Elena Giroli: Managing A Community And Handling Changes In A Pandemic Era

For this episode, we have Caterina Maiolini, Community and Partnerships Manager of SALTO Systems talking with Elena Giroli, Change and  Communications Manager of Creative Works. 

They are going to be talking all about how community managers like themselves handle the changes and shifts that the pandemic had brought with the coworking community.

Highlights from the podcast:

• We saw a lot of change in our community members following the pandemic, and it was fascinating to see how it started. When working from home became a government mandate, it became a case of if you can’t work from home, work somewhere else. I believe that many neighbours have dropped their kitchen chairs and buzzed in to say, Hey, I really need a spot where I can actually meet people or just linger outside my kitchen or my one-bedroom apartment. Because living in London has its difficulties, including living in small, restricted spaces, and having to work constantly, you don’t have your personal and professional lives separated, you have one in one go. So there was the main difference. (4.04)
• As a result of the pandemic, we had to restructure and adapt our offer slightly. As a result, it seemed like a journey because it was a trial and error procedure. So we added things, took things away, added processes, and revamped the entire onboarding process. So it was like steel, a time of kind of testing and seeing how the people reacted to that. Because the final goal is similar to consumer expectations and, you know, customer service. This is how we perceive the Coworking spaces that we are leading. (6.45)
• I’m not sure I have a framework. As a business consultant, I feel we are looking into a few topics. First, if the person entering respects our ideas of community, openness, and respect for all beliefs and sexualities. So that’s the first step, simply walk in. So, if you’re a valuable community member, I believe that’s already a fantastic question. You may determine right away if a member wants to give to no other members by chatting with them. So it’s simply the personality, the attitude. The emotion of everyone being on the same boat is constantly present when chatting to other members and being honest and forthright. So nice and curious. We’ve had a few people in the past that didn’t really get the value or notion. But it’s also true that these people might be OK in another setting. So, yes, we have a one-month notice period. We look after what others don’t. We are convinced that there is a code of conduct that everyone must sign and follow. And if you don’t, well, read your response. The existence of a code of conduct that outlines how we expect our members to behave in the community is also really valuable. (12.22)