Coworking: Sharing a Space Is Not Yet Collaboration

An encounter is an opportunity, not an outcome

The Fraunhofer study on coworking as a driver of innovation examines how companies with relevant experience assess its effects on their capacity to innovate. This approach itself highlights an important distinction: providing a space and the collaboration that emerges from it are not the same thing. For small businesses, a shared workplace can offer access to other perspectives. Whether anything useful comes of this, however, depends on the tasks, people and specific encounters involved. A chance conversation can provide inspiration, but often needs a working framework of its own afterwards. Coworking should therefore be described neither as mere desk rental nor as an automatic innovation machine. The more interesting question is which forms of exchange suit the people using the space and how these can remain compatible with their normal work requirements.

Creating safe spaces for conversation

Amy Edmondson’s research on psychological safety describes a shared belief within a team that interpersonal risks can be taken, such as asking questions or voicing uncertainty. The teams studied should not be equated with an open coworking community. Nevertheless, the approach offers a useful perspective on formats for exchanging ideas. Anyone who shares an unfinished idea makes themselves vulnerable. A helpful framework therefore clarifies whether questions seeking understanding, criticism or practical involvement are wanted at that point. Nor should confidentiality and the subsequent use of the content discussed be taken for granted. Small, facilitated groups can clarify such expectations more easily than a general invitation to network. The aim is not conflict-free agreement, but respectful interaction in which professional objections can be raised without belittling or embarrassing people.

Collaboration needs a next step

When a conversation is to lead to collaboration, the nature of the relationship changes. It now needs a focus, responsibilities and an idea of what is to be created together. A brief follow-up conversation with a clear question is often more helpful than a non-committal promise to do something together at some point. It is equally legitimate to decide to continue exchanging ideas without pursuing a project. Not every encounter has to be put to use. The quality of a coworking space also depends on whether people can retreat and whether different ways of working are respected. Community must not impose an obligation to be constantly available. An effective environment therefore offers several forms of participation: focused work, informal contact and targeted collaboration. This very ability to choose can strengthen exchanges, because participation then arises from genuine interest rather than social pressure.

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