Get your coworking confidence back
Here’s our top tips on getting your coworking confidence back, ready to take on the new year at the top of your game:
Start small
Just because your colleagues are back in the office every day and stepping into in-person meeting with ease doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. Start with one day a week – commonly the day you have the most meetings so you can get some in-person practice in – and gradually build up.
Speak up!
Working from home and taking part in 18 months’ worth of virtual meetings means some of us have settled into a comforting routine of signing in, staying on mute, waving goodbye at the end of the call then emailing your thoughts or input over to the team afterwards. This means that now we’re back in in-person meetings it can be difficult to shake that safety blanket and have the confidence to speak up and have your points heard. If you’re nervous, make a pact with yourself to make at least one contribution to every meeting, and you’ll soon find yourself confident enough to get really stuck in again. But be mindful of others in the meeting who might also be struggling to speak up, and make sure you give them a chance to speak and don’t talk over one another.
Desk etiquette
After working from home for so long, we’re all quite set in our routines and like to have things our favourite way, or in our favourite place. Some of us have been working from home with music on all day, others with headphones in, some in complete silence. Many of us will have been having breakfast and lunch at our desks, maybe you light a candle, maybe you get up and do 10 squats on the hour every hour – whatever has got you through this strange time works for us! But now that we’re back coworking in the office, these habits might not work in a group setting, and you might find yourself feeling a bit out of sorts as you strip back on these home comforts. If you prefer to work in silence and you’re hotdesking with chatters – or the other way round – be sure to be open and honest with each other to ensure you’re all making the most of your time in the office and comfortable and confident coworking again.
Reintroduce yourself
You may have been working with your colleagues for years pre-pandemic, but having been away from each other for the best part of two years in some cases, it’s important to take the time to reacquaint yourself with those around you. A lot can change in that time away, you may discover your colleagues have had children, started or ended relationships, moved house, kept up a new hobby or got a new pet – you may have chatted about them during the working from home period, but having a real conversation about it in person is a totally different experience.
Keep calm and zoom on
Many offices have employed a staggered approach to returning to the office, with certain departments coming in on certain days – so while you might be comfortable being in the office on quieter days, big meetings might still be daunting, so don’t be afraid to suggest a hybrid approach to these. Those who are comfortable being there in person can attend the office or co-working space, and those who aren’t can attend online without missing out. If you’re regularly attending virtual meetings in a coworking space, don’t forget your headphones and remember not to shout – not everyone in the office needs to hear your meeting, so be mindful of disturbing or distracting those around you if you can’t move to a quiet space for your conversation.
Want to read more articles like this? Sign up to our newsletter to receive our latest news, blogs, offers and industry trends.
OTHER ARTICLES YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN…
Workplace wellness trends in a post-Covid world
DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD HOLD YOUR MEETING, TRAINING COURSE OR CONFERENCE AT 116 PALL MALL?
Our Business Centre has 15 modern meeting rooms and our IoD Academy is a state-of-the-art training facility on the third floor, providing six additional rooms perfect for corporate hire in the heart of the capital.
To book or find out more, make an enquiry.