Stewardship

One of Accenture's 6 core values is "Stewardship" (the other 5 being One Global Network, Best People, Client Value Creation, Respect for the Individual and Integrity). It so happens there is a library at World Vision and as I passed by last week a book with the same title (Stewardship, by Peter Block) caught my eye. I had not really given much thought to Stewardship and what it really means for an organisation and an individual before, so I thought it would be worth checking out.

First - Accenture's definition of Stewardship on the company website (I admit, I had to check to remind myself of some of the other core values!) is "Building a heritage for future generations, acting with an owner mentality, developing people everywhere we are and meeting our commitments to all internal and external stakeholders". I am sure this is a good definition and was well thought out and consistent with the way the leadership should act, but I always felt something essential was missing from the description. It is the sort of definition which one understands easily enough in a "OK, I can recite this to others" fashion, but what is really at the core of this that will ensure Stewardship is actually practiced?

I think I found an answer in Peter Block's book, which essentially says that Stewardship is acting out of a will to serve rather than out of self-interest. It is giving up control without abdicating responsibility and accountability. It is partnership rather than parenting. This is what would enable individuals, and by extension the organisation to build a heritage for future generations, act with an owner mentality, develop people and meet commitments to all internal and external stakeholders. Now I can see why this definition was not chosen - it would require a total revamp of the organisation (not to mention human nature). It would mean the higher up you go in an organisation, the more people you are serving (not controlling!). It would mean everyone acting in the best interests of other people, not their own best interest. It would mean an end to a sense of entitlement, because stewardship means not being entitled, but still being accountable.

I am wondering how many organisations are ready for this kind of a revolution? By the way, Peter Block's book was published in 1993 and if anything, stewardship and governance have declined in the following years. Maybe it is one of those aspirational concepts that everyone agrees with in principle, but very few are willing to make the necessary sacrifices for.