In a mutually owned business, there will be steering committee meetings to form the cooperative and operate the business. It’s best to start out with solid practices to make meetings short, productive, and enjoyable. These will carry over into the business and set a trend for functional decision-making.
Effective Meetings
How to Hold Effective Meetings
Northwest Cooperative Development Center’s explanation of the key points needed to hold an effective meeting.
Maui Farmers Union Meeting Style This video shows how meetings of the Maui Chapter of the Hawai‘i Farmers Union United are conducted.
Sample Board Meeting Agenda/Minutes Template Use this tool to build your meeting’s agenda; the secretary can take minutes under each section recording primarily actions and decisions with short summaries of important discussions.
Tom’s Presentation Tom Pierson’s short and to-the-point list of things needed to hold and organize an effective meeting.
Effective Meetings Presentation A presentation from Tim O’Connell explaining how to hold an effective meeting.
Characteristics A list of the necessary characteristics of an effective meeting and how to implement them.
Forming a Steering Committee
Operating Agreement for Steering Committees This informal operating agreement helps steering committees develop functional management and operations.
Forming a Steering Committee Six tips on forming a steering committee from Bill Patrie, Common Enterprise Development Corporation.
Steering Committee Presentation A presentation on forming a steering committee from Tim O’Connell.
Group Decision Making
Robert’s Rules of Order A simple guide to effective and fair group decision making, by General Henry M. Robert.
Sociocracy Tools
Sociocracy was popularized by John Buck’s We the People detailing a more efficient way of democracy. The co-op movement has found this method effective for boards, especially the voting and facilitation techniques.
Facilitating Consensus Some groups have the patience to come to better decisions, but it requires a formal system of consensus to be effective.
The Dynamics of Group Decision Making This chapter gives an in-depth analysis and tips on how to work with a group of people’s divergent ideas to build common goals and effective group decision-making dynamics.