Carolee Colter and Mark Mulcahy previously presented a series of webinars for Canadian Health Food Association on “The Rewards of a Burnout-free Workplace.” They recommended that store owners and managers hold “Care Interviews” built on five questions, with each of their staff members. Here’s how a Care Interview might go.
No matter how closely you work with your staff, there are some things they may not tell you. There’s a power balance, even though we don’t like to admit it. Your staff may not be afraid of anything so obvious as getting fired for expressing criticism. But they may fear a loss of comfort and friendliness around their boss. They may think, “Better [...]
As the competitive environment continues to heat up around us, there is increased competition for employees as well as food dollars. By creating a continuously improving workplace environment where all voices are heard and feedback is taken seriously, co-op managers can help ensure that the competition doesn't lure away your talented, passionate and experienced employees. Become a Better Employer An Employee Survey can [...]
By Michael Healy 184 May-June 2016 Co-ops bring to life their member-owners’ common values, and for most co-ops these include a desire for the co-op to be a great workplace. In the event that your co-op’s board of directors hears employees assert that something is amiss in the workplace, how will the board react? One end of the range of options often involves the [...]
By Michael Healy 182 January-February 2016 As a director, you may notice or hear things about your co-op that may be cause for concern—or are at least worth asking about. How can you respond in a way that honors your sense of responsibility, your board’s clear delegation to the general manager (GM), and your GM’s professional judgment? Here is an approach that opens [...]
Look anywhere on the internet and you’ll find all kinds statistics on the high cost of turnover. However, not all turnover is unwanted. Despite your best efforts, sometimes bad hires are made, or performance drops off. But what about those staff you don’t want to see leave for greener pastures? While there is lots of general advice around for how to keep employees happy, [...]
CBLD Policy Template and other resources (links to the CBLD Library) GM Report Support: Staff Treatment Related articles in Cooperative Grocer Colter, Carolee, and Mary Courteau. “Counting on Co-op Employees.” Cooperative Grocer #141, March-April 2009. Scholl, Marilyn. “The Board Role in the Accountability Stream.” Cooperative Grocer #130, May-June 2007.
Board president David Woo of Weaver’s Way food co-op in Philadelphia, Penn. said that while the staff treatment policy is part and parcel of all the management limitation policies, he thinks that this particular policy can also function as an example to the greater community. It shows that the co-op values its employees and has high standards for human resources. “Consumer co-ops should be [...]
