Beyond Engaged Community Members…Think Stewardship

Our country and our various in-person communities would also benefit from teaching and modeling stewardship (rather than ownership).... so these valuable insights here are not "just" for online life. This post deserves wider distribution - kudos to you and to Patrick

Leroy, you're correct in drawing a distinction between stewards and owners, though I'm not as sure about serving a "master." That seems like a different and not-quite-healthy power dynamic at work (and certainly if you said, "As a part of your community membership, your Master to serve is Chris Bailey" you'll likely get a high bounce rate). But maybe this is just semantics, because you nailed it toward the end. A true steward is going to feel personally invested in the community but still balance this with an appreciation for what benefits the whole. That's not the easiest thing to cultivate in a community membership, but its a worthy goal to pursue.

Thanks for your addition to the dialogue.

The fine comments lead to this thought - stewards aren't owners. They serve a master and take up the master's priorities, hence the phrase "taking ownership." When we look at different examples (see comment to the original entry: "I created a welcome wagon group and they run it"), those we identify as stewards are still hewing to the direction or vision set by the originator or community.

That makes stewardship a powerful idea for building community.

Sincerely,
Leroy Hurt
C-scape Blogazine.net
YourUnfinishedBusiness.net

My pleasure. :)

Excellent points. And thanks for sharing Jake's link. That's good stuff. I didn't realize that the 90/9/1 rule has been kicking around for a while.

Happy to contribute. :) I think that that is very true and there are different ways to do that. Namely:

- Having good, clear guidelines that are consistently enforced.
- When people respond to obvious violations, make sure they know to report it.
- Reward members who do a great job.
- Publicly and privately praise members who contribute something great.
- Ensure that you and the staff set the example of how to act.
- and more. :)

My friend Jake made a great site about 90/9/1. http://www.90-9-1.com

Thanks,

Patrick

Yeah, I think you're right about not everyone wanting to be a steward. I like Holly Seddon's 90/9/1 rule. Perhaps its most realistic to aim for that 1% - 10% of true believers as your stewards. Everything beyond that is the cherry on top. But I still think it's a worthy pursuit to guide as many members as possible from participation to engagement to stewardship.

Great dialogue here :)

I think that makes sense (though certainly communities will vary... there are different right answers in this case). I think under that definition, volunteer staffers that come from the community are definitely a form of "stewards." The majority of people aren't interested in being a steward, I don't think - but the ones that do and truly represent the values of the community are the greatest people you can have. :)

Patrick

Thanks for adding to the dialogue, Angela. I think what both you and Patrick have pulled out is the case for Community Management. Our work is to foster stewardship but also guide it toward productive uses rather than leave it to the potential for extremes. Thanks again for your perspective and example of how important stewards are to community.

You are absolutely right! I am lucky enough to have a great group of stewards in my online community and they greet new members more than I do. I created a welcome wagon group and they run it. Someone from the group posts a welcome blog every day (including Saturdays and Sundays) and they actively reach out and try to help new members. You're right, they are on a different plane and these stewards have to be acknowledged and treated well. We must appreciate their efforts. Regarding the topic of ownership...it can result in extremists. While that sounds like a good thing, it can go haywires as members who feel as though they OWN the community can be quite indignant with others. As community managers we have to balance all types of behaviors and actions and just because some people may push the envelope it doesn't mean they don't belong or arent' of any value. Good post.

And thanks for extending the dialogue here, Patrick. What you mention is the reason why I call it Stewardship rather than Ownership. Stewardship takes ownership and attaches that much needed element of communal responsibility. It keeps the community from devolving into anarchy or wallowing in complete self-interest.

The key is to have clear expectations about what can and cannot be done in the community. Every social system has to have some boundaries. Then, let your members play within the structure, explore their capabilities, and define the overall community experience in a way that helps them feel connected to what is being built.

Thanks for mentioning my post, I appreciate it, as well as your comment on it.

I think these are good thoughts. I think it's important to create a sense of community (which, in itself, is a sense of ownership) and to also ensure that members understand that this sense of ownership doesn't entitle them to the ability to do whatever they want.

Ownership is a tricky thing because what it may mean to people who are in the social media space and what it means to the rest of the world, can be two different things. If you tell most people they own something, they'd expect to be able to do WHATEVER they want with it into perpetuity, which of course, isn't the definition that we mean.

I think it's important to encourage members to feel a sense of pride in their contributions and to ensure that they feel valued and appreciated. That'll help encourage them to be a part of the solution when it comes to violations, etc., rather than as a part of the problem. :)

Thanks again,

Patrick

I totally agree with your concept of stewardship! For years, I've owned and run a community driven website for fly fishing in Texas. The members actively manage the community now, and take ownership of the acceptable conduct within it's framework. So much so that trolls are generally banished after their opening flames.