Stewardship Chapter 5
Defining the Stewardship Contract

Stewardship is a way to use power to serve through the practice of partnership and empowerment.

Jumping too quickly to specific practices is a short cut that yields disappointing results.

Creating our own practices is the basis of ownership and responsibility.

Governing on the basis of stewardship would operate on the following nine principles:

1. Maximize the choice for those closest to the work.
2. Reintegrate the managing and the doing of the work.
3. Let measurements and controls serve the core workers.
4. Yield on consistency across groups, and support local solutions.
5. Service is everything.
6. De-glorify management as a job title and de-mystify the staff functions.
7. End secrecy.
8. Demand a promise.
9. Redistribute wealth.

The elements of the stewardship contract both define and set limits on what we control.

Negotiating a stewardship contract is a means of clarifying the particulars.  The contract spells out the conditions of membership in the work unit.

Being all things to our customers is being nothing special.

We are stewards for the operational and economic health of the unit.

Defining the stewardship contract involves choosing a basic structure that fits the task and mission and environment of the organization

Stewardship means taking a clear stance in support of partnership and empowerment.

Focusing attention has two elements:

1. Identify the difficult issues.
2. Choose where to begin

Stewardship offers more choice and local control in exchange for a promise.

< Back

Block P.  Stewardship:  Choosing service over self interest.