Mark Mulcahy is Bringing the Joy
There is an entire genre of films and TV shows dedicated to pointing out the soullessness and drone of American workplaces, with 1999’s Office Space perhaps the most famous example. Columinate consultant Mark Mulcahy has the prescription for both the workers at Office Space’s fictional Initech, and for the real workers at co-ops and independent grocers across the country. “I’m working on bringing joy and balance back to the workplace. That’s gotten lost. That’s what makes people want to come to work: to find joy and purpose in their work. Everyone carries the same products and margin pressures will continue. Businesses who build a culture of doing real work through joy will thrive.”
Assabet Co-op Market: Getting creative in the face of financial headwinds
Ten years ago, the Assabet Co-op Market recruited its first member-owners in the small mill town of Maynard, Massachusetts. Today, the co-op boasts more than 2,100 member-owners from 40 communities, and this spring they'll celebrate the grand opening of their 8,000 square-foot grocery store along the Assabet River. "It's been a pure grassroots effort from the beginning," says Lorne Bell, the co-op's operations coordinator. Bell estimates that he and co-op volunteers have "tabled" at more than 500 farmers markets, festivals, and community events over the years.
Discussion and Process Guide for Board Compensation
Co-op boards periodically need to address questions about board compensation: Should we or shouldn’t we? How much is reasonable? How do we communicate these decisions to our member-owners or include them in the conversation? Allow [...]
Mining the Library: “What Resources Do Our Clients Need?”
Shared challenges in board governance have perennially driven co-ops to establish shared resources and services. Consultants and collaboration around governance and leadership development have been key to building cooperative identity and local community impact. From the early days of the Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD) program, consultants serving co-op boards and other mission-driven organizations have been asking the question, “What resources do our clients need?”
Fresh Food is Fun!
While an aide in her children’s school years ago, Frayer observed young eaters’ behaviors in the lunchroom. Many were opting not to bite into fresh-looking vegetables and fruits, and much was wasted. Indeed, it is one thing for whole, unprocessed food to get onto the tray; it is quite another for it to reach the mouth. Hether’s inspiration to make fresh foods fun is rooted in those lunch hours. Eaters of all ages have propensities, and perhaps biases, around food. Eaters of all ages can benefit from reminders to appreciate the bright colors, flavors and textures that fruits and vegetables provide. Frayer says, “As a Fresh Food Fairy, I encourage good nutrition by making fresh food fun with high-energy, joyful experiences to begin or deepen one’s relationship to fresh food. And anyone who has fun with food is a fresh food fairy!” This inclusive and enthusiastic ethos led her to design classes around food preparation and cooking.
Learning about Race: Reflections and Resources
Not long after I became board president of my local food co-op, I began a more focused study of racism. I say “more focused” because, like many of us, I started learning about racism the day I was born. When I stepped into the board presidency, right away I noticed that I was being treated with less respect by some of my colleagues than I had been before I changed roles.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and the Employee Experience
One of the best ways to understand how an organization is treating the people who work within it is to directly ask the employees themselves. “Staff experience” surveys are a useful tool to gauge how employees perceive their workplace
Thoughts on Excellent Facilitation and Love
More and more often, it seems like I am the messy person in the meeting: you know, the one who has something (or more often some feeling) that feels so important to express that I can’t read the room. I especially can’t see that the discussion is winding to a close, or that others in the meeting are beyond tired; or, worst of all, that my point was actually made by someone else fifteen minutes ago. This is where good facilitation comes in. I have always been aware that excellent facilitation requires a degree of intuition and compassion, and I realized recently that it also requires love. Messy contributions can be made valuable with the help of skilled and, yes, loving facilitation.
Resetting Board Systems and Culture: A Quick Guide
Board work can sometimes seem like a big challenge. I often open a workshop with a newly forming group with an activity in which the goal is to set a tent pole on the ground together, while the participants have also been told to keep their fingers in contact with the pole. It sounds simple, but in practice it can be very difficult. What’s more important? The goal of the individual or the goal of the group? If the group doesn’t focus on its shared objective, it will not be able to set the tent pole on the ground.
Board Trainings Tackle Trust and Conflict: January webinars build leadership skills
Welcome to 2023! As your co-op board of directors reflects on the past year and refreshes for the upcoming one, don’t forget that Columinate’s Cooperative Board Leadership Development program (CBLD) is here to support your work. For nineteen years, this award-winning program has been a resource to co-op boards across the country, providing monthly consulting, facilitated board retreats, and a robust lineup of engaging, relevant webinars. In January, CBLD is kicking off its fresh slate of webinars with sessions focused on building trust and navigating conflict.