Cooperatives.

Embed the principles. Live the collaboration.

A cooperative approach at its most fundamental level implies working together to achieve a common objective. We help coops maximize their potential through sustainable growth, whole-organization idea- and resource-sharing, and stakeholder commitment.

Discovery
  • Increase the clarity of your cooperative vision and mission
  • Align more thoroughly with co-op principles
  • Optimize collaboration
  • Reduce costs and improve operating efficiencies
Results-focused
  • Improve your response to rapidly changing markets
  • Generate productive alliances and partnerships
  • Enhance risk avoidance and problem-solving
  • Apply whole-organization growth strategy
Benefits
  • Collaborative decisions replace win-lose voting
  • Clear  performance goals and measures generate business success
  • Effective and participatory self-management embodies co-op values

Feels Natural

Sociocracy is a process that feels natural. It's like getting a new game from the toy store. Some games you're agonizing over the rule book trying to figure it out. Other games you're playing within 15 minutes – sociocracy is like that. A person coming into the company can quickly plug in. And the decision making process speaks for itself.

Joe Garrison, Co-owner, Blue Scorcher Bakery & Cafe cooperative

The Sociocracy Consulting Group
2017-06-27T15:41:15-07:00

Joe Garrison, Co-owner, Blue Scorcher Bakery & Cafe cooperative

Sociocracy is a process that feels natural. It's like getting a new game from the toy store. Some games you're agonizing over the rule book trying to figure it out. Other games you're playing within 15 minutes – sociocracy is like that. A person coming into the company can quickly plug in. And the decision making process speaks for itself.
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The Sociocracy Consulting Group

An Innovative Community Leader

Before adopting sociocracy, Rainbow Community School had a flagging reputation and struggled to fill empty enrollment slots. Since adopting sociocracy, enrollment has almost doubled and there is a long waitlist. The size of its campus has doubled, and the school has gained a reputation for being an innovative community leader.

Renee Owen, Executive Director, Rainbow Community School, Asheville, North Carolina

The Sociocracy Consulting Group
2017-06-27T15:26:37-07:00

Renee Owen, Executive Director, Rainbow Community School, Asheville, North Carolina

Before adopting sociocracy, Rainbow Community School had a flagging reputation and struggled to fill empty enrollment slots. Since adopting sociocracy, enrollment has almost doubled and there is a long waitlist. The size of its campus has doubled, and the school has gained a reputation for being an innovative community leader.
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The Sociocracy Consulting Group

Collective ownership doesn't have to be difficult. We help you align with your vision and values as well as your business success.

Discovery

Co-ops represent the future of the new economy - bringing our economy back to community scale, and bringing the wisdom of community to larger economic contexts.  At any scale, co-ops focus on empowering all members, and returning value to their community as well as their clients.

Effective and participatory self-management is difficult, but is fundamental to how a co-op is meant to function. In all types of cooperatives, members expect a voice in running the organization. Corporate business structures rarely provide space for that voice. Even with more egalitarian business structures, decision making using win-lose voting systems exacerbates the problem. As a result members become disappointed, frustrated, even resentful, and organizational viability suffers.

We’ve seen low morale due to ineffective or nonexistent self-management. We’ve seen co-ops turn around, increasing benefits to clients and communities, by applying effective self-management practices. We can help your co-op thrive by implementing processes and structures built on equivalence, transparency, and effectiveness. Besides the essential business benefits, you get greater alignment with cooperative principles and avoid polarizing effects of voting-based decision methods.