The Intentional Design of Stewardship: A Case Study

This second email contained more information regarding the anticipated outcomes of the summit. It seems that this request for stewardship was more compelling if it contained some more detailed ideas regarding what might be produced by those attending the summit.

Communicate

Stewardship in all of its forms requires interpersonal connection and the sharing of perspectives and practices. People are talking about different things and sometimes about the same things differently The process of stewardship should lead to creation of a common language and generation of shared ideas.

Those who are convening this new executive coaching summit determined that this stewardship connection could best be done through the identification or several initial “convening” topics. They produced a digital survey to test out with all of the 120 invitees the importance of 12 potential topics for the summit. This first survey was done not only to identify key topics but also to increase the interest of invitees to attend the summit. We know from other stewardship initiatives that it is critical to build ownership for the process and its outcomes.

Through use of a digital survey (using Survey Monkey), the list of potential topics was sent to the invitees.: Three topics were identified: leadership development, change in organizational structures and dynamics, implications of neuroscience findings for executive coaching. The results of this survey were reported in an essay published in LPC. Just the perceives offered by senior executive coaches regarding important coach-related topics was of value. Stewardship of the field had begun with the sharing of this interesting information via a public forum such as LPC.

Clarify

Stewardship is created and sustained by continuing communication and interaction that is focused on the shaping of the ideas and distinctions that matter in the nourishment of the field being served.

In the case of NECS as a stewardship initiative, the continuing communication and interaction took place prior to the actual summit through the implementation of three additional digital surveys that focused on the three identified topics.