Not so long ago, Agriterra planned a program for cooperative managers from developing parts of the world dubbed “Masterclass cooperative management”. The program was meant to empower the selected participants and give them the necessary tools to enable them steer their respective cooperatives to greater heights in the near future. Wilfred Chepkwony, business advisor in Kenia, wrote a blog about it.
Lessons from ‘Masterclass cooperative management’
The program was like a week’s executive training delivered in the best business schools in the world. Why? Because during the week the participating managers were receiving presentations and having panel discussions with some of the best CEOs of cooperatives in the Netherlands.
Prior to the said program week, these cooperative managers had already pre-developed their main learning objectives and when they were summarised one of the main topics they wished addressed centred on the role they should play in shaping the strategic direction of their respective cooperatives. Leaders of different cooperatives in Kenya and the larger East Africa including many other stakeholders have always believed that board of directors are the ones tasked with defining the strategic direction of their various cooperative organisations.
However, what the participants saw during the week was an absolute contrast where the management team took it upon themselves to formulate a strategy, work around it and refine it until they are convinced that they’ve found what they would be working towards the next few years. They then document it and take it to the board of directors for approval; all along though there were some irregular consultations between the two bodies.
Lessons from these successful cooperatives has been vital for the participating managers, they’ve been able to see that they have a much bigger role in shaping the strategic direction of their cooperatives than they, their board and even other close stakeholders thought. Looking back in retrospect, its deservedly their role since they are the people who are on the business everyday, they are professional in their respective fields and are backed up by even qualified colleagues in management hence the reason to allow them run this mandate.
Wilfred Chepkwony, business advisor Kenia
