spaces. When the job is carried out conscientiously, it guarantees increasingly contented coworkers, better structure, friction-free procedures in working together, and thus plays a major role in the success of the company.