CAUTION:
Collective Management Team at Work

by Lynne lekakis

The new management structure at the Coop was put in place on January 27. It was an occasion without pomp, but nevertheless auspicious and truly exciting. Some of the staff and even members of the Management Team expressed that they felt scared, but at the same time found big smiles on their faces. I think many of us feel this way, and we imagine it will take months for the structure to sink in, stretch, grow, and get comfortable. Why, even the name of this decision-making body is still up in the air, with many permutations of "collective," "management" and "team" from which to choose. This collective construct features twelve members at this writing. They are: Membership Coordinator, Point-of-Sale Administrator, Cheese- & Specialty Manager, Deli Manager, Produce Manager, Grocery Manager, Bulk Manager, Finance Manager, HaBA Manager, Human Resources Coordinator, Front-End Manager, and the newly formed position of Operations Administration Coordinator (OAC).

The OAC position was added to the collective to facilitate the group, to identify and interpret financial issues and bring them back to the group, and to attend to some operations issues at the store (among other things). The Board and the Management Team were delighted to interview two qualified candidates before Valentine's Day, and by the time you read this, we may have indeed filled the position.

"No one is wise enough by himself."
-Titus Maccius Plautus

The idea of a collective fits in well with the ideals of a cooperative. Putting it into practice in an environment that hasn't lately operated that way may be challenging. It's difficult to embrace the idea that two heads are better than one. It takes a special perspective to believe in that Plautus quote. It's even harder to operate that way, but we believe we can do it. Decisions will be based on the needs of the Coop, and individual concerns and decisions will be secondary. The collective members are empowered to make individual departmental decisions and group decisions affecting the whole Coop.

We've worked hard to respond to members and staff who have consistently said that no one should be in charge of the Coop. Ideally, the Board of Directors will continue making policy decisions and the Management Team, with the help of the staff, would run the store. The Management Team and the Board will be working closely together during this period of transition, and will make available any resources required. We hope that taking this first step in distributing the power, if you will, can help the environment become more inclusive to the rest of the staff and to the membership. We'd be delighted if more work teams solved problems or made recommendations.

We realize that the change will at first be hardest on the staff. Thanks to the staff for their patience while the communication channels are sorted out and the collective takes shape. We're doing the best we can, and can probably use your help. Member workers may also experience some confusion, and we know that these problems will be remedied shortly. Please feel free to fill out a suggestion or contact a Board member if you have any ideas or issues you'd like to share.

Back to index

CoopScoop Home
CoopScoop Archives
Behind the Scoop
Guidelines for Article
     Submission