Have you ever found yourself losing all interest in the job you used to love? Instead of feeling energized by your success, do you find yourself unfocused, disengaged and exhausted by the thought of work each day? You might be experiencing burnout, defined by psychologist Herbert Freundenberger as “a state of fatigue brought about by devotion to a cause, a way of life or [...]
By Carolee Colter, Helena O'Connor Don’t open a shop unless you like to smile. – Chinese proverb Embedded in the words of this proverb is the assumption that happy workers are good for business. Most of us have been customers in places where the employees did not seem to want to be there. Attitudes show, and they impact the shopping experience. At worst, unhappy [...]
Transparency in management implies openness, communication and accountability. One powerful transparent practice is Open Book Management. By teaching staff members about the financial health of the business, managers invite them into the conversation about strengthening the financial bottom line. Just Food Co-op, a community-owned natural foods retailer in Northfield, Minn., opened its doors in 2004. Once it successfully navigated the initial challenges that every [...]
What are the hallmarks of a positive and productive workplace culture? I would include engagement, smart work habits, having the right people in the right positions, healthy communication and fun. By fostering these attributes in your organization, your staff members will be satisfied, motivated and empowered to do their best every day. Here's how to do it: Engagement Be sure that opportunities exist for [...]
By Melanie Reid 164 Jan-Feb 2013 Is your co-op too small to have a human resources manager on staff? Is the HR function in your co-op divided up among different people? Have your HR systems been cobbled together from different sources? You are not alone! There are many smaller co-ops that are simply not large enough organizations to justify the labor expense of an [...]
By Jeanie Wells Have individuals' preferences trumped your organization's needs? For example, is there inappropriate store support and coverage? Or, are there structural weaknesses that hurt team effectiveness and clear accountability? Here are two ways to address those challenges: 1. Appropriate store support and coverage We must design the staff schedules to meet each department’s needs. This sounds simple but often we lose sight [...]
The job interview is your best tool for making the right hiring decision. You can't count on references, and resumes are designed to make the candidate look good. The job interview is your best tool for making the right hiring decision. You can't count on references, and resumes are designed to make the candidate look good. However, research shows most interviewers decide, consciously or [...]
When I was a new CEO, I misunderstood why some employees performed well with my direction while others did not. Even worse, I allowed some employees to be mediocre for too long while I gave up on others too soon. Organization-wide, we were all struggling with this same issue: what are the appropriate responsibilities of managers in accountability? So we hired a consultant to [...]
By Carolee Colter, Jeanie Wells 162 September-October 2012 As we go about our work of assessing organizational structures and conducting employee surveys in food co-ops, we frequently encounter an ongoing struggle between the marketing department (or lone marketing staff person) and the heads of the sales departments. Comments we’ve heard from marketing staff: The departments just don’t seem to understand that I’m trying to [...]
