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 compelling. Directors are practically the direct descendants of the Rochdale Pioneers. Like their “ancestors,” the goal of cooperative boards is to make their utopian way of thinking about the world a reality.

Think about how grassroots organizations start. A group of leaders who thinks something should be better than the way that it is takes action and asks others to join them. All co-ops share this story; it is part of their heritage. Linking is that very act of joining these leaders and sharing their vision with others.

Many boards quite reasonably have a lot of anxiety about linking and engaging with owners. They want to do it better, but it is a big job without one obvious recipe for success.

Relax! You are linked. Most boards are doing better at owner engagement than they give themselves credit for. Many systems and processes for deep engagement with owners are already in place at the co-op, and chances are you are already using them. The co-op has been intentionally designed to allow people opportunities to participate in making the world a better place. It’s a matter of optimizing those systems. We are linked—we have to pay attention and take greater advantage of what we have in place!

So, what systems do co-ops have that link boards to owners?

Democracy: Co-op owners choose their leaders. Co-op boards are linked to owners from the moment they are elected because they’ve been chosen by members to govern and lead the co-op as through a democratic process. To strengthen this connection, boards can make sure they’re presenting a range of qualified candidates from which to choose and aim for contested elections, making sure that people with a range of solid leadership qualifications are always on the slate, so that the board will be strong and representative of the co-op’s owners regardless of who is elected.

Information About What Owners Do: Co-op owners speak with their actions as much as or more than with their words. Tracking ownership trends like increasing equity, new-owner sign-ups, member loan participation, and sales trends or buying patterns can tell a board a lot about how connected the owners are to the co-op. What’s the percentage of sales to owners at your co-op? How is it changing? Why?  It’s important to look at multiple indicators, not a single one in isolation and look at trends over time, Then use your judgment as to the significance and next steps.

Existing Communication Tools: Take a good look at the communication channels you’re already using: newsletter articles, websites, blogs, annual reports, and the letters that go with patronage dividends. Are they telling a compelling and relevant story?  Whenever the board puts out a communication, it needs to be strategic. Reiterate the co-op’s common values, describe the benefits the co-op provides, connect it to the past and the future, and then ask “Are you with us?” And always include an invitation and methods for  responding. Linking means listening as well as talking.

Interactive Events: Keep in mind that many owners may not want to engage at this level and that’s ok. Don’t create events just to drum up participation – have a purpose and goal. Use events that solicit owner input when the board actually needs to figure something out, that is, when it really is looking for owner input that can affect the outcome of a situation or develop a topic the board is learning about. Special meetings to learn about specific dynamics or trends that might affect current or future co-op owners can be a great engagement link. Don’t forget co-op social events to simply share community! The board can participate in events planned by management and staff to invite owners who are engaged socially to participate more and intrigue people to learn that there’s a lot more at the co-op.

Paying attention to the systems already in place will take our leaders further into the space of board-owner linkage, and they can also let them know if the owners are still with them. By bringing consciousness to a board’s actions as it utilizes these systems, they can enhance them. And by enhancing owner engagement, co-ops can continue to change the world.

 

Discussion Questions

How well does each of the four systems help the board to communicate to owners at your co-op?

What processes and activities within the four systems discussed above does your co-op already have in place?

Do the co-op’s owners understand the impact the co-op makes?

Think of a co-op story the board would like to share with the ownership. In what ways/how would you share it?

 

 

Resources

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Making Member Relations the Co-op’s Organizing Principle, Peg Nolan

Three Strategic Concepts, Strategic Concepts for the Guidance of Cooperatives, Brett Fairbairn https://www.coopfoodstore.com/sites/default/files/3_strategic_concepts.pdf

Telling the Board’s Story through the Co-op Marketing Department, Rebecca Torpie