Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-InterestRevised and expanded: this classic guide to business leadership presents “an original and profound new view on how to run an organization” (Library Journal). Despite all the evidence calling for change, most organizations still rely on patriarchy and control as their core form of governance. The result is that they stifle initiative and spirit and alienate people from their work. In Stewardship, Peter Block calls for a dramatic shift in how we distribute power, privilege, and the control of money. “Stewardship,” he writes, “is the willingness to be accountable for the well-being of the larger organization by operating in service, rather than in control, of those around us.” Block has revised and updated the book throughout, including a new introduction addressing what has changed—and what hasn't—in the twenty years since the book was published. It also includes a new chapter on applying stewardship to the common good of the wider community. Speaking in practical terms about how stewardship transforms every function and department for the better, Block also offers tactical advice on gearing up to implement these reforms. |
Contents
Goods We Can Build Upon | |
TWO Choosing Partnership over Patriarchy | |
THREE Choosing Adventure over Safety | |
We Dont Act on What We Know | |
PART II | |
SEVEN Redesigning Management Practices and Structures | |
EIGHT Rethinking the Role of Staff Functions | |
NINE Financial Practices | |
TEN Human Resources | |
ELEVEN Compensation and Performance Evaluation | |
PART III | |
THIRTEEN Recreating Our Organization through Stewardship | |
A CASE STUDY CONTINUED | |
The Need | |
FIVE Defining the Stewardship Contract | |
SIX Upsetting Expectations | |
FIFTEEN The Answer to How? | |
References | |
The Author | |
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Common terms and phrases
accountability answer appraisal Arthur become behavior belief Berrett-Koehler bosses budget caretaking Charles Durrett choice choose client cohousing commitment consistency and control core workers cost create culture customers cynics economic effort employees Flawless Consulting focus freedom Friedrich Nietzsche give governance system human resources idea implement innovation institution intent leaders leadership Lean Manufacturing learning levels line organization live managerial class marketplace Martin Buber means measures offer operate organizational ourselves outcomes ownership and responsibility parenting partners patriarchy pay system percent performance performance appraisal person Peter Block policies political reform practices predictability privilege problem promise question redesign relationship reward reward system role safety self-interest self-management serve social social contract staff functions staff groups stewardship contract strategy structure take responsibility task top management unit vision workplace