In partnership with People Support Co-op and adapted as five online chapters here, 'From Conflict to Co-operation' has been consulted over the years by many worker cooperators. It aims to help cooperatives to deal not only with conflict when it arises, but also to avoid unnecessary conflict by:
- Improving communication skills
- Improving meetings and decision-making
- Managing change caused by organisational growth and development
- Clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the committee or board.
It's aimed primarily at ‘flat’, democratically-managed cooperatives, small or large. However, it will be useful for any groups working democratically.Whilst it’s true that good governance will help cooperatives avoid many of the conflicts which can arise when a group of people work together, it’s also important to think about how we behave within the systems and processes of governance, using co-operative skills to improve communication, meetings and decision-making.There are many types of co-operative enterprise, so some of the issues and problems described may not apply directly to your situation - but they may help your thinking in general about how you address conflict in your cooperative.