Servant Leadership and Cooperation

By |July 16th, 2013|

By Joel Kopischke 167 July-August 2013 “SERVANT AND LEADER. Can these two roles be fused in one real person, in all levels of status or calling? If so, can that person live and be productive [...]

Featured Video: Amy Fields—The Northeast Network

By |July 2nd, 2013|

In this six-minute video Amy Fields, general manager of Eastside Food Co-op in northeast Minneapolis, describes the creation of their community participation project, Northeast Network. For more than three years, the co-op has hosted a [...]

Strategic Alignment of Board and GM

By |July 1st, 2013|

Of all the important relationships in a cooperative, the one between the general manager and the board is arguably the most critical to the co-op’s long-term success. If the basic elements of trust and accountability [...]

General Manager Contract Template

By |June 28th, 2013|

Updated: August 2nd, 2016 Every board of directors of a retail food cooperative should strive to be an excellent employer for their general manager, the person who is responsible for the success of the [...]

Board Discipline

By |June 28th, 2013|

In order to be effective in leading a retail food cooperative, a board must protect the integrity of its process.  Two keys to sound board process are the ability to speak with one voice and [...]

Engagement From the Grassroots

By |June 16th, 2013|

Bonnie Hudspeth, Outreach Coordinator Neighboring Food Co-op Association, New England Region   Following the successful opening of Monadnock Food Co-op in Keene, NH, Ms. Hudspeth share tools and strategies that were effective and instrumental in [...]

How do your employees really feel?

By |June 4th, 2013|

Happy employees are productive employees. They offer your customers a great experience in your store. They are likely to stay longer, returning many times your investment in training them. They may even recruit friends to [...]