A Day in the Life – Workplace Manager Edition – Part 4
In continuation of our “Day in the Life” at CG series, we asked the Workplace Manager from CommonGrounds Carlsbad, Estefan Galue, to walk us through his workday. Estefan has worked both as a Workplace Coordinator and Workplace Manager at CommonGrounds, therefore having an incredible knowledge about his members, his location, and how to make each day spectacular. Follow along as he takes us through his day:
Author: Estefan Galue, Workplace Manager | CommonGrounds Workplace
Mondays. The iconic start to every work week. With a stigma of being impossible to get through, Mondays can also represent a fresh start, a new beginning.
Now of course, everyone has that special something that motivates and provides that extra push we desperately need at times. Whether it be a morning workout, excessively unhealthy amounts of caffeine, or even the thought of seeing a special friend or loved one can be enough to trigger a positive outlook to Mondays.
Even the thought of waking up early the night before can be dreadful to some, but ultimately inevitable.
Of course, this feeling of “Monday Blues” that Garfield has instilled in the majority of the U.S. population does not apply to everyone.
I, for example, am someone that looks forward to the beginning of the week. Sure, having my alarm bring an end to my slumber is not ideal, but that feeling of starting a new week is what gets me, personally, through my Mondays.
Although my work week tends to be the same, I genuinely feel that I learn and grow every day, even if in the slightest way. And though it can be seen as repetitive, it can be surprisingly and spontaneously unpredictable.
A typical Monday for me is usually arriving to my space between 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM. After turning on the speakers and selecting a carefully curated playlist meant to create an atmosphere of concentration and relaxation for my members, I cross the pavilion and head over to INVITA Café – talk about a caffeine boost.
Though it may seem as I might not need any extra kicks up to this point to get me through my Mondays, the smell of fresh pastries and burning espresso alone can be enough to make me say otherwise.
Once I bring that over to my desk to have a cost-friendly and nutritional breakfast, I can start focusing solely on my members.
Mondays usually equate to a heavy inbox catching up from the weekend’s respite. Between 9:00 and 10:30 AM, I catch up on replying to prospects and vendors, as well as ordering and replenishing any supplies or snacks and beverages for the space.
Coordinating with my sales team, tours with potential prospects are usually between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, so I mainly try to keep that time slot available, as it tends to work best for most prospects.
If a tour with a prospect is in fact scheduled, I tend to walk the space before the tour and confirm that the space is up to our standards.
Hospitality and professionalism are two key factors that have contributed to the ever-growing success that has been CommonGrounds Workplace. The second an engaged prospect walks through our front doors for the very first time, I want to ensure that they feel 100% of the time as though they are being taken care of.
“Hello and welcome to CommonGrounds – can I offer you anything at all to drink?” This introductory phrase is something I integrate in every single tour I host at this location. Not only does the prospect feel welcomed and taken care of, but a refreshment is also always positive when you’re shopping for your new workplace. I have found that the second he or she feels refreshed and re-energized, is the moment that person can make important and healthy decisions.
If there are no tours scheduled, I mainly try to stay at the front as much as I can throughout the day, only because you never know when to expect a potential walk in. That being said, I do like to make my rounds throughout the interior and exterior of the space on my free time to make sure the conference rooms are being booked and used accordingly, ensuring that there’s always coffee tea and kombucha on tap for our members, and tidying up any soft seating or desk areas to prepare for any walk-ins.
I usually have a little bit of a later lunch anywhere between 1:00PM and 2:00PM when the space slows down for a bit. Whenever I don’t make or order any food, I walk over to INVITA and see the menu for the day. Serving a plethora of traditional and authentic Italian flavors, members at CommonGrounds Carlsbad also have the option to choose INVITA as their lunch option for the day! (Between you and me, their burrata toast is an exquisite solution to any afternoon hunger rumbles that might be echoing through your body)
Member retention is important, but building genuine connections is more important to me as a manager, and apart from knowing all my members by name, I am a huge believer in getting to know anyone past the etiquette of modern-day small talk. If possible, I like to coordinate with my members to have a one-on-one lunch session and just genuinely get to know a person over some delicious bites.
Once lunchtime is over, between 2:00 PM and 2:30 PM, after the mail has made its many runs, I sort through member and personal mail and packaging delivered over the weekend. Having used to work in logistics, sorting mail has become a relaxing and even fun part of my day-to-day tasks.
With many members living so close and in San Diego, downtime usually occurs between 3:00PM and 5:00PM. These last few hours of the day give me an opportunity to organize and have the space prepped and ready for the following day.
Making my rounds for the last time of the day, tidying up the space is very important for those early bird members that utilize the office for early work hours or global and international conference calls.
Despite lacking adrenaline and excitement that can only be experienced while free falling thousands of miles from the sky, I have to say, there is a thrill to running your own space and interacting with unique and interesting members of society on a day-to-day basis.
Not only has it helped me grow as a person, but I have also developed a love for finding the right workplace solution for someone in search and desperate need. Taking care of my members feels just like having my friends and family visit my house. I always want to make sure I’m being a good host, providing an atmosphere of work with a hint of home.
