Survey: Help Tell the Real Story of General Manager Sustainability in Food Co-ops

For this text, ‘GM’ will be the term used when speaking of co-op GMs, CEOs and any top staff position that reports directly to the co-op board.

If you have ever been a General Manager (GM) or worked closely with one, you know the role carries a lot. It is not just about operations. It is about people, pressure, expectations and often being the emotional center of the co-op. Burnout in the GM role is still too often treated like a personal issue instead of something shaped by how our co-ops are structured and supported.

This survey was created to learn directly from the people who have lived or are living the role. It is not being conducted on behalf of any organization. The responses will be used to create resources that better support GMs and to share real experiences that can help reduce burnout across the cooperative system. The goal is to move the conversation from what is wrong with the GM to what needs to change around the GM and the GM role overall.

The survey can take up to 30 minutes to complete and includes both multiple choice and open response questions. I have only made the multiple-choice questions required, but I really encourage completing the open responses too (I encourage all my fellow long-winded folks to bask in your long-windedness). If you prefer to be interviewed versus completing the survey, please reach out to me. All responses from the survey are anonymous and are not being conducted on behalf of any organization. Results will only be aggregated by me. At the end of the survey, there is an optional place to share your contact information if you would be interested in joining a future panel or being interviewed about your experience. Results from the survey are expected to be released by the end of this year and will first be shared via Garlic and Roses, Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) and other entities offering co-op’s access to information that is not solely bound to paywalls. Raw data will not be shared.

If you are a current GM, former GM or interim GM, your voice matters. Your experience can help shape better support systems for the current and next generation of cooperative leaders. Please share this survey link widely with current or former co-op GMs in your network.

Thank you for helping build and rebuild a safer, more honest and sustainable future for co-op leadership. Here is the link to the survey!

Go drink some water.

In community,

Gabby