The Co-op Cafe: Looking Back at 2021 and What to Expect in 2022
For nearly a decade, the Columinate Co-op Cafe has been a way for workers, directors, consumer-owners, and leaders in the cooperative movement to gather, connect, learn, and tackle relevant issues. Although the Co-op Cafe looked a bit different in 2021, the event survived and, in some ways, even thrived in the face of adversity.
Prepared Foods Perspectives
Throughout the course of the pandemic, prepared foods departments were some of hardest-hit departments at grocery co-ops across the country. We connected with leaders in prepared foods to hear how they've adapted and advice they have for others.
General Manager Perspectives of the Past Year
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.
Meet Dana Tomlin
Columinate is proud to welcome Dana Tomlin as a new consultant. Dana is a resourceful leader with extensive independent grocery experience, and as a consultant, she plans to utilize her experience and expertise to help organizations and stores both plan for the future and improve day-to-day operations.
CBLD Policy Template
Many food co-op boards have found the CBLD Policy Template to be an invaluable resource.
How to Facilitate Board Meetings
Your board’s culture is established, in large measure, by the way board meetings are facilitated. Here are some key tips for facilitating board meetings that will create strong decisions and a board culture your co-op can be proud of.
5 Rules for Excellent Holiday Wine, Beer, and Beverage Sales
With more than two decades of experience in wine, beer, and spirits, Columinate member-consultant Samuel Vandegrift regularly helps co-ops connect with customers and boost sales using everything from pricing strategies to in-store promotions and events. Sam has some key advice for what stores can do to bring joy and delight to their beverage departments.
How Cooperatives Can Navigate Hiring Challenges
It is well-known that the U.S. labor market has been especially volatile this year. Co-ops are not immune from this. To learn more about the current co-op hiring environment, we connected with Columinate member-consultants Melanie Reid and Carolee Colter.
Board Self-Evaluation: Monitoring your Board’s Policies
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
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.