Develop Your Leaders

Art Sherwood Reimagines the Strategic Planning Process

By Doug Johnson|2023-05-05T20:05:14-04:00April 14th, 2022|

After seeing how the co-op world has shifted away from in-person events during the pandemic, Columinate consultant and leadership strategist Art Sherwood wants to leverage the lessons he learned over the last two years to help co-op general managers be more strategic about multi-year planning. Sherwood has recently launched the Cooperative Strategic Leadership (CSL) program, an annual subscription course that utilizes different modalities to help co-op leaders build practical plans that are meant to be put into action every day.

Supporting New General Managers

By Carolee Colter|2023-05-05T20:05:22-04:00February 1st, 2022|

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.

CBLD Resource Spotlight: Updated Policy Register Template

By Madeline Cochran|2023-05-05T20:05:25-04:00January 18th, 2022|

The new year is a time for reflection and revision, and co-op boards are no exception. Whether your board has just decided to implement Policy Governance® or your board wants to refresh existing policies, the updated 2021 Policy Register Template provides a great opportunity to start these conversations.

General Manager Perspectives of the Past Year

By Mike Houston|2023-05-05T20:05:32-04:00November 23rd, 2021|

Anyone who has worked in a grocery store in the past two years has seen and been through a lot. Among that cohort, co-op general managers have faced a unique set of challenges. Here's what three GM's had to say about their experiences of 2021.

CBLD Policy Template

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:05:33-04:00November 10th, 2021|

Many food co-op boards have found the CBLD Policy Template to be an invaluable resource.

Board Self-Evaluation: Monitoring your Board’s Policies

By Michael Healy|2023-05-05T20:05:37-04:00August 19th, 2021|

Boards that want to provide the best leadership possible will regularly evaluate their own performance to highlight successes and areas needing improvement. Using your board’s stated policy agreements as the basis of your assessment offers one straightforward approach to self-evaluation.

Monitoring Reports: Definitions of the important components

By Michael Healy|2023-05-05T20:05:38-04:00July 30th, 2021|

Within the Policy Governance® model, a board delegates authority to the executive (General Manager, CEO, Executive Director, etc) through written policies. The executive then uses written reports to demonstrate accountability for the use of that authority. These monitoring reports are an important and primary component of the board’s evaluation of the executive; knowing what to include and what to look for can help the executive and board members create a highly effective and user-friendly system.

Discussion and Process Guide for GM Compensation

By Molly Snell-Larch|2025-05-31T12:53:14-04:00July 28th, 2021|

This discussion guide is meant to accompany the process for setting General Manager Compensation as set forth in documents in the Columinate library. Please discuss this process with your CBLD consultant to find an approach that works for your cooperative. This process is based on the CBLD Policy Template C2 - The Board’s Job. If your board has a different policy, be sure to follow the policy you have.

Discussion and Process Guide for GM Evaluation

By Molly Snell-Larch|2023-05-05T20:05:40-04:00July 28th, 2021|

This discussion and process guide is meant to accompany other documents related to General Manager evaluation in the Columinate library. Please reference these documents, and confer with your CBLD consultant where appropriate to devise a system that works for your cooperative. This process is based on the CBLD Policy Template D4 - Evaluating the GM. If your board has a different policy, be sure to follow the policy you have.

Board Meeting Packets: A CBLD Field Guide

By Michael Healy|2023-05-05T20:05:43-04:00March 17th, 2021|

A meeting packet should help directors prepare for the meeting. After reading the packet, a director should know what the meeting will be about and should have all the information necessary to fully participate in all discussions and to make any decisions that the board will make at the meeting. Establishing a rhythm and discipline in creating, distributing and reading meeting packets can help make the board meetings themselves that much more productive and enjoyable.

Cooperative solutions building strong communities.

Contact us to learn more.

Columinate provides tailored consulting services to a wide range of cooperative industries, offering expertise in areas like governance, strategic planning, and operational efficiency.

Our expert support spans retail grocery co-ops, rural electric cooperatives, residential, and non-profit organizations, helping them navigate challenges and foster sustainable growth while staying true to cooperative principles.

Learn more about our services and our experts in these topic areas

See our experts in these services, or view our complete network of Cooperative experts.

Visit the Find an expert page.

View all upcoming events.

Upcoming CBLD Events

Tracking Cookies

Third-party Content