Sharing is a valuable tool, and there’s no better setting to share than through face-to-face communication. In-person interactions provide a greater sense of connection, allowing people to see visual cues and for conversations to take place in less formal spaces than video conferencing programs that have become part and parcel of working life for many of us.
Working from home has also become more popular in recent years, however, an unfortunate consequence of this is face-to-face communication inevitably lessens – and face-to-face communication is vital for improving connection and collaboration between employees, and between organisations.
The benefits of face-to-face communication
Building relationships helps employees feel like they’re part of something, which is a huge benefit of face-to-face communication. If your employees feel like they’re working towards a common goal, they’re more likely to be invested in your organisation, your goals, and therefore less likely to leave.
Being in the office facilitates face-to-face communication and allows workers, whether they’re part of the same organisation or not, to have ‘corridor conversations’ – where they share knowledge through human interaction.
Working in an office that brings together like-minded organisations in a diverse mix of workspaces, and communal areas for tenants to congregate in and share ideas, is an incredibly effective way to encourage knowledge sharing. Flexible workspaces enable effective networking and cross discipline collaboration, and communal spaces help nurture a community ethos in the workspace that creates a collaborative environment to the benefit of everyone.
There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to sharing best practice, however, groups with the same ethos survive and thrive when they are able to freely exchange ideas and draw inspiration from those with similar goals.
This is what some of our tenants have said about being in an office that brings together organisations that have a similar ethos and purpose:
Paul Allen, Chief Executive at Vibrance:
“As a charity, working alongside other companies who understand our business model is a true benefit of being under the same roof as like-minded changemakers. All of our neighbouring businesses are charities and being able to share experiences, knowledge and advice offers great opportunities.”
Robert Craig, Chief Operating Officer at Skills Builder Partnership:
“We appreciate being in a community of impact organisations where we can share our work and relevant crossover interests – we’ve been getting involved with the tenant newsletters that Ethical Property runs.”
Ways to improve face-to-face communication
Being around like-minded organisations facilitates and encourages a collaborative environment where people can share knowledge and have fruitful discussions. One way to ensure you’re in a space in which you can engage with like-minded changemakers is by choosing an office dedicated to impactful organisations.
Conversations can become much more casual and spontaneous for organisations that reside in the same building. Working alongside other organisations that share a purpose and understand each other's models and objectives allows them to exchange ideas and best practice, ensuring no one gets left behind. Sharing knowledge, and this includes sharing mistakes that have been made – supports organisations to achieve their goals.
Working in a building that has communal areas for tenants to congregate in and share ideas is an incredibly effective way to encourage knowledge sharing. Communal spaces help nurture a community ethos in the workspace that creates a collaborative environment to the benefit of everyone.
Shared spaces create a dynamic environment where an organisation and its employees are not sealed off from the rest of the sector, but have daily opportunities to work side by side with like-minded people.
In a building with shared facilities, there may well be a diverse group of people working on any number of different projects, which can help facilitate cross discipline learning.