Failing Forward

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Some amazing things have been created through what seems like “failure”: chocolate chip cookies, Penicillin, microwaves, fireworks, and more. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, The Beatles were rejected by their first record label, and even more successful people have been knocked down a few times. 

Call it what you want—I am going to call it failing forward—it happens to the best of us, maybe when we least expect it to. It is bound to happen in any setting, but it could not be worse at work. You might have had a big presentation and completely bombed it, or a meeting did not go your way, or you overslept and missed a meeting with a potential client. Whatever the case may be, it happens to the best of us. 

Failing forward at work, school, in life, happens. While it is unavoidable, it is important to not let mistakes consume you. Big or small, it can affect our day to day lives. However, with the right mindset and attitude, you can turn a misstep into a success in the blink of an eye. 

  1. Own up to it. 

While it may be hard to take the blame for something that goes wrong, it will help you in the long run to be honest about your mistakes. Don’t provide endless excuses or cast the blame on another employee. Explain the scenarios of what went wrong, ensure it will not happen again, and figure out how to move forward. 

  1. Figure out your next course of action. 

After a mistake happens, it is hard to bounce back sometimes. Find a solution to your mistake and fix the problem at hand. Make things right. This is what failing forward is all about!

  1. Shift your mindset. 

I know, personally, when I mess up, I feel like that is all I am capable of from then on. If you fail once, it doesn’t mean you are going to continue to fail. Find something you know you are good at and focus on it for a little bit while you manage to get your groove back.

  1. Find the good. 

If you look closely, there is a silver lining in just about everything, especially your failures. There is a lesson buried in there: a way to grow. Find it and hold on tight; let it motivate you!  

  1. Take on your next big project—and succeed. 

I know it may be hard to get back on the horse, but when you do and you excel, you will feel even better. Make sure you really put the work into it to come out on the other side successful. Your “failure” will soon fade into memory. 

  1. You aren’t alone. 

You may feel like you are the only one going through a workplace mistake. That couldn’t be further from the truth! I would just about guarantee that most of your coworkers have made one mistake or another at their job, and if they haven’t, they aren’t learning. 

Don’t go out looking to make mistakes, but know when they inevitably occur, know that you can take them and grow from them. Take these tips into consideration when you feel down and out after failing forward at work, and you might just create the next greatest thing! 

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Coworking and Your Mental Health

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It is no secret that the coworking industry is flourishing. People are flocking to spaces that offer flexible work hours, a community aspect and in-house perks in droves. What is the secret of coworking? How can this industry be doing so well? 

Mental health is a taboo subject in our society. We are taught from an early age to bottle our feelings up, leaving them unaddressed and us unfulfilled. Maybe it stems from being in a society where we are taught to conceal our feelings and push them aside. We have lost touch with expressing our emotions that they can cause us detriment down the road. There is a stigma surrounding mental health. The World Health Organization reports approximately 450 million people worldwide have a mental illness. Coworking, while not a sure-fire way to address and tackle mental health, is a step in the right direction. 

The coworking industry, through GCUC, strives to do more in this fight against the stigma of mental health. They have created the #CheckYoMate initiative, which is a movement that inspires you to check up on those around you: in your coworking spaces and your life in general. It is all about “dismantling loneliness and destigmatizing mental illness in the coworking community.” While it is important to check up on your coworkers, make sure you are doing the same for your friends, family members, neighbors, and whoever else you come in contact with. 

One of the best things about working in a coworking space is the community, there is no doubt. According to Global Coworking Unconference Conference, “Coworking is creating communities of happier, healthier, more productive, more connected professionals.” These communities are improving the lives and the mental health of every single person that walks through the door. 

A major component of working in a coworking space is the ability to make your own hours. Maybe you just cannot take working in a cubicle 40 hours a week and it is affecting your mental health. Sitting in such a small space makes you feel small. Your surroundings affect your mental health more than you realize. A coworking space is an alternative that promotes flexibility and freedom. Coworking can alleviate stress in a number of other ways. A space takes care of all the logistics of running an office for you: changing light bulbs, heating and air-conditioning, keeping the refrigerator stocked with snacks, and a myriad of others. All you have to do is sit down and get to work. 

Coworking was introduced as an alternative to working from home. When working from home, you might feel isolated, trapped, and you may slip into bouts of unproductivity as you slump down on the couch with your bowl of popcorn in the middle of the day. Aside from fueling procrastination, large periods of isolation at home just isn’t healthy for us. Humans crave interaction, simple as that. The alternative in a coworking space is the community. Working with others in a space that is not your home helps you separate your work life from your personal life, giving you some peace of mind. You are surrounded by people every single day. There are members all across the space doing their own thing, but you know they are there. You know you are not alone. 

