Category Archives: Governance

Co-op Wars: Lessons for the Future from the Past

Posted on November 9, 2020 by John McNamara

During the 1970s, I was a child and missed most of the craziness of that era. I only received driver’s license after the election of Ronald Reagan in the fall of 1980 which largely marks the end of the “’60s”. … Continue reading →

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Sociocracy: The Worker Co-op Operating System

Posted on November 26, 2019 by John McNamara

Over the last couple of years, I have had the incredible opportunity to work with Sociocracy For All (SoFA). This organization has worked diligently to bring the concepts of sociocracy out of the “best kept secret” category and into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Governance, Management, worker co-ops | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Participation Reward

Posted on November 1, 2019 by John McNamara

In the Blueprint for a Co-op Decade, one of the five pillars is “participation” with the stated goal: ““Elevate participation within membership and governance to a new level”. I am not sure how this will be measured or even if … Continue reading →

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Teamwork vs. Collaboration

Posted on September 8, 2014 by John McNamara

One of my weekly “must-reads” includes the Monday Morning Memo from the “Wizard of Ads” marketing guru Roy H. Williams. His weekly thoughts offer insight into the world of advertising and the human condition. Often illuminating, the Wizard delves into … Continue reading →

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Governance of Worker and Producer Cooperatives

Posted on September 30, 2013 by John McNamara

Earlier this month, I had the honor of representing US worker cooperatives on a panel about governance at the International Cooperative Governance Symposium held at the Sobey School of Busines, St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Bob Cannell of … Continue reading →

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Getting Back to Normal?

Posted on April 16, 2012 by John McNamara

I am looking forward to the future! For the last nine months, I have been in the role of General Manager of my co-operative. It has been a very difficult time made more difficult by the ebbs and flows of … Continue reading →

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The Co-operative Index

Posted on August 24, 2010 by John McNamara

One of the last workshops of the National Worker Co-operative Conference introduced the Co-operative Index to a United States audience. Before going into the details of this tool, it needs to have a bit of the history explained. In 2005, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Governance, Movement | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

A Tool in the Wrong Hands

Posted on May 24, 2010 by John McNamara

I’ve written about the concept of the New Mutualism. This idea was proposed by the Cooperative Party UK in the 1970’s as an alternative to nationalizing industries or privatizing essential services. After Thatcher, it popped up again. There is an … Continue reading →

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The Guiding Light

Posted on May 10, 2010 by John McNamara

Over the last several months, I have used this space to discuss the two core documents for worker co-operatives: The Statement on the Co-operative Identity and the CICOPA Declaration on Worker Co-operatives. Worker co-operative practitioners need to read these documents. … Continue reading →

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#25: The Internationalist Nature of Co-operatives

Posted on March 1, 2010 by John McNamara

Over the last 6 months,  I have been working my way through the Statement on the Co-operative Identity that the International Co-operative Alliance adopted at the 1995 meeting which also commemorated its first century of service. This statement solidified the … Continue reading →

Posted in Identity Statement Series, Movement | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment