Relax! You Are Linked
Cooperative boards of directors are small groups of people who influence the future of the world. They are committed citizens who think and learn and work together for something that together they find relevant and [...]
Officer Elections and Board Leadership
It is a well-known fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it… anyone who is capable of getting themselves made a [leader]… should on [...]
Responding to Employee Concerns
Co-op employees will at least occasionally bring complaints and concerns to the board or individual directors, yet the board itself is ill-suited for the task of handling these concerns. Employees deserve to have their concerns addressed [...]
Expanding Fresh Food Convenience
Eastside Food Co-op Minneapolis, MN Year founded: 2003 Member equity: $100 Number of members: 6,500 Number of employees: 100 Retail square feet: 9,500 Eastside Food Co-op in Minneapolis, Minn. had one of the highest sales [...]
Understanding the Meaning of “Speaking With One Voice”
By Michael Healy 189 March-April 2017 Boards of directors regularly struggle with the concept of “speaking with one voice”— primarily because the concept has a dual meaning. Within the context of Policy Governance, which many [...]
How to be an Effective Board President
What’s the difference between an excellent board president and a so-so one? Being an effective president requires a host of proficiencies, attributes and knowledge—it’s no easy job! A mix of people skills, the talent to [...]
Cooperative Ends, Impact, and Telling the Story
An individual member-owner or customer or vendor could probably describe how the co-op impacts their life: This is where I get the food that feeds my family. Or, I see all my friends here. Or, [...]
Updating Trends in General Manager Compensation
By Carolee Colter March-April 2017 View data by downloading attached PDF. Data from 104 co-ops with annual sales ranging from $1M to $74M In 2006 and 2011, this magazine published studies on general manager (GM) [...]
Food Co-ops Are on the Leading Edge
As director of Food Systems Initiatives for the Self-Help Credit Union, Steve Saltzman has a unique perspective on the work that is being done by food co-op sin communities throughout the region. And from where [...]
From Credit Union to Community: Stories of Impact
At the Local Government Federal Credit Union in Raleigh, NC Michael Spink has the enviable title of Innovation Strategist. In this brief video Michael shares a few stories of how the LGFCU is creating an [...]