Manifesto 100% CO: A Matter of Values (and WOW moments)
We won’t tire of repeating it: Coworking changed our lives.
As we mentioned below, discovering it was our first “WOW moment”.
The second moment was discovering Cooperative work.
Both have marked us. And, seeing the way things are, we can’t help but think that these two models are more necessary than ever today.
In Genion, we are so certain about it that we focus all our efforts on showcasing their virtues, carrying this new spirit of facing things as our flag.
¡100% CO!
That is our motto. 😉
And it is because we believe it is an effective and fair way to address social challenges (the ones we have always faced + the new ones that arise), and to give wings to those people with powerful projects who otherwise would not be able to carry them out.
We have CO in our veins: COcreamos, COmpartimos, COnectamos, COlaboramos, COnfiamos y COOPeramos (“COcreate, COshare, COconnect, COoperate, COtrust, and COOPerate”).
We are so COnvinced and COmmitted that we have created a 100% CO MANIFESTO.
That’s how we are, we like to think big, with our feet on the ground but with ambition and enthusiasm (you know that in the mornings we have challenges for breakfast with our coffee).
And above all, we love to share.
That’s why we’ve prepared this post, where we want to show you our manifesto and, let’s be honest, try to pique your interest so you can join us on this journey.
All set? Are you staying here? Well then, let’s begin.
👉 The value of CO + COOP: a culture of participation + collaboration + community
Before diving into the 100% CO Manifesto, we want to emphasize the importance of Coworking + the renewed spirit of the Cooperative formula right now (and why both are the future).
Yes, we have already mentioned something above in the introduction, but it’s time to delve deeper.
To provide context.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.
✅ 1. New challenges VS New cooperative models
If you pause for a moment and think about all the problems that arise around us, you’ll feel like the family from the movie ‘The Impossible’.
As if a huge tsunami were about to swallow us all.
The economy, the environment, the social fabric, employment, the cultural sphere… The list goes on.
And in the face of this, we have two options: either let the wave carry us away or react and think of solutions, involving all the people concerned.
In that sense, Coworking is redefining the ways of understanding work, and by extension, positively impacting society and facing its challenges.
Inspired by the culture of participation, collaboration, and community, coworkers are building a more sustainable future (that’s what we strive for day by day, it’s our great goal).
And the same happens with the new associated work cooperatives that are emerging.
In the end, it’s about bringing people, companies, and social actors together to create an economy of innovation and creativity, that focuses on the development of our communities.
But to do it for real, not just in words.
Setting up an economic engine based on collaborative community, unlike the (obsolete, old, and dysfunctional) economic system of the 19th and 20th centuries.
We are in the 21st century! Mondieu!
It’s time to learn how to innovate and apply that innovation effectively.
✅ 2. Key Points: how we understand this CO + COOP universe
There is talent (anyone who says otherwise is lying).
We see it in our Coworking spaces every day. Powerful, transformative, inclusive, fair projects…
But that talent needs care and nurturing. A boost to connect with each other with trust, professionalism, and motivation.
And that’s what we do here, at Genion.
We approach Coworking and the Cooperative model with the same enthusiasm because we know they are two fundamental pieces.
The curious thing is that lately, we have begun to observe how Europe is embracing the formula of the Worker Cooperative for more resilient and democratic entrepreneurship.
Freedom, equality, participation, responsibility, work-life balance… are shared values with our longstanding Coworking philosophy.
And we don’t do it alone, never. This initiative that we started here [Co+Coop], this model, we are riding it together with our European neighbors.
We go together!
And we are growing every day. ☺
✅ 3. Spoiler: there's only one small step between CO and COOP
You know that our first “WOW moment” was discovering Coworking, a system based on these values:
- Collaboration instead of competition: competing while collaborating is also possible.
- Community instead of agendas: we don’t need to look outside for what we have right beside us.
- Participate instead of just observing: being involved in others’ actions encourages you to be much more dynamic (a necessary trait for innovating, growing, and evolving).
- Act instead of just saying: actions last longer than words.
- Friendship instead of formality: daily interactions allow you to build alliances everywhere (and we know something about that, as we explained in this post, “Weaving Alliances”).
- working in a flexible and open environment increases your ability to react.
- Learning instead of experts: here, we all have much to learn, that’s why our attitude is like sponges, we soak up knowledge from those around us.
- People instead of personalities: everyone should have their moment.
But then another “WOW moment” arrived, as we realized that worker cooperatives were based on these values:
- Voluntary and open membership.
- Democratic management by the members.
- Economic participation of the members.
- Autonomy and independence.
- Education, training, and information.
- Cooperation.
- Interest in the community.
¡WOW!
What do you think? They are perfectly compatible!
Even more than compatible, they are complementary.
As you can see, we are facing a “values ecosystem” instead of a “values chain.” Both in CO and in COOP, values are placed above (and significantly above) competitiveness.
And the best part is that both models allow people who work with horizontalness, purpose, and the will to “do good” in our land/territory to do so with support and in a community.
👉 So we take on the challenge: creating our own manifesto
After these two moments in which we realized the transformative potential of both models in the labor and social sphere, we decided to create our own manifesto (based on the Manifiesto Coworking).
We’ve said it before, we have breakfast with challenges.
And to take on this challenge, in particular, we wanted to do it hand in hand with our colleagues from Impulso Cooperativo, who introduced us to the world of COOP and all its virtues (thanks, teammates!).
Based on this manifesto, right now we have a whole line of work 100% CO (with an extra dose of dreams projected in a new shared workspace, alongside stellar travel companions…) but that’s a topic for another post.
So, without further ado, below you’ll find our 100% CO Manifesto.
✅ Manifiesto 100% CO
It’s our style. We are the rockstars of the new COeconomy!
We’ve already redefined spaces and ways of working… Now we’re propelling our innovative and creative communities into the world!
The CO culture will build a better world and reshape the economy and society.
We are active agents of change, the freelancers of the 21st century.
We have the CO spirit in our veins: COcreate, COshare, COconnect, COoperate, COtrust, and COoperate.
We take care of our COmmunity. Nurturing its entrepreneurial spirit.
We have begun to observe how Europe is embracing the formula of the COoperative for more resilient and democratic entrepreneurship.
Freedom, equality, participation, responsibility, work-life balance… These are values shared with our COworking philosophy.
At Genion, we are CO and COOP.
And we were eager to share it!
👉 We confess: we want to be your "WOW moment"
What do you think about our manifesto? We would love to hear your opinion in the comments.
And if you want, you can make it yours too. Of course!
It’s a statement of principles on which to base our journey, a journey that doesn’t make sense to do alone. On the contrary, the more of us there are, the better.
We know that many companies and freelancers of this century will fully identify with both COOP and CO values.
There’s a fantastic 100% CO world to explore, and we would love to have you on board.
We want to accompany you towards your “WOW moment.”
What do you say? Shall we continue moving forward? 😉