The Common Share

By Co-operatives FirstBusiness

The Common Share episodes

March 27, 2019 Leadership in Co-operatives
In this episode we speak with Cecile Green and Rebecca Fisher-McGinty from consulting firm Round Sky Solutions. Round Sky is a worker co-op that trains co-operative leaders in democratic, self-managing processes; we had a great discussion about the unique attributes and challenges of leadership in co-ops.
30 min
March 08, 2019 A Conversation with Co-op Developer Patrick Lapointe
In this episode we speak to long-time co-op developer and advocate, Patrick Lapointe. As the former Executive Director (and now board member) of the Community Health Services Association of Saskatoon, recipient of a Saskatchewan Cooperative Association Co-operative Merit Award in 2011, and an SCA co-op developer, Lapointe knows a great deal about getting co-ops started. He talks to us about some interesting co-ops he's helped over the years, the process of creating a co-op, and the challenges that new co-ops face — particularly in the North.
22 min
February 07, 2019 The Future of Co-ops? A conversation with Nathan Schneider
Welcome to Season 2 of The Common Share! We're starting this season with an exciting guest that we know you'll enjoy. Academic and journalist Nathan Schneider recently stopped by the Co-operatives First office to talk about his latest book, Everything for Everyone: The Radical Tradition that is Shaping the Next Economy, as well as his 2018 MacPherson Talk at the University of Saskatchewan.

Schneider's expertise in the co-op model — especially the rise and potential of platform co-ops — makes for some fascinating insights about the future of co-operatives and their place in the economy. This episode will lead you to think about co-ops in new and exciting ways.
25 min
December 21, 2018 Holiday Special: How Co-ops Give Back
The holidays are a time of giving, when people often think about donating to charitable causes. As businesses rooted in their communities, co-ops are great at giving back and responding to the needs of local people. For this special holiday episode we speak to people from three different co-operatives about how they work to improve the lives of people in their communities.
20 min
September 17, 2018 The Backroad Diaries episode, with Sisan Fregene
Aasa and Kyle are joined in this episode by Sisan Fregene, who spent the summer working on The Backroad Diaries. This Co-operatives First project uses video and other media to highlight Western Canadian communities and how they are impacted by their co-operatives. We talk to Sisan about his travels around the Western provinces, what he’s learned about co-ops, and get some insights into his love of filmmaking and storytelling.
21 min
August 31, 2018 Fred Khonje's Five Lessons about Co-op Development
Fred Khonje’s career has spanned the areas of community economic development, non-profit co-op housing, co-op and social enterprise business development, housing policy development, and social financing. As a former Co-op Development Officer with the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association, Fred supported the development of more than 25 emerging and existing co-ops. He joined us in the studio to offer his insights, and share the top five lessons he learned about setting up co-operatives during his time in co-op development.
24 min
August 15, 2018 A Conversation with Dr. Brett Fairbairn
Dr. Brett Fairbairn has been researching co-operatives for over 30 years; as a Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, he has become one of the most notable academics in his field, with over 80 publications. Dr. Fairbairn will be leaving the University of Saskatchewan this year to take the position of President and Vice-Chancellor at Thompson Rivers University in BC; before he goes, we wanted to capture some of his reflections from his career in co-ops and share them with you! An experienced historian and much-loved professor, listening to Dr. Fairbairn is always a privilege – we think you’re really going to enjoy this one.
36 min
July 31, 2018 Member Engagement
Kyle, Dan, and Aasa discuss what member engagement looks like for co-operatives, given how many difference types of co-ops – and different types of members – there are. Is membership engagement just about getting messages out to members, or do co-ops need to be actively listening to members as well? What are the best ways to do that?
29 min
July 16, 2018 Five big ideas for leveraging the co-operative advantage in a rapidly changing world
In this episode, Aasa sat down with Dr. Dionne Pohler (https://dionnepohler.com/biography)
to discuss her keynote speech from the Saskatchewan Co-operative Association’s 2018 conference.
Dr. Pohler’s address touched on five big ideas that co-operatives should keep in mind, given the unpredictable social, economic, and technological atmosphere in which we currently live. Her five ideas are:
• Good governance is about more than strategic planning, oversight, and risk management
• Avoid falling into the “growth trap”
• The short-term business case for diversity is weak and it downplays the hard work required to foster inclusiveness in organizations
• Organizations need to embrace conflict
• Co-operation and self-interest are two sides of the same coin.
Dr. Pohler is an assistant professor from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, and a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives at the University of Saskatchewan.
28 min
July 04, 2018 The Importance of Board Diversity
In the last episode in our series on board governance, Audra, Kyle, and Aasa talk about the importance of diversity on boards. Having people with different backgrounds, life experience, and skills helps ensure fresh perspectives on planning and problem-solving; we draw on personal experiences to discuss issues around recruiting diverse boards and making sure there is space at the table for people to contribute.
20 min

About The Common Share

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to The Common Share, a podcast about the opportunities and challenges of developing co-operative businesses. The Common Share is produced by Co-operatives First, a business development…