It is unfortunate to think about, but millions of people suffer from some sort of mental health issue every single day. You do not know what is going on in someone’s life. That is what makes the coworking industry so unique. It provides ways for people to connect on an individual level, creating bonds and helping each other become successful in what they do. 

Here are some mental health resources if you are seeking help: 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

MentalHealth.gov 

Mental Health America 

Bowling Green Mental Health Resources 

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Conflict Engagement

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Written by guest writer and Ment member, Nolan Bramschreiber: Hello! My name is Nolan and I’m a husband, student of Organizational Behavior, Outcome & Planning Specialist with interCare and a mountain bike coinsure!

Conflict exists whether it is acknowledged or not. If placed on a spectrum, conflict would range widely in degree.  Some conflict could be categorized as surface level and easy to resolve, while other found to be deeply imbedded and spanning generations without full resolution.  If conflict is somehow ominously present, touching all relationships and interactions at some point and to some certain degree, why does it seem so difficult to navigate? Wouldn’t continual exposure positively increase one’s ability to engage conflict effectively? It is imperative we understand what creates conflict and prevents us from engaging it in a productive fashion. 

Building an Understanding

In order to understand how one might engage conflict productively, we must first understand what brings it about. Conflict is an interaction that can provide solid ground to build upon. Instead of vilifying views, opinions or differences, its best to seek clarification and understanding. This process referrers to differentiation. It is absolutely imperative for those engaging in conflict to spend significant time understanding differences between each other if their hope is to move away and out of the differentiation stage. Without all constituents embracing and understanding present differences, differentiation will move into integration with one foot still in the differentiation stage; forcing parties to start over in the future.

Acting on an Understanding.  

Understanding and legitimizing difference in perspective is not enough to solve a problem in conflict.  While an in-depth understanding is the foundation to problem solving, the integration stage is where parties explore and implement resolutions based on common ground. Integration can be marked by “standoffs” and “slings and arrows”, but if parties can endure the pain of furthering those processes forward, the diversity of thought can lead to actual solutions between parties. In practical application and to effectively handle conflict, understanding of conflict management approaches need to be addressed throughout all management levels, rather than strictly through Human Resources or a legal office. In the application of understanding differences and moving conflict management forward, parties need to understand what scenerios could arise to derail progress.  

It’s imperative the field based application be centered and focused on the understanding of differentiation, integration and aspects that disrupt the effectiveness of the linear model. Avoidance and escalation are threats in moving conflict management forward. The mere appearance of either escalation or avoidance do not presume ineffectiveness, but if gone unregulated, could derail the conflicts journey to problem solving. 

Applying my Understanding.  

In encountering conflict with loved ones, colleagues and friends, I have often found myself in an uncomfortable position. In order to mitigate potential conflict, my default position would be to heed the opinions or perspectives of whomever is speaking, and not state my opposing position.  While this behavior has evolved over time with growing confidence in independent perspectives and perceptions, I feel a tension to fall back into this uncomfortable position of forfeiting my difference by not advocating for or engaging it. This behavior is often perpetuated by failed attempts to voice my developing opinion.  Now, with the understand of how differentiation and integration works, I can confidently approach conflict with a genuine curiosity about why other perspectives deviates from mine. This acknowledgment provides a rich and robust opportunity to expand my horizon beyond norms applicable to me. If harnessed, I believe we can all have a better chance at conflict engagement. 

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5 Tips to Defuse Conflict in the Workplace

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Conflict is all around us, no matter where we go. It’s people fighting for the closest parking spot to the front at the grocery store. It’s two friends arguing where to eat for lunch. It’s passive-aggressive glances when your coworker walks in late. Conflict, while unavoidable, can be helped through some easy techniques that you can implement in your daily work life. 

First, let’s start off with what conflict is. Conflict can range from a small difference in opinion all the way to two people not being able to be in the same room with one another. I am sure all of us have been in some sort of conflict in our lifetime and I, for one, am not a fan of it. Not all conflict can be harmful, but regardless, it will happen and it is imperative to know how to deal with it when it comes along, especially in the workplace. 

How should you deal with conflict in the workplace?

  1. Be on the lookout. 

I know this may sound easy, but it can be harder than you may think. When you start to notice alarming behavior from one of your coworkers, address it before the conflict gets out of hand. 

