Building Consensus - Co-op Creator

Early Stages

How to start a co-operative: a step-by-step guide Creating an action plan What is a steering committee, and what does it do? Choosing a business structure: A questionnaire How to name your co-op: a by-province guide Transitioning a Business to a Co-operative Co-operative Members and Governance Choosing a Co-op Type Hosting a Community Meeting Focusing Ideas for Your Co-operative Co-operative Business Model Comparison with Other Models Building Consensus

Incorporating

A Guide to writing Rules of Association in BC Guide to Writing a Financial Plan

A Guide to writing co-op bylaws in Manitoba

Guide to writing Bylaws in Saskatchewan

Guide to Federal Bylaws

Choosing a ‘Co-op Type’ and its Impact on Your Business Incorporating a co-op in Western Canada — a provincial comparison Incorporation time frame Articles and bylaws (video) Choosing a name (video) Why should you incorporate your co-op? (video) Shaping your Co-op’s Identity Incorporation Checklist

Business Planning

Do a PESTLE Analysis How to find new co-op members How to create a governance structure Creating a Preliminary Budget — A Guide Building a Business Model Canvas Risk Identification and Management Legal Risks for Co-op Start Ups How to write a value proposition Why create a business plan? (video) Roles and Responsibilities Business Planning Pitch Practice How to allocate your co-op’s profits Co-operative Members and Governance

Financing

How to handle share capital in a co-op Debt vs Equity (video) Tax Treatment of Co-operative Businesses Ongoing Capitalization Guide to Writing a Financial Plan Financing your Co-operative Business Budgeting and Co-operatives

Up and Running

How to issue dividends Three AGM Resolutions Every Co-op Needs for their Annual General Meeting What you need to know for your first AGM How to Waive an Audit Sample Board Duties How to Build a Board Calendar How to write a Board of Directors’ Code of Conduct Write a compliance checklist Creating a Terms of Reference Creating a Strategic Plan Creating a Human Resources Policy Free Online Governance Course Creating a Conflict of Interest Policy Board of Directors Evaluations Board Member Recruitment Board Decision-Making Exercise How to allocate your co-op’s profits

How to write a Board of Directors’ Code of Conduct Write a compliance checklist

A Guide to Co-operative Insurance How to Read Financial Statements Keeping track of members in a co-op Everything you need to know about managing records Board Governance Tips for Indigenous Co-operatives Sample Bookkeeper Contract How to write a Board of Directors’ Code of Conduct Write a compliance checklist How to issue dividends Sample Co-op Equity Statement How to write a communication plan Member Engagement and Onboarding Guidelines for co-operative elections Filing your Annual Return Co-operative Annual General Meetings Ongoing Capitalization How to allocate your co-op’s profits

Additional Resources

Pacific Economic Development Canada Goparity Co-ops and charitable status Prairies Economic Development Canada

Back

Building Consensus

Building consensus in a co-operative business can be important for its sustainability, especially in early development. Encouraging people to participate in a co-operative’s decision-making process is a good way to build engagement and buy-in. Facilitated meetings are often the default method of getting information and input from a group. But exploring other methods, such as a dotmocracy exercise, may be more engaging and fun for participants.

While this type of decision-making will not work for all decisions, it’s important to recognize when more streamlined approaches are needed. When deciding on core values, mission statements, or the name of a co-operative, inclusive, active, and engaging exercises — like the one below — work well. Check out the dotmocracy activity below.

Naming a co-operative – Dotmocracy exercise

What you’ll need:

Whiteboard/flipchart
Writing materials
Sticky notes (medium-large)
Small stickers (dot size)
Energetic participants with lots of ideas

How to do the exercise:

Explain the purpose of the exercise (in this case, to decide on a name for the co-operative).
Encourage those present to come up with 1-3 potential names for the co-op.
Place all the suggestions on a board where everyone can see them.
Give participants one dot (sticker) and have them place the sticker on their favourite suggested name (hopefully, everyone will not choose their own suggestion).
Keep the five highest scoring suggestions and have the group vote again.
If there is a clear winner, select that as a working name and discuss it with the group.

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