Investing in Staff Satisfaction
By Carolee Colter, Helena O'Connor Don’t open a shop unless you like to smile. – Chinese proverb Embedded in the words of this proverb is the assumption that happy workers are good for business. Most [...]
This powerful transparent practice can change your store
Transparency in management implies openness, communication and accountability. One powerful transparent practice is Open Book Management. By teaching staff members about the financial health of the business, managers invite them into the conversation about strengthening [...]
Deliver the Benefits of Co-op Capitalization to Owners
Our culture has a lot of beliefs about money that range from its worship to seeing it as the root of all evil. Food cooperatives especially have been historically conflicted about capital, once seeing it [...]
Business Plan Outline
SYNOPSIS Executive summary. Write this last. Highlight key information from the plan-who you are, what you are going to do, why and how it will be financed. (Not in detail, that comes in the plan [...]
How to cultivate a positive workplace culture
What are the hallmarks of a positive and productive workplace culture? I would include engagement, smart work habits, having the right people in the right positions, healthy communication and fun. By fostering these attributes in [...]
You Are Not Alone: Human Resources at Small Co-ops
By Melanie Reid 164 Jan-Feb 2013 Is your co-op too small to have a human resources manager on staff? Is the HR function in your co-op divided up among different people? Have your HR systems [...]
Unacceptable Monitoring Reports
Boards monitor policy to find out whether their expectations are being met. A board needs to respond to an unacceptable monitoring report appropriately in order to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility to the co-op's owners. When [...]
Agile and Efficient: Board Committees and Structures that Work
By Todd Wallace 164 Jan-Feb 2013 The use of committees by boards is ubiquitous—as it should be, considering a small group’s agility when compared to a whole board. Unfortunately, boards often end up with unwieldy committee structures, groups that [...]