Where we are headed matters. If we don’t know where we are going any road will do. A primary responsibility of a board is to define the reason for the organization’s existence. What are we here for? What should be different because we exist? For whom? For a board that uses Policy Governance®, Ends are written policies which define a) results, outcomes or benefits [...]
By Carolee Colter, Jeanie Wells 162 September-October 2012 As we go about our work of assessing organizational structures and conducting employee surveys in food co-ops, we frequently encounter an ongoing struggle between the marketing department (or lone marketing staff person) and the heads of the sales departments. Comments we’ve heard from marketing staff: The departments just don’t seem to understand that I’m trying to [...]
Table of Contents (links to youtube) Chapter 1: Governance = Accountability and Empowerment Chapter 2: Understanding Ends and their Role in PG Chapter 3: How to Write Effective Compelling Ends Policy Chapter 4: Effective Ends Policies: "Before & After" Chapter 5: Summary & Resources
Madeline Rogero, Mayor City of Knoxville, TN Mayor Rogero tells an important story about the partnership between the Three Rivers Market Co-op and the City of Knoxville. The results of that partnership have been fruitful for all involved including the members, the citizens, the co-op and the City.
Brett Fairbairn, Fellow in Cooperative Thought & Ideas [bio] Centre for the Study of Cooperatives at University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, SK, Canada "Change is the new normal", says Professor Fairbairn. And it's up to us and our imaginations to stay on top of all this change. By considering cooperative ventures as both enterprises and associations, we can think about adapting nimbly to both [...]
Wheatsville Food Co-op has always had big dreams to have multiple locations— going back to the days since it was founded. Now they are in a position to begin to make them come true. The co-op has, as general manager Dan Gillotte put it, “solidified home base” with its latest renovation and is primed to branch out into multiple locations. This has been an [...]
Tom Webb, Manager Masters of Cooperatives and Credit Unions at St. Mary's University Halifax, NS, Canada Professor Webb has unique perspectives which he brings to the topic of the Cooperative Difference [chapter 1]. He shares with us his compelling vision for a truly Cooperative Economy [chapter 2]. And poses a challenge to help spread the cooperative model across all sectors [chapter 3]. [...]
Charles Gould, Director-General International Cooperative Alliance Geneva, Switzerland Mr. Gould is looking a little further out than 2012. He sees IYC as a springboard into growing the cooperative business model for decades to come.
Clem Nilan, General Manager City Market Onion River Co-op Ed Antczak, Economic Development Specialist City of Burlington Community & Economic Development Office Look at what is possible when there's the political will to cooperate! The City of Burlington, VT, and the Onion River Co-op, in a brilliant display of cooperation on a civic level, have forged a partnership now 10 years strong.
This process is a variation of the one described in the “Boards Acting on Ends Reports” Field Guide. Not all limitations monitoring reports will warrant this extra attention, but sometimes this approach can elevate the board’s monitoring work from basic fiduciary oversight into a more meaningful strategic conversation. Along with determining whether the report demonstrates reasonable accomplishment, the board can use a structured process [...]
