Community Manager/Tummler role, responsibilities, and tasks

[Thomas Lodato]

Hi All-

I am trying to better understand the role and responsibilities of a community manager/tummler for some research/writing I am doing about coworking. I am a postdoc at Georgia Tech and find the very limited academic research on coworking to be disconnected from the way you all think about it. I posted these questions elsewhere, but didn't get much of a response, so hopefully you all can help. So my questions are:

1) Is the role of community manager/tummler necessary in a coworking space, and why?

2) What are the top five responsibilities of a community manager/tummler?

3) What tasks do community managers/tummlers perform?

I am not looking for a definitive answer, but individual perspectives and opinions from your experiences in coworking communities. Thanks for any help in advance.

[Tony Bacigalupo]

Hi Thomas! 

My thoughts:

1) It's only necessary insofar as you care to cultivate valuable relationships between your people. One might run a shared workspace with no effort to build community and call it coworking, and maybe some community will emerge on its own. I don't consider this to be in the spirit of the movement.

I'll add that the "role" can take many forms; it need not be an individual with a job title. Ideally, everyone in the community plays a role, with leadership creating the circumstances that encourage and empower everyone to do that.

2) Responsibilities:

1. Ensure the space is a safe space for everyone.

2. Be nice and encourage others to do the same.

3. Look for opportunities to introduce, empower, encourage, celebrate, and give permission.

4. Help people clear up any issues that arise, ideally by showing them how to resolve things themselves like grown-ups.

5. Not become an individual linchpin of the community, such that it would be seriously injured if you leave.

3) Tasks:

+ Talk to people

+ Develop programs

+ Work with others to develop their programs

+ Ensure stories are getting told, online and offline

+ Assist with day-to-day operations

Off the top of my head!

Tony

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[Thomas Lodato]

Thanks, Tony. This is super helpful.

With regards to your comment about the role being a defined position. What are examples of how the community manager/tummler is instituted? I have seen from my field work a few types: full-time employees with the title; coworkers who are given space in exchange for doing admin tasks; owners who are really involved in cultivating the space. Are their other ways this function is realized?

[j...@meshworkapp.com]

Hi Thomas!

I used to be the Community/Operations Manager....here are my thoughts....

1) If you are trying to create a community, yes absolutely. I found that people want to connect with others but often times need a push to actually do it. Having a community manager that knows everyone in the space, even just a little, makes it easier for them to help facilitate those connections. Also, in my position, I did all of the onboarding, billing, event planning, management of members, etc so yes it was vital to have someone in my position to make sure the space continued to run and collect payments from members.

2) 

1.Give tours and sign up members

2.Connecting the members

3. Event Management

4. Helping the members with all issues that arise

5.Onboarding/billing/keeping the space running

3). Greet the members as the arrive and saying goodbye as they leave

Help members with issues (printing, temperature control etc)

Plan and promote events

Answer phones and emails

Set up tours

Keep the coffee and tea hot and ready

Keep the space tidy 

Respond to members requests

Continue to find new ways to connect the community

Hope that helps! 

Jen

[Thomas Lodato]

Thanks, Jen.

I have a follow up for you (and anyone else): 

What does "connecting the members" entail exactly? Are you doing keeping abreast of member needs (if so, how) and providing introductions, or is it more involved and diverse of an activity? Also how often do you engage in connecting in comparison to the other responsibilities?

Thanks for indulging my curiosity.

-Thomas