Co-op News (August 2019)
What is co-operative culture - and why does it matter? This issue looks at how co-op values intersect with the values in organisations, across movements and between countries. Plus 100 years of the Channel Islands Co-operative – and how the new Coop Exchange app is tackling the capital conundrum.
What is co-operative culture - and why does it matter? This issue looks at how co-op values intersect with the values in organisations, across movements and between countries. Plus 100 years of the Channel Islands Co-operative – and how the new Coop Exchange app is tackling the capital conundrum.
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CO-OP CULTURE IN<br />
LEADERSHIP<br />
The impact of co-<strong>op</strong>erative culture<br />
on leading a business<br />
BY ANCa VOINEA<br />
Suma, the UK’s largest independent<br />
wholefood wholesaler, has recently<br />
embarked on a leadership devel<strong>op</strong>ment<br />
journey – and doing this in a co-<strong>op</strong>erative<br />
way can be a challenging process.<br />
Jenny Carlyle, strategic HR officer at<br />
Suma, shared some of the co-<strong>op</strong>’s key<br />
learnings during a session at <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong><br />
<strong>Co</strong>ngress in Manchester in June.<br />
Suma was converted into a co-<strong>op</strong> in<br />
1977, after its founder sold it to staff<br />
two years after setting it up. Since then,<br />
the business has been run as a worker<br />
co-<strong>op</strong>, <strong>op</strong>erating an equal pay policy.<br />
Ms Carlyle surveyed colleagues to find<br />
out what they thought about leadership.<br />
She found that worker owners wanted<br />
leadership and although they did not<br />
know what that might look like, they<br />
all pointed to the idea of collective<br />
leadership. This approach means that<br />
anybody can be a leader at any time;<br />
individuals step into leadership roles<br />
when appr<strong>op</strong>riate or when there is a need<br />
in the organisation. When that need is<br />
over they will step back and continue<br />
what they were doing before.<br />
“The idea of collective leadership<br />
resonated with our values and principles<br />
and our structure,” said Ms Carlyle.<br />
Meanwhile, the co-<strong>op</strong>’s equal pay<br />
policy meant pe<strong>op</strong>le chose to take extra<br />
roles for the good of the organisation<br />
rather than for financial incentives.<br />
Ms Carlyle started looking at how Suma<br />
could devel<strong>op</strong> collective leadership, and<br />
asking what was st<strong>op</strong>ping pe<strong>op</strong>le from<br />
stepping into leadership roles. The survey<br />
revealed the main barriers were a lack<br />
of support and role clarity, with pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />
stepping in and filling in roles as needed,<br />
without guidance.<br />
In light of this, Suma started<br />
a governance restructure to give pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />
very clear responsibilities. It is now run<br />
by a board of nine pe<strong>op</strong>le, replacing its<br />
former management committee of six.<br />
Those who wish to stand for the board<br />
have to complete a skills assessment in<br />
relation to the job description. <strong>Co</strong>lleagues<br />
also need to second the application and<br />
explain why they think the person is<br />
suitable. The new process was devised<br />
to balance legal responsibilities, good<br />
competence and democratic rights.<br />
Suma has also set up a learning<br />
and devel<strong>op</strong>ment team, looking at<br />
membership skills within the co-<strong>op</strong><br />
and trying to incorporate elements<br />
of coaching and reflective practice.<br />
While still at a very early stage<br />
of leadership devel<strong>op</strong>ment, the co-<strong>op</strong> is<br />
focusing on involving and supporting<br />
everybody wanting more responsibilities.<br />
Ms Carlyle says a key lessons is that it<br />
is important to identify what leadership<br />
means for an organisation and what<br />
leaders are expected to do.<br />
“Tailor existing leadership<br />
devel<strong>op</strong>ment literature to your skills and<br />
organisation,” she told delegates.<br />
Elsewhere in the movement,<br />
Lincolnshire <strong>Co</strong>-<strong>op</strong> is recruiting pe<strong>op</strong>le<br />
at mid-career stage, particularly in food<br />
store and managerial roles.<br />
“They come from the plc world with<br />
the expectation to invest massively in<br />
technology, not necessarily in pe<strong>op</strong>le or<br />
values,” said Heather Lee, the society’s<br />
head of pe<strong>op</strong>le and performance.<br />
With its purpose in mind, Lincolnshire<br />
devel<strong>op</strong>ed a nine-box talent matrix<br />
to define what they are looking for in<br />
employees. “Devel<strong>op</strong>ing pe<strong>op</strong>le is key to<br />
40 | AUGUST <strong>2019</strong>