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.
Discussion and Process Guide for GM Compensation
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
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.
Scot Destasio Leaves Lasting Impact During IGM Engagement at The Old Creamery Co-op
During times of transition, Columinate's interim General Managers (IGMs) have helped co-ops stabilize and implement lasting change. IGM and Columinate consultant Scot Destasio had a transformative impact at the Old Creamery Cooperative, located in a traditional "Hilltown" in Western Massachusetts.
Return on Investment of Columinate’s Management on Contract Services
When co-ops enter a time of transition, they can turn to Columinate's group of experts available for contract management services. These folks step in as Interim General Managers (IGMs) to work fast and smart, implementing lasting change for their clients. Ranging from a few months to a few years, IGM engagements are meant to bridge a co-op from Point A to Point B.
Board Meeting Packets: A CBLD Field Guide
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.
Day Shift vs. Night Shift
Us and them. Maybe it’s human nature for groups to form an identity in opposition to others. In competition between sports teams and businesses, this tendency can be channeled in a positive direction. However, when it emerges within a business or a single department between those who work the early shift and the late shift, the rivalry becomes destructive to morale and productivity.
Huddles Not Pinballs
As the manager of a large prepared foods department decades ago it struck me that I not only had loads of information to share with staff, but that they also had suggestions and best practices to share — and not just with me but, at least as importantly, with one another.