Talent management and assessments, executive...
jeaniewells@columinate.coop
785-766-8454
Leaders in the co-op industry have long identified the challenge of finding General Managers with the skills to successfully lead a co-op. Even the best candidate in a board’s qualified candidate pool likely lacks some of the skills necessary to lead and manage a successful food co-op. Columinate’s experienced team of grocery retail experts is well qualified to address [...]
By: Carolee Colter & Jeanie Wells When an organization is going through rapid change, roles within the organization change, too, and not always in a consciously thought-through manner. Expansions can result in forming new layers of positions. For example, opening a second store creates the necessity for new approaches to buying. Relocating to a new facility with a much-expanded food service leads to [...]
In January of 2022, Columinate Organizational Development Consultant Jeanie Wells launched a four-part remote training program for Ozark Natural Foods in Fayetteville, Ark., to address how to manage price image during a volatile period of high food inflation with a relatively new management team.
Managing a food co-op takes a large and varied set of skills, some of which even a highly talented general manager might need help developing. With an updated curriculum and a roster of talented instructors, the GM Development Program provides both new and veteran GMs with the support and the tools they need to successfully manage and lead their food co-op.
When a co-op board hires a new general manager, the directors know that there’s seldom an “ideal candidate” out there waiting. Instead, they choose the candidate who offers the best potential to meet the specific qualifications that the board has decided will advance the vision for their co-op. Since boards often realize that their new general manager may be lacking in certain key areas, they may look for resources to help mitigate the new leader’s deficits and build on their strengths.
Leading a purpose-driven organization takes work and vision — and it’s worth the hustle. But nobody said it was easy. In uncertain times, especially, finding support is vital. Find your advocate in a coach. Columinate’s executive coaches zero-in on you — not your bottom line, not your people, not your operations (although all of those will benefit) — to encourage your fullest potential.
The Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op is uniquely situated in small town Middlebury, Vermont. When they were ready to expand, they reached out to Columinate for assistance with a member capital campaign.
Contemporary food co-ops have begun important discussions in their organizations around equity and inclusion. As part of that process, they’ve had to accept and deal with some painful truths that their co-ops have not always been perceived as inclusive, especially through the shopping experience.
The town of Astoria, Oregon has a strong independent streak. While other nearby areas are overrun with chain stores, their town has not sustained that level of attention or development. That doesn’t mean the 10,000 people who live there don’t want nice amenities, efficiency and convenience. The difference is that they are willing to create those opportunities for development from within their own community.
