Editions:
Stewardship presents a model of business and management based on, well, stewardship. Once you realize that an organization is a collection of relationships, preserving those relationships becomes the job of management. One is a steward of the organization, of people's relationship to that organization, and of that organization's contribution. This isn't nearly as soft-headed as it sounds, and Block makes the connections. Block's presentation is as lucid as you'd expect if you've read his FlawlessConsulting. Along the way, he explores territory in common with CharlesHandy? (TheAgeOfUnreason or TheAgeOfParadox), MaxDepree? (LeadershipIsAnArt?, and LeadershipJazz?), and BarryOshry? (SeeingSystems).
-- JamesBullock May, 2003
I lept in, hope that's OK. -- JamesBullock
I've just finished it. I started out fearing I wouldn't like it, and ended up thrilled. There will be a couple quotes on my blog (http://bossavit.com/thoughts) and later, perhaps, a more detailed braindump here. -- lb
I found the preface's contrast of people in the U.S. heralding democracy in the evenings and on weekends with the complete absence of it in their work lives quite entertaining.
The book was particularly relevant when deciphering NASA's orgnaizational ills described ColumbiaAccidentInvestigationBoardReport?, especially Chapter 8. I bought about 20 copies of Stewardship at that time and spread them around all sorts of places. I used the book's material to speak out during our organizational retrospectives and even wrote a letter to PeterBlock asking for help. (He wrote back!)
The '"How?" is a Defense' subsection motivated me to read his TheAnswerToHowIsYes.
--BilKleb
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