GM Evaluation
with guests John Hatton, board president, Brattleboro Food Co-op, and Sharon Murphy, GM at Whole Foods Co-op, Duluth CG -- Evaluating the GM by Colter and Goehring
Taking Policy Governance to Heart
A great cooperative thinker, Sid Pobihushchy, wrote an article in 2002 to help us understand the 10 cooperative values, “The Cooperative Values: Their meaning and practical significance” (find it at The Columinate Library). In his opening paragraph, he asserted that the cooperative movement and its businesses are the only way to accomplish the objective of community, the optimum condition for human fulfillment; that cooperative [...]
A Board’s Duty: Determining What is Reasonable
By Thane Joyal 138 September - October - 2008 The man in the wilderness asked of me, How many strawberries grow in the sea? I answered him as I thought good As many as red herrings grow in the wood. —Old Nursery rhyme When I talk to members of a board of directors about its legal roles and responsibilities, I always try [...]
Membership is Ownership: The Cooperative Advantage
By Marilyn Scholl 136 may - june - 2008 Interest in food cooperatives is growing, due both to increased interest in local, natural, and organic foods and to increased awareness of our economic vulnerability. More and more communities want the stability and accountability that a cooperative can offer. Cooperative ownership is an economic model that can create great benefits for our communities and member-owners. [...]
Budgets: The Board’s Plan for Governance Investment
By Michael Healy 135 March - April - 2008 The board of directors fulfills an essential governing role in a cooperatively owned, democratically controlled business. Few assets are more valuable to a cooperative than a board that functions well, learns what it needs to do its job expertly, and provides excellent leadership. Providing that excellent leadership requires expertise, and developing expertise requires investment. In [...]