Ruffin Slater, General Manager at Weaver Street Market in North Carolina has proven himself an innovator among national GMs. In this video Ruffin shares his insights on how leadership can help guide the co-op towards its Ends.
By Carolee Colter, Lauren Olsen, Marilyn Scholl 183 Mar-Apr 2016 It takes a lot to manage a food co-op. Co-op general managers (GMs) are responsible not only for the retail operations but also for budgeting, financial analysis, marketing, information technology, and human resources—functions that are provided by corporate headquarters to managers of chain stores. Co-op GMs, in addition to the demands of the business, [...]
Holly Fearing, Board Member at Willy Street Cooperative in Madison, WI breaks down the barriers to being strategic, making hard choices, and being fearless. And beware the 'killer but'!
In this short presentation Alex Stone, of CooperationWorks!, expresses the importance of knowing vulnerability. Especially in a leadership position.
Michelle Oliver from Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op says that being a leader requires knowing yourself. Know your strengths and know your weaknesses. Understand where you need support and ask for it.
Weaver Street Market General Manager Ruffin Slater on the Magic of Commitment. Ruffin shares what he sees as the power of making a commitment and all that follows from making a decision.
Brett Fairbairn, co-op thought-leader, breaks down what it looks like when the co-op, it's members, and the marketplace are not in alignment and why it's so important that they all be in alignment.
In this MUST WATCH video Brett Fairbairn breaks down the definition of a cooperative and the significance of the words "enterprise" and "association" in the definition.
The to-do list is seemingly endless: cash flow, team building, category management, board relations, reports, goal setting. Many general managers report feeling pulled in many directions during a typical workday, and too soon it seems, another day comes to a close. The feeling that nothing is ever quite finished can be disheartening. The flip side is that being successful in the job means that [...]
Monadnock Food Co-op staff with board president, Kathy Burke (dressed as a beet)The Monadnock Food Co-op in Keene, New Hampshire has only been open for two-and-a-half years, and as the board president Kathy Burke put it, “a lot has been going well.” The co-op has exceeded its sales projections and is seeing a profit that has the board fast-tracking conversations about growth. In the [...]