  1. Assess the situation. 

Just because you assume a conflict may be rising, don’t assert yourself in like you know best. Before you go saving the day, know the facts. Make sure you have a grasp on the real situation before you address the conflict. 

  1. Listen to both sides. 

We all know people can exaggerate when they are heated or in a difficult situation. Once you hear the other side of the story, you might realize the conflict is just one-sided, or it was all taken out of context. 

  1. Encourage compromise. 

The whole point of addressing a conflict is to ultimately end in a resolution. This step might take a little bit of prying, since people can really be set in their ways and want the resolution to go their way. However, once you can find common ground, a compromise becomes a more attainable goal. 

  1. Be positive. 

Moving forward can be difficult after a big fight. Make sure all is resolved before this stage and then make a point to be positive and encouraging to the other party. Treat the other person in a positive manner. The conflict is resolved, so there is no need for bad blood anymore! 

It is pretty much impossible to go through life without experiencing some sort of conflict, especially when working with so many different types of people in an office setting. Hopefully you can take some of these tips and apply it to your workplace! 

 

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One Year Celebrations

If you have been following us literally anywhere, you know that this month marks one year of Ment Cowork! Yay! We had such an amazing time celebrating our one year anniversary last week and we’re carrying that excitement into this work week. If you weren’t able to celebrate with us, here is a recap!

First off, our actual anniversary is June 13, so last Thursday. Our day started with cake and donuts and who doesn’t love those things?! We also had a lunch for our members to help us celebrate! 

Friday was a big day: We offered #ComplimentaryCoworking on Friday! Our space was open for the day to the public. A free coworking day allowed for people in the community to what Ment is about and promote our brand to the public even more! Also on Friday was a Ment-sponsored beergarden at Spencer’s Coffee with food from the BG Cheese Wagon (I am still thinking about my macaroni melt.)

It was great to be able to celebrate all that Ment has accomplished in just a year and to anticipate all that is to come! We have so many exciting things happening soon so make sure to keep up to date on all things Ment! ?

 

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8 Ways to Stay Motivated at Work

Some people are just good at staying focused, following each task to completion and then moving on to the next one with ease. Others may start off strong and then fizzle out before the day is done. If you find yourself in a rut while you’re at work, school, or anywhere else, and need tips on staying motivated, read on

  1. Find something you love to do.

First off, let me be blunt. It is easier to stay motivated in a position if you like (or even love) what you’re doing. If you aren’t happy in the place that you are at, you won’t want to keep doing it.

  1. Consider your “Why?”

If you don’t know why you’re doing something, are you going to do it and do it well? Ask yourself why you’re doing the tasks you’re doing, and seek that reason first and foremost.

  1. Commit.

Make your commitment to staying focused your first priority every day when you start your work day. Begin with the mindset that you are going to tackle the day and stick to it!

  1. Create a to-do list.

I know it sounds cheesy, but writing everything down you have to do helps you sort through your day and find out what tasks are most important. Getting it all out on paper or in a word document allows you to see what must be done, and then you can act on those tasks.

  1. Take breaks.

If you have read any of our blogs from March, you know the importance of taking a quick brain break will promote crazy amounts of motivation. Stepping away from what you are doing allows you to clear your head, and maybe see things from a different angle. Get up and refill your water bottle, take a stroll outside, or just take a minute to scroll through Instagram.

  1. Dress for success.

Jazz up your work wardrobe! Looking good always makes you feel good and you’ll want to be more productive.

  1. Ask for feedback.

You see those people around you? They’re valuable resources. Ask your buddies about that design, or that project you’re working on. Another set of eyes will help you see things more clearly.

  1. Positive affirmations

Yes, I know, these are even more cheesy than the to-do list—but they truly work. Hang some inspirational quotes around or find one for your computer background. Write some down on sticky notes to put on your desk.

Finding inspiration in a dull office or when you feel like no one gets what you do can be tough. However, if you follow some of these tips, you may start to see some positive changes take shape.

Happy working!

 

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Coworking is Working

I have been interning at Ment since February and from the moment I stepped into the workspace for the first time, I knew there was something special. Something special about Ment. Something special about the people who worked there. Something special about coworking.

Prior to interning at Ment, I had never heard of the concept of coworking. I was immediately fascinated by it. The idea of all kinds of industries under one roof, helping each other learn and grow together? I was hooked. I knew I had to jump in head first.

This week, I have been reading 10 Reasons Why Coworking is Working and I could not agree more with the words found in this listicle. The biggest part of coworking that I adhere to the most is the community. When joining a coworking space, you allow yourself to be fed by a community of workers who want to see you succeed, since there is no competition to be better or advance through office politics. Community happens to be one of the values of the whole coworking industry, and for good reason. Once you water the souls of the people working, amazing things will blossom.

