Co‑op Columbus is excited to host a three‑part workshop series with Roger Wilkens, PhD, director of the Center for the Creation of Cooperation. If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to build a cooperative culture in your workplace, your co‑op, your neighborhood, or any group you’re part of, this series is for you.
What we’ll explore together
Roger will guide us through his keys to creating a cooperative culture–a practical, eye‑opening framework for understanding how group culture actually forms and how we can shape it intentionally.
We’ll dig into:
- How meaning, norms, and social practices interact to weave a group culture out of individual actions
- Why self‑development is the foundation of cooperative development
- How stress regression undermines our capacity to interact cooperatively
- Why power plays are antithetical to cooperation
- How cooperative negotiation offers a viable alternative social practice for resolving differences
- The pitfalls of positional bargaining and personal rescue
We intend for this series to be hands-on, reflective, and designed to help groups build cooperation consciously rather than leaving it to chance.
Who should come
Anyone working in:
- Co‑ops
- Community organizing
- Mutual aid
- Nonprofits
- Collaborative teams
- Neighborhood groups
Or anyone who just wants to understand how cooperation really works.
When
We’ll meet three times, starting Thursday, November 5 at 6pm, and then every other week:
- Self development and stress regression: November 5, 6pm
- Power plays and cooperative negotiation: November 19, 6pm
- Positional bargaining, personal rescue and wrap-up: December 3, 6pm
Each session builds on the last, and we encourage you to attend all if you can!
Why this matters
Most group cultures evolve unconsciously, shaped by stress, habits, and the larger competitive culture around us. This workshop series gives us a chance to pause, reflect, and intentionally build something cooperative, resilient, and grounded in shared meaning.
Join us
We’d love to have you there.
Register at: https://tinyurl.com/CoopCulture26