Steve Breckheimer, Board Member at Hendersonville Community Co-op in Hendersonville, NC describes two different versions of what alignment can look like and why alignment is so critical to Ends accomplishment. Then he tells a story of Hendersonville's successful engagement and outreach around a capital campaign to help grow their food co-op and impact.
Brett Fairbairn, co-op thought-leader, breaks down what it looks like when the co-op, it's members, and the marketplace are not in alignment and why it's so important that they all be in alignment.
When we examine the process of alignment and how it works, it seems straightforward. For example, board and management come together for learning and discussion about the future of the co-op and share an agreed-upon purpose. Of course, things don’t end there. But predicated upon board-management alignment is the awareness that what the board and management is doing is fulfilling the aspirations of the [...]
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 are lacking for either party, chances of working together will be fraught with conflict or misunderstanding. It will be hard for the co-op to grow or move forward, and [...]
With Appearances by: Bill Gessner, Expansion Consultant, CDS Consulting Co-op John Hatton, Board Chair, Brattleboro Food Co-op Alex Gyori, GM, Brattleboro Food Co-op Hether Jonna, Board Chair, People's Kalamazoo Chris Dilley, GM, People's Kalamazoo Margo O'Brien, GM, St. Peter Food Co-op Kim Davis, Board Chair, Three Rivers Market
By Art Sherwood 163 November-December 2012 Expansion and growth are on the minds of many cooperative board and management leaders. And this makes sense, since growing our cooperatives’ abilities to deliver on their organizational Ends is of critical strategic importance. It certainly was on our minds at Bloomingfoods Co-op (Bloomington, Ind.) this last year as we addressed growing to include a fourth store and [...]
