By Sarah Dahl 180 Sept-Oct 2015 There are two commonly seen staffing problems in co-ops that may at first seem unrelated: At Co-op A, sales had been declining for the last few years. Personnel costs, unfortunately, had not been declining, leaving the co-op in a tough position. The finance manager, who had been with the co-op for the last 15 years, decided it was [...]
Succinct introduction to the Four Pillars of Cooperative Governance: Teaming, Accountable Empowerment, Democracy and Strategic Leadership, and how these concepts strengthen co-ops and communities. This video is a fantastic resource for board training and team-building sessions.
In a world where smart, fast, moves are a marketplace necessity, strategic leadership creates shared agreement regarding the future vision.
Since River Valley Market in Northampton, Mass. opened seven years ago, the co-op has been in a continual growth cycle. Current president of the board, Dorian Gregory, said that when the co-op opened they’d hoped it would be a success. By all accounts, the cooperative has outstripped projections, and now she said, “The question for the board is what is our co-op’s vision for [...]
The River Valley Market Co-op in Northampton, MA has seen skyrocketing growth since they opened their doors as a startup in 2008. Hear from their GM and Board President about what kinds of impacts RVM has been able to create as a result of building a successful, thriving co-op market, and listening to and serving the needs of their membership.
Alex Gyori, GM at Brattleboro Food Co-op in Vermont, has a confession to make, he doesn't get good ideas. With perhaps this one notable exception.
Hear from 5 different GMs as they answer the question" What will it take for your co-op to thrive into the future? What should we take with us? What should we leave behind on the journey?" Rita York Hennecke, Community Mercantile, Lawrence, KS Dan Gillotte, Wheatsville Co-op, Austin, TX Steve Watts, Los Alamos Food Co-op, Los Alamos, MN Ben Kuzma, Boise Food Co-op, Boise, [...]
For many years GreenStar Natural Foods Market “peacefully coexisted” with its local competition in Ithaca, New York. As more conventional grocers are wooing the natural food consumer with convenience and price points, the pressure is on. Brandon Kane, the co-op’s general manager has responded with a focus on community, diversity, collaboration and efficient operations. “We want to overcome our elitist perception,” Kane said, as [...]
Informed by the high-level perspective he has from working with a wide array of co-op boards throughout the U.S., Mark Goehring of CBLD fame, has some sage words for co-ops and cooperators everywhere. He breaks his talk down into 4 key points: Roles, Transparency, Change, and Growing Co-ops vs. “Going Corporate.” Mark discusses the question: What is bold leadership going to look like? In [...]