Coworking is working for so many reasons. Maybe it’s the flexible hours, the community perks, or maybe it is the free snacks. Whatever it is, this industry is booming and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.

However, I believe it is the values that this industry holds so dear that is keeping coworking afloat. You might have noticed that throughout our blogs and our social media posts this month that we have created our own values that align with those of overall industry while being fresh to us. These values are what draw people into our space day after day. We are nearing our first birthday (June 13) and it was important to us here at Ment to establish those values so we have a better grasp on who we are and how we can serve those who come out of our elevator every day.

Being able to identify and stick to our values has allowed us to have something to refer to when times get tough but more importantly, have something to guide us in every aspect of what we do. Our values help us stick true to who we are and gives us the opportunity to serve those in our community to the best of our ability.

What we’re about at Ment is simple: a community curated with you in mind. We want to center ourselves around you. If I do say so myself (I might be a little biased,) but I think we’re doing a pretty good job.

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Collaboration Over Competition

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In the hustle and bustle of the business world, it is easy to get caught up in what your company is doing. You find yourself focusing inward and see every other company doing anything remotely similar to be wrong and doing it worse than you. Of course, you’re better than the competition, or that is how you see it. But, the competition is looking at you thinking the exact same thing.

Most people view competition as healthy, as something that can push you forward and above the rest. Competition, if you let it, will seep into every aspect of your life: friends, family, even random people on the street. Always being the best can lead to detriment in your life if left unchecked. I am not saying all competition is bad! A little is what pushes us to keep going. I am talking about the kind that burrows deep and causes rifts in your work life, personal life, and more.

That is one thing I love about the coworking industry. Many other businesses promote competition, always being better than the person next to you and striving to be on top. Coworking just lends itself to more collaboration, within members and the industry as a whole.

On the membership side, it helps that many of the workers in a space are in different industries. There could be a graphic designer working next to a real estate broker who is working next to a writer. The nature of what coworking is doesn’t have room for competition. There is no office politics, there is no fighting for positions, just work.

Here’s an example. If the real estate broker needs a logo made for their business, they don’t have to go out and search for a designer. They know that they have someone who works alongside them that they could contact. This trade allows for both businesses, the designer and the real estate broker, to flourish.

We gain new perspectives when we collaborate with others. We see things from new angles, and learn things in a way we may not normally see. If someone is working on a project and needs an outside opinion, they can lean over to the person next to them. Coworking creates an atmosphere for more interaction, which leads to more innovation, creativity, and even profit. According to Entrepreneur.com, “environments that convey this kind of positive energy are a key reason that coworking is growing at a dizzying pace.”

The industry is also fairly void of competition. We are fortunate at Ment to not have any other coworking spaces in our town, but that doesn’t mean we don’t face competition, just in other ways. I find so fascinating the concept of coworking alliances. No other industry in the world could pull something off like this. A coworking alliance is made up of a group of coworking spaces in an area and they come together to support each other. They promote coworking as a whole, rather than an individual space. Cities like Orlando and San Diego have coworking alliances and they spread the values of coworking together. Arizona has one available for the whole state. An alliance can highlight the strengths of a certain place, but not one space is the top dog.

Coworking as an industry is amazing. It is leaps and bounds ahead of the curve and is the future of working. Many other industries could benefit from the model that coworking sets: a collaborative environment set on building everyone around you up.

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coworking space bowling green

Vulnerability in the Workplace

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Vulnerability and workplace are two words that do not usually mix. The former, a flowery word that concerns itself with feelings and emotions cannot fathom intertwining itself with the hard corporate world of deadlines, investments, and structure. Thus, people seem to hide their emotional selves while at work and bottle them up until they go home for the day.

However, I don’t subscribe to that school of thought. Being vulnerable in your workspace can be the best thing for you. Being open allows you to really, truly connect with coworkers or executives on a deeper level. Every single person has feelings, whether they choose to show them or not. The ability to feel is what makes us humans on the most basic level and what separates us from every other creature on this planet.

Acknowledging vulnerabilities can lead to a more productive and proactive work environment. Being emotionally intelligent allows coworkers to connect deeper, to form lasting relationships, and in turn, get more done. Taking a moment to see emotions, talk about them, and move on really shows strength and humanity.

On the flip side, hiding emotional vulnerabilities can wreak havoc at a place of work. People may hide their feelings because they don’t feel adequate or that their emotions do not matter, but bottling them all up will only lead to a bigger explosion down the line.

