DEI Statement | Updates | Message from the General Manager | DEI Strategic Goals & Objectives | Timeline | Our Process | Get Involved | DEI Dashboard
DEI STATEMENT
The Seven Cooperative Principles that guide our daily work are rooted in equity. Principle One, “Voluntary, Open Ownership,” means that we are open to all without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination. Principle Seven, “Concern For The Community,” leads us to work for the sustainable development of our communities. We prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion to reflect our employees, customers, partners, and suppliers as well as the communities we serve.
UPDATES
Last updated: 10.26.23
Work Group Project Updates
In the third quarter of 2023, the Owner & Community Engagement workgroup completed the following projects:
- Owner Survey evaluation (continued) and commitments based on feedback. We continued to evaluate results from the survey, and then we shared them along with what changes we plan to make based on what Owners told us they liked and what they want us to work on. Read the article here.
- Store accessibility audit and actions taken. We asked Access to Independence, an organization that works to increase the choices available to people with disabilities who live in south-central Wisconsin, to conduct an accessibility audit in our three stores. We received the results at the beginning of this year and completed work on all but two of the recommendations. We shared the information in our August newsletter and in a short social media reel.
- Staff training about community impact. One way that staff members learn about Co-op information is through a digital training platform (Axonify), which makes learning into frequent short games. We created one of these games to build staff awareness around some of the ongoing ways we give back to our community.
Here’s what this Retail & Supply Chain Strategy Workgroup has been focused on through Quarter 3 of 2023:
- Continued our work on the Inclusive Trade Program:
- Refining back end systems to maintain and update the data.
- The workgroup reviewed the Product Selection Philosophy and the Product team is now working on reviewing and updating.
- We’ve begun discussions and planning surrounding the workgroup’s focus and goals for 2024.
In the third quarter of 2023, the Employee Engagement workgroup accomplished five workgroup meetings. Throughout those meetings we carefully monitored progress of our goals. We focused on developing an employee engagement program full of activities. Each month the workgroup will organize up to 3 activities. There will be meet up events, such as volunteering in the community or nature hikes, online and virtual events called engagement days such as pet photo day, or international coffee day, and wellness focused events. The workgroup is also exploring other activities, like a monthly staff interview spotlight, a way to highlight staff and help others get to know their co-workers. Volunteer spotlight, a way to promote a staff member who volunteers in the community.
Updated Metrics on DEI Dashboard
We’ve updated the metrics on our DEI Dashboard, where we’ve identified key metrics that we’ll use to measure our progress toward achieving diversity, inclusion, and equity at Willy Street Co-op. This page also includes project updates from our three workgroups mentioned above: Owner & Community Engagement, Retail & Supply Chain Strategy, and Employee Engagement & Development. Learn more about work group goals here.
DEI Heart Work
Read Board member Anthony Hernandez’s Board article—entitled “DEI Heart Work“—from the October 2023 newsletter.
Results of 2023 Owner Survey
In February of 2023, we had our first open survey since before the pandemic. We published the results in the October 2023 newsletter.
MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
August 16, 2023
We partnered with Step Up: Equity Matters in 2020 to help us change the culture at the Co-op to become a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization to work and shop.
This summer we implemented an Inclusive Environment Policy that takes into account much of what we have learned on our DEI journey over the last few years.
Since 2020, we have deepened our knowledge and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion and elevated its role in our policies and procedures. We have evaluated the programs and services we offer and revised them to work towards being more inclusive and accessible to everyone, not just some.
We haven’t always gotten it right. I know that some people still don’t feel welcome to work, shop, or sell products in our stores. We will have and will continue to learn from these experiences and use them to improve.
In January 2022, we established three DEI workgroups with a focus on employees, retail and supply chain, and Owners and community to positively influence and change how we do business. We currently provide all staff with bias and microaggression training via an online format to allow individuals space for personal reflection on DEI while building a framework to support change within the organization.
As we look to the future, we will expand and deepen our commitment through continued policy review and revision; strengthening our relationships within the community; and finding more ways to remove barriers for our employees, customers, vendors, so our neighborhoods can thrive.
We are passionate about making everyone who works and shops here feel welcome and respected. To be a place where everyone feels they belong, are valued, and are connected is my personal vision for the Co-op.
–Anya Firszt, General Manager, Willy Street Co-op
DEI Strategic Goals & Objectives
We will be developing the work plans for the numbered objectives below in calendar year 2022 for implementation in later 2022 and into 2023. Check out DEI Dashboard for metrics related to these goals and objectives.
Owner & Community Engagement
- Our customers reflect the demographics of the communities we serve
- The Co-op is a place where our community participates and is proud to shop
Retail & Supply Chain Strategy
- Increased focus on DEI in the Co-op’s vendor pool
- Product mix that is aligned with our brand/identity while reflecting the communities we serve
Employee Engagement & Development
- Our employees reflect the demographics of the communities we serve
- Become an employer of choice through a culture of acceptance, inclusion, and respect.
OUR PROCESS
As reported in the August 2020 GM Report in the Co-op newsletter, the Reader.
In July 2020, Willy Street Co-op partnered with Step Up: Equity Matters, a local consulting firm that will work to provide us a framework for positive change to further our ongoing commitment to identifying and eliminating systemic racism in the workplace.
Step Up will work with Willy Street Co-op staff and the Board to build equity capabilities by:
- Conducting an organizational equity assessment.
- Developing a strategic plan to prioritize equity initiatives across the following domains: 1) leadership and governance 2) talent 3) customer, owner and community relationships 4) branding and marketing 5) vendors and suppliers.
- Supporting the Co-op during strategic plan implementation with a focus on equitable engagement and outcomes.
- Designing an experiential training program that focuses on recognizing, owning, and disrupting biases individually and organizationally.
- In year one of our partnership, Step Up conducted an organizational equity assessment and are working with us to roll out training of all staff members. Our leadership group completed an in-depth training that included individual coaching sessions. This initial work will help us apply an equity lens as we develop our strategic plans prioritizing equity initiatives in terms of leadership and governance; talent; customer, Owner and community relationships; branding and marketing; and vendors and suppliers.
Results of Assessment Phase
Executive summary as reported in the May 2021 GM Report in the Co-op newsletter, the Reader.
In April/May 2020, Step Up concluded their scheduled assessment of the Co-op’s leadership, culture, and initiatives. Step Up collected input through various avenues, including an online challenge, employee climate survey, interviews and focus groups with staff, managers, and the Board. The assessment provided Step Up with perspective about our overall strengths and opportunities while understanding the challenges to achieving the results of a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.
The Board President, Jeannine Bindl, and I have reviewed the Step Up full assessment, and we commit to implementing the recommendations and next steps as suggested. The conclusions and main points of the executive summary:
“Based on our findings, we conclude that the Co-op must address and improve internal culture, communication channels and content, and talent management practices to set a strong foundation to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse talent base.”
We will work together to address the most pressing needs Step Up has identified through their assessment by:
- Reviewing organization design.
- Conducting leadership development focused on organizational effectiveness, change management, and equity and inclusion.
- Working on a DEI strategy after the leadership training and development.
- Assessing training approaches and infrastructure with a focus on removing accessibility barriers and deploying training on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Working closely with the newly hired HR director to develop and increase the HR function capabilities.
- Prioritizing design and implementation of a strengths-based confidence-building supervisory model.
GET INVOLVED
Interested in working at the Co-op? Find our career opportunities here.
Interested in becoming a Willy Street Co-op Owner? Find the benefits of Ownership and equity payment options here.
Interested in running for a seat on our Board of Directors? Find out information about our Board here.
