How to Facilitate Board Meetings

By |November 9th, 2021|

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.

  • Shelf filled with liquor and wine bottles

5 Rules for Excellent Holiday Wine, Beer, and Beverage Sales

By |October 11th, 2021|

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. 

  • PCC sales floor aisles

How Cooperatives Can Navigate Hiring Challenges

By |September 15th, 2021|

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.

  • People discussing, taking notes

Board Self-Evaluation: Monitoring your Board’s Policies

By |August 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.

  • Financial reports

Monitoring Reports: Definitions of the important components

By |July 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.

  • Navigating the GM Compensation & Evaluation Processes

Discussion and Process Guide for GM Compensation

By |July 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.

  • Navigating the GM Compensation & Evaluation Processes

Discussion and Process Guide for GM Evaluation

By |July 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.

Return on Investment of Columinate’s Management on Contract Services

By |March 21st, 2021|

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

Board Meeting Packets: A CBLD Field Guide

By |March 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.