Opening your emotions at work will bring about more growth and learning. Vulnerabilities allow for a sense of humanity within a workplace. Genuine connections can blossom once you become more open with yourself and others in your space. Creating vulnerable and intentional conversations can foster true connections.

Being vulnerable applies to leaders as well. In my opinion, the best bosses are ones who connect emotionally and are willing to be vulnerable. Not that an executive needs to be crying all the time or asking too many personal questions, but maybe being open to those things (aside from the crying.) Stepping back as a leader allows other’s ideas to shine and employees to feel more connected, grounded, and engaged in their work.

Egos are nowhere to be found in a vulnerable workplace. Once you take down your personal guards around whatever you might be feeling, your ego will naturally see itself out. Putting your ego aside allows more room to listen and take from others. You have room to acknowledge other people’s ideas and to attach your’s to theirs. Egos can get in the way of a cooperative work environment.

Vulnerability is so important that the coworking industry as a whole has made it one of their core values. Ment has taken that and ran with it and we created our value nourishment based on their tenant of vulnerability. We believe as a space that we are here for your highs and lows. We strive to be expansive and inclusive and to nourish the souls of everyone who walks through our doors.

As a space, Ment wants to make ourselves as comfortable as possible to allow for open conversations. Our lounge has comfy couches, a skylight, and plants to create an environment you want to be in. Our library is color-coded (seriously, I am obsessed with it so come check it out) and organized to allow for better workflow. All the colors in our space are neutral as not to distract, but also to create a calm and reassuring environment.

The moral of the story is simple: being vulnerable allows all the good things about humanity to shine through. Bringing feelings into a work environment is tough, I get that, but it allows people to bring their whole selves to work and not leave a portion of themselves at home. Start by taking a moment to genuinely ask a coworker how they are. Not some quick small talk to start the day, but intentional curiosity about that person. Get to know them on a deeper level, know their families and their history. Begin to foster a vulnerable environment.

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Travel and Cowork: Part 2

One of the best things about coworking is that there are spaces everywhere. If you are traveling, I would bet there is a coworking space in the city you are in: maybe even more than one.  

A couple months ago, we did a blog post about travel and coworking and highlighted a few spaces in Nashville and St. Louis. We promised we would add more and we are fulfilling that promise.

Last week, Hayley and I got the privilege to visit some coworking spaces in Louisville. We hopped in the car on Wednesday night and hit the road to find out about all things coworking in Kentucky’s biggest city. Here are some of the things we found:

iHub: Louisville, Kentucky

Our very first stop was Hi-Five Doughnuts and coffee at Please and Thank You (of course), but our first coworking space on the list was iHub. We were greeted by Catherine and we jumped right into the tour. iHub is a coworking space that focuses on entrepreneurs and creators. Their space offers a large coworking area with tables and chairs that can move to be any shape, a couple of conference rooms and of course, coffee and snacks! What I found most intriguing was the partnerships they have with students from University of Louisville. iHub offers a networking opportunity for students to meet people in their field while they work. Thanks for having us, iHub! 

Story: Louisville, Kentucky

Next stop on our coworking tour of Louisville was Story Louisville. Their website says they are “the movers, the shakers, the makers, the doers, and dreamers, the storytellers and innovators who tell the story of our great city.” We were greeted by Lauren and had an amazing tour of their space, complete with coworking spaces, conference rooms, and even a photography studio. Ment actually has a couple things in common with Story-we are both located on top of a coffee shop (us with Spencer’s Coffee and them with Please and Thank You) and we are both going through the process of expanding. Story has a really incredible space and are continuing to grow through a new three-story building that will give them more space to blossom! Thanks for having us, Story Louisville!

Check them out on Instagram: @storylouisville

The Park: Louisville, Kentucky

The last stop on our journey was The Park. The first thing that struck me about this coworking space was their greenery wall as soon as you walk in. It just adds life to the space and is totally Instagrammable, if you’re into that kind of thing (I am). We met Dani at the door, who is The Park’s community manager. She actually graduated from Western Kentucky University and we chatted about all things on the Hill—Go Tops! The Park is different because it only offers coworking memberships and no dedicated offices. This allows for an even closer knit community at The Park. They also provide their members with coffee, conference rooms, and call booths. The Park is an unique take on coworking and we loved that we were able to stop by.

Check them out on Instagram: @workatthepark

If you ever find yourself in Louisville and need a place to work, we recommend all of these places! We here at Ment learned so much on our visit and can’t wait to implement some things we learned to our space in BG! Stay tuned 😉

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