Join us for the November 9 Columinate Co-op Cafe!

Within our organizations, we spend much time trying to do more and add on to things, in an effort to feel like we’re making progress. We have more money, let’s hire more staff! Not enough people from the neighborhood are shopping, let’s offer a new benefit. We got in trouble for not carrying an East African staple in our grocery store, now we have so many that we are a new competitor to the East African market on the other side of town. We add, add, and add.

Considering capitalism’s unending pursuit of profit and growth, it’s not a surprise that we believe the best solution to solving problems is to add something new. Capitalism also produces our hustle and grind culture, which tells us to do more, buy more, and strive harder. Most of us in the United States are socialized to pursue and maximize these options at all costs—environmental destruction, racial injustice, xenophobia, and so many other harms. Just the other day, a friend was telling me that when she has a day with nothing scheduled, where she does “nothing,” she feels excruciatingly guilty at the end of it. No wonder we are always trying to add on!

Capitalism tells us that we’re only as good as whatever we’re producing. But what do we lose when we sacrifice the space and time to actually do less?

1. When asked to name what to stop doing to prevent an unwanted result, some participants struggle. The pull to default to adding something takes over. We even got a little chuckle out of one group, which suggested that they “stop not educating staff”—a sneaky workaround!

2. Having this conversation sets up some participants to get unstuck about a real situation they are going through. These folks are eager to go back to their teams with a new observation or recommendation: “We should stop doing…”

3. The group process of thinking about what to stop doing or take away yields creative and innovative solutions to problems that are common across organizations.

4. Participants feel less siloed when they realize that others in the same or different industries are experiencing similar challenges.  We’re all human!

On November 9, 2023, we’ll have the last Columinate Co-op Cafe of the year, exploring the topic of creative destruction. Are you up for the challenge? Learn more by visiting the event webpage.

Finally, a thank you with grateful acknowledgment to National Co+op Grocers, which continues to provide essential support that makes the Co-op Cafe possible.