22nd
May, 2019
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Sarah Dahl
Harassment investigation, employee surveys and...
sarahdahl@columinate.coop
608-575-2199
17th
Jul, 2023
Need an Internal Investigation? Sarah Dahl brings professional guidance
Early in the movie Argo, Ben Affleck’s character Tony Mendez describes the dangers of rescuing the American hostages. He tells the assembled government decision-makers: You don’t want to be in a position of needing to sneak people out of a hostile country, but if you are, you use a professional.
31st
Jan, 2024
Manager Compensation Examination: Gender Equity Gaps Persist
Three years ago, I presented a webinar with data showing that female food co-op general managers (GMs) were paid significantly less than male GMs. Since then, Columinate has rolled out a new version of the database I drew on for my data, with the ability to collect more detailed and nuanced information. Along with updated data and charts, with help from Mike Houston we have testimonials from co-op managers on the high value of what is shared through the Columinate Compensation Database.
23rd
Oct, 2023
Constructive Approaches to Handling Complaints about your GM
For a board of directors, few things are as unsettling as receiving a complaint about the GM, and few things can more quickly erode the board-GM relationship than a complaint handled poorly.
1st
May, 2018
When a Living Wage Becomes a Demotivator
By Sarah Dahl 195 March-April 2018 It’s hard to understand how something as benevolent as paying a living wage could cause resentment within the workforce. With over half (29) of states and an additional 39 localities mandating a minimum wage higher than the legal threshold of $7.25, more co-ops are attempting to provide a living wage for their lowest-paid employees. While this is a [...]
26th
Apr, 2018
Ensuring Internal and External Pay Equity
Many co-ops using policy governance have an Ends policy requiring staff compensation that is both internally and externally equitable. However without diligent attention, pay scales and what individual staff end up making can get out of whack over time. Below are a few tips to keep you in compliance. Compensation market study. Make sure you are staying up-to-date on what the external market is [...]
9th
Apr, 2018
Marilyn Scholl’s Career Impact
Marilyn Scholl has inspired a whole generation of cooperators. Here’s what those who have worked with Marilyn have to say about her personal and professional impact on people and co-ops. Marilyn has been an inspiration, mentor and friend for as long as I can recall. Her commitment to food co-ops and especially the people of co-ops is unwavering, calling us all to become better [...]
18th
Mar, 2018
Aiming for Continuous Communications Improvement
By Sarah Dahl 191 July-August 2017 No one is a perfect communicator, and no co-op experiences completely effective communication at all times. While some co-ops may do better than others—at least as reported in more than 200 staff surveys conducted by CDS Consulting Co-op—communication issues are nearly always on the list of things that staff want to see improved. While communication issues can be as [...]
6th
Mar, 2018
Cultivating a Culture of Appreciation
According to Gallup News State of the Workforce report in 2017, overall only 30% of employees feel engaged at their jobs. This dismal statistic is a strong invitation for employers in all business sectors to consider the type of work culture that might contribute to a sense of disaffection and actively work to change it. Employees who do feel a sense of connection are [...]
28th
Sep, 2017
Responding to Workplace Conflicts
Whenever people work together, conflicts will naturally arise. Here’s a framework to help leaders resolve conflicts. This article will describe three categories of conflicts and a process that can be used to resolve each. _______________________________________________________________ Allegations of management misconduct If employees believe a manager has committed unethical and/or illegal acts, (e.g. theft, harassment), they need to inform the GM, or if the GM is [...]