Much has been said and written about major changes in the traditional workplace environment in response to equally important changes the workers themselves. Long ago, Charles Darwin observed, “It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself.”

More recently, Alvin Toffler observed, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

The coworking environment is a brilliant response to the aforementioned changes and offers an exceptionally attractive alternative to most incubators, working at home, or renting space in an office center with little (if any) interaction with other tenants. It is worthy noting that many Fortune 100 companies are experimenting with a modified version of the coworking model.

Curious, I checked on dozens of the 200 coworking communities in Canada at Coworker.com.  They offer a variety of facilities, resources, and services. Both collegiality and privacy are highly valued. There are also listings for other desks, offices & meeting rooms in 7000+ coworking spaces with friendly communities in 125 countries at Coworker.com.

According to the Global Coworking Unconference Conference (GCUC), it’s research predicts that there will be 30,432 spaces and 5.1 million members by 2022. Here’s an overview:

 

I am so excited about the future of the model that I am now in preliminary discussion with managing directors of coworking locations throughout the DFW regional area to conduct workshops and seminars for their clients.

I realize that “working outside the box” may not be for everyone — in fact, it isn’t — but it may be for you…or someone you know.

An African proverb offers a helpful reminder: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”