Discover the role of the Morning Manager

Morning Manager, what’s that all about?

At Morning, one of the key roles our teams play is that of coworking space manager, which we call the Morning Manager. But what does coworking space manager actually mean? This new job, born of the growth of coworking, remains very hazy for many people, and that’s only natural. So we put a few questions to Laury, a Morning Manager at Morning since November 2017, to explain what this brand-new role really involves.

Can you introduce yourself?

Laury: "I’m Laury, 27, I’ve worked at Morning since November 2017 and today I manage the Morning, Monceau space in the 8th arrondissement of Paris."

What are your responsibilities?

L: "As a Morning Manager, you’re 100% self-sufficient and responsible for the smooth running of your space. You manage a building that can range from 1,000 to 6,000m2 and brings together a few hundred coworkers. So you run your ‘little business’, and that comes down to four main aspects.

The commercial side is the crux of the matter. The objective is clear: to optimise your space’s revenue. You follow the whole customer journey, from the viewing to welcoming the companies in, taking in the signing of contracts along the way.

The administrative and financial follow-up. You’re like a little head of an SME, the guardian of your space’s well-kept accounts. You mustn’t forget a single expense or a single payment in.

The day-to-day management; you have to know the place by heart, in its every nook and cranny, to respond to any issue that might arise: whether it’s a power cut, a wifi outage or new décor.

Bringing the space to life is a bit like the cherry on top. You have a real unifying role between the companies in your space. Your aim is to bring your space to life so that they meet one another. That can take the form of drinks, sports classes or talks..."

‍What does your day-to-day look like?

L: "Each day, depending on the priorities, we take turns being estate agent, handyman, accountant or events host. No two days are alike; sometimes we struggle to stay sitting too long in a chair in front of a screen! That’s also why the days and weeks fly by so fast!"

Do you tend to work as a team or solo?

L: "Let’s say we’re the sole point of contact for a space, but that our day-to-day is cross-functional work with the group’s other teams (accounting, works, communications, etc.). We’re also organised into teams according to how close the spaces are geographically, and we love spending time in our colleagues’ coworking spaces! Everything’s always better together. We manage our space on our own, but we know there’s a supportive team behind us, pushing us on and backing us up."

‍Tell us about your journey to get here:

L: "Before Morning, I worked in-store at Leroy Merlin as head of customer service. A good field experience that came in very handy for my first steps at Morning. We all have a different background, in fact, before arriving at Morning. There’s no set pattern or typical path. As the job is brand new, there’s no school specialising in this field... That said, the level of autonomy and responsibility often means we already have some prior experience in a company, with a fairly operational side to it."

What qualities / skills do you need to have or develop to do this job?

L: "You need a good dose of energy to spare to be on every front, day in, day out! A good deal of resourcefulness is a must, along with a pronounced taste for the operational. And I also think rigour and a sense of organisation are essential for prioritising all the tasks to be done and completing them with care."

What do you like best about your job?

L: "The unexpected! That’s clearly the most exciting part. And it happens all the time. It forces us to think fast about the best possible solution, to constantly re-prioritise our tasks and to quickly mobilise different resources."

What obstacles might you come up against?

L: "For me, managing people is often the trickiest part. Sometimes we have to deal with  conflicts between members, and it’s not always easy to handle them firmly. But that comes with experience. You learn to say ‘no’, and that’s a real professional lesson.

Fancy becoming a Morning Manager?