When two people I trust deeply (Eric and Amy) nearly simultaneously introduced me to The Alliance, I knew I had to read it.
Among other things, it advocates for a new employer-employee dynamic that emphasizes specific, finite, mission-based efforts that are designed to benefit both employee and employer. Toward the end these “Tours of Duty,” both parties meet to review and decide what to do next.
This approach stands in stark contrast to the traditional “employee for life” conceit that, the authors argue, is often dishonest for both parties.
While I’m all for this for not just my employee and myself, I can’t help but want to see how peers could implement a similar model in a coworking community. We already do this in a way with Cotivation, but perhaps this could be taken further?
Let’s say, for instance, that we implement regular periods for recruiting new members, onboarding them as a group, and giving them the opportunity to set and share goals in a communal setting.
New Active Coworking programs could be set up to match the needs of the new groups, for example, and then re-evaluated at the end of the Tour. While individuals would be free to opt out at any time, having a coordinated ideal start and end time gives people a default structure to plan around. (It also makes things easier to administer.)
Looking forward to the next version of New Work City, the idea of structuring many of our interactions around specific, finite, well-defined Tours seems like a promising direction to go.
Don't just build another office rental place. Join a group of people who are doing more to help build transformative cultures.
Share resources, get help with your most burning needs, and thrive alongside awesome people like yourself.