Glad it helped :) I'm sharing this (modified for context) on my blog as well, in case you want to add any more of your ideas for conflict-resolving in the comments: http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2013/06/9-causes-for-conflict-in-coworking-communities-where-they-come-from-and-how-to-resolve-them/
-- /ah indyhall.org coworking in philadelphia On Tue, Jun 4, 2013 at 8:10 AM, Will Bennis, Locus Workspace < [email protected]> wrote: > Thanks, Alex! I was needing this post at just this time. First because it > reminds me I'm not the only one who has struggled / is struggling with > various items on your list, and second because it reminds me of solutions > that help make the community stronger. > > > On Monday, June 3, 2013 5:41:43 PM UTC+2, Alex Hillman wrote: > >> Turns out this never made it out of my drafts folder - better late than >> never :) >> >> Here are some common causes for conflict that I've seen at our coworking >> space as well as others: >> * >> >> People are messy. * >> Common areas, especially kitchens, are the first to go. Individual >> workspaces can easily get out of hand too, and spill over into adjacent >> areas. >> * >> * >> *People are noisy.* >> Some people don't know how to control the volume of their voices. Others >> have loud, klackety keyboards. Others spend a lot time on the phone. Some >> just don't know when to shut up or leave people alone. >> >> *People have different senses of humor.* >> "Political correctness" is a wide range. Some people are easier to offend >> than others. >> * >> * >> *People work together and the project explodes or goes belly-up.* >> Collaboration isn't inevitable, but when it does happen there's an >> inherent risk: if the project collapses, can the relationship between those >> people endure or will someone end up losing their coworking community in >> the divorce? >> >> *People feel like they got taken advantage of. * >> Same as above, or worse: somebody actually *did* take advantage of them. >> * >> * >> *People drop the ball on their commitments.* >> People make promises that aren't kept. Everyone makes mistakes, but be on >> the look out for patterns. >> * >> * >> *People's belongings are moved, go missing, or are damaged.* >> From "sorry I just borrowed your iPhone charger" to actual theft & >> vandalism. >> >> *People aren't able to honor their financial commitments.* >> My policy on membership problems due to financial issues has always been >> "life happens, but don't make me chase you." >> * >> * >> *People feel entitled to something they're not getting.* >> Sometimes people expect more than you're prepared to offer. Other times >> people just want to believe that they're special. >> >> The #1 conflict creator in communities and sharing is the tragedy of the >> commons <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons>. In its >> simplest form, you can think of "tragedy of the commons"-type conflicts as >> what happens when there is an imbalance in taking and giving in the >> community. >> >> We experience this most commonly during periods of growth: a lot of new >> members join, and if we're not working extra hard to help them understand >> they can contribute instead of just view Indy Hall as a resource to take >> from, overall cultural norms can shift noticeably and the entire community >> can begin to feel the effects. >> >> Similarly, if the community begins to get too comfortable, even the >> smallest changes can be perceived as a *personal* disruption rather than >> part of the goal of ongoing improvement for *everyone*. >> >> While these scenarios are general, they have one major theme in common: *a >> breakdown in trust and communication.* >> * >> * >> The worst thing you can do is pretend that there isn't a problem. I see >> this FAR too often - usually because peoples fears are far worse than >> reality. >> >> The second worst thing you can do is attempt to mend the problem >> yourself. Healthy communities are remarkably self-healing, and in fact >> communities can become stronger in the face of a challenge...but you have >> to give them a chance (and sometimes some guidance) to work things out >> themselves. A community's immune system is like a muscle - it needs to be >> worked in order to get strong. A healthy community can deal with conflict >> on its own far more effectively than you can on its behalf. >> >> Remind members of core values and the purpose of the community, and help >> them find common ground rather than a "win/lose" outcome. Very few problems >> can't be resolved with this kind of communication. >> >> In all cases, remember that humans are fragile, but >> remarkably resilient in groups. You have to give people some room to grow >> together in order for them to be able to work together to solve their own >> problems, even when your "fixer" instincts are their strongest. >> >> -Alex >> >> >> >> -- >> >> /ah >> indyhall.org >> coworking in philadelphia >> >> >> On Sat, May 4, 2013 at 10:17 PM, AlexandriaC <[email protected]**>wrote: >> >>> What are some of the conflicts you have faced at work and how did you >>> handle them? I would love to hear the different experiences people have >>> had. Would you try to avoid a conflict or would you face it head on? >>> >>> -- >>> Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Coworking" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to coworking+...@**googlegroups.com. >>> >>> For more options, visit >>> https://groups.google.com/**groups/opt_out<https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out> >>> . >>> >>> >>> >> >> -- > Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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