Develop Your Leaders

Strengthening Co-op Elections: How Boards are Ensuring that Members Can Vote for Excellent Candidates

By Michael Healy|2023-05-05T20:05:16-04:00July 18th, 2018|

In her book Democracy’s Edge, Frances Moore Lappe makes a strong case that a healthy democracy is about much more than elections and voting. Even so, board elections are still a particularly important and visible part of cooperative governance. A successful board election includes at least two critical elements: enough qualified candidates on the ballot and enough information so that members can make educated [...]

Welcoming Managers New to Cooperatives

By Patricia Cumbie|2023-05-05T20:05:20-04:00June 13th, 2018|

Remember the first time you walked into a food cooperative? Maybe your initial reaction fell somewhere along the continuum of “I found my people” to “what in the world is this place?” Maybe you liked the food. Maybe you liked the mission. Or the people were nice. And that convinced you to stay. Ultimately, when people walk into a food co-op, we want them [...]

Customers – The Heart of the Co-op

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:05:27-04:00April 10th, 2018|

Essential viewing for any cooperator wanting to stay on top of the latest efforts being made by National Co+op Grocers (NCG) to drive the food co-op sector forward with strength and sustainability. Dave Olson, Co-op Development Director with NCG, shares the 2018 vision, which focuses on being great grocers, and focusing intently on not just customer service, but the Customer Experience. Watch at an [...]

Inspiring a Generation of Cooperators — Marilyn Scholl Inducted into Cooperative Hall of Fame

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:05:28-04:00April 9th, 2018|

In a world where individualism is often romanticized, there are still some who never doubt that groups of people can be mobilized for the common good. They know that when given the opportunity, most people want to do their part. The great leaders cultivate a belief in everyone’s capacity to contribute to a vision and get things done. Marilyn Scholl is one of those [...]

Marilyn Scholl’s Career Impact

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:05:29-04:00April 9th, 2018|

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 [...]

Inclusion: Starting from the Store

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:05:30-04:00March 30th, 2018|

You can't have a conversation about inclusion without first expanding the circle and inviting everyone to the table. Prasanna Regmi, General Manager at Davis Food Co-op in Davis, CA talks about the work being done at Davis starting with the core of the co-op network, the store.

What ‘Everyone Welcome’ Means

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:05:36-04:00March 27th, 2018|

The closing of a nearby neighborhood grocer presented what could have been a great sales boost for Whole Foods Co-op in Duluth, MN. But the neighbors weren't beating down the doors of WFD. Sarah Hanningan, GM, tells the story of what it took to reach out to their neighbors and their communities. Having 'Everyone Welcome' printed on their awning simply wasn't going to be [...]

Is Independence a Barrier to Cooperation?

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:05:37-04:00March 27th, 2018|

As a result of the coalescing of the regional Co-op Grocers Associations into National Co+op Grocers GreenTree Co-op was able to undergo a transformational shift in their approach to operations and customer experience. Sarah Christensen, GM at GreenTree in Mt. Pleasant, talks about what she perceives as a barrier to collaboration and true cooperation among cooperations: Independence. Christensen explores what it means to be [...]

Analysis of Board Members’ Conflicts of Interest

By Thane Joyal|2023-05-05T20:05:39-04:00March 20th, 2018|

It’s very common for conflicts of interest to be present on the board of a retail food co-op. Some even joke that conflict management is at the heart of cooperation. And in a way, it’s true. The legitimacy of a board’s decision depends in large measure on the board’s ability to demonstrate that the decision was made to further the best interests of the [...]

Leaders in Democracy: Seeking Win-Win through Assertive Cooperation

By Arthur Sherwood|2023-05-05T20:05:41-04:00March 18th, 2018|

By Art Sherwood 191 July-August 2017 If we created opportunities in meaningful participation by seeking win-win, it would be a game changer—in our relationships, in our customer service, in our strategies, in our partnerships, and in our innovative approaches to solving pressing social problems. Democracy is hard. And because it is hard, it takes skills and practice and a willingness to work with others. Why [...]

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