Stewardship in DAF

Research shows that networks and organisations that place “care work” front and center tend to thrive, and to be much more resilient in the face of challenges both internal - such as conflict - or external - such as unfriendly media campaigns.

So here is a proposal to more systematically distribute the work of caring for each other in DAF. This proposal relies on a peer support system, used in the Loomio Cooperative and other places: Stewardship.

Here is how Richard Bartlett, from the Loomio cooperative, describes the system:

“Everyone is a steward, and everyone has a steward. The steward supports their stewardee. Everyone is caring for someone, and everyone is being cared for by someone else.

What does it mean to care for someone? What kind of care can you expect from a colleague? Those are big complex questions. At a baseline we ask the steward to be a reliable point of contact, someone who knows a little bit about what’s going on in your life. We invite each steward to meet their stewardee once per month, and ask ‘how can I support you?’, listen to the answer, and go from there.

Each relationship is co-designed between the two people. They agree what they’re up for. Every stewarding relationship is different, depending on what they need and what you can offer. Sometimes, it looks like professional development: ‘I’m focussed on these learning goals, can you help me come up with a plan and check in on my progress?’ Other times, it’s more like being a good friend or peer-counsellor, ‘I just need someone to listen to me rant about this annoying thing that happened.’

Each relationship lasts for roughly one year, then we mix it up. We’re continuously reconnecting different parts of the organisation together. You find that some people are really good at supporting other people, whereas other folks need more practice. Because we rotate these relationships over time, the skills get distributed. I remember one of my stewards had a simple technique: ‘Richard, what can I remind you of next month? What’s something that’s really present for you now, that you want me to remind you of next time we meet?’ That was a really effective prompt for me to reflect and grow, so now it’s something I do when I’m stewarding other people. It’s just one simple technique in a growing toolbox of care skills. All of those skills, approaches, and techniques are being distributed around the team, so the emotional intelligence of the collective keeps increasing. That’s an incredible environment to be in: it feels lovely, and it creates an extraordinary degree of resilience in the organisation.

In fact, it’s better than resilience: our organisation is designed to be ‘antifragile’ — volatility and shocks make our bonds stronger! These stewarding relationships really kick in when things get difficult. If I’m stuck in a conflict in Loomio, my steward is the first person I’ll talk to. (Details of our conflict resolution process are in the Loomio Cooperative Handbook). Interpersonal conflicts are much easier to resolve when you can count on the support of a trusted partner. Shared difficulty is a terrific bonding agent.

We’ve seen so many benefits from this simple peer-support system. These relationships nurture a growing network of trust throughout the organisation. The emotional intelligence of the team keeps improving. People develop more appreciation for each other’s differences. Conflicts get unstuck. Most importantly, the responsibility and effort of caring for people is distributed. We don’t all have exactly the same share of the work, but there’s not one single point of failure either.”

As of February 2023, two 6-month rounds have already taken place:

• From December 2021 to June 2022; and
• From July 2023 to January 2023.

Each of these rounds concluded with a reflection phase, during which participants were invited to share anonymous feedback using an online form. The results from each of these rounds can be found here:

• June 2022
• February 2023

Here are some tentative parameters for the next round (to be confirmed):

• The next round of Stewardship will last from [March 1 to September 1, 2023] TBD!
• Any active participant in DAF is welcome to join before March 1.
• Anyone signing up should commit to maintaining email communication with their steward and stewardee.
• Any pairs that want to swap partners or reconfigure (for example, because one person needs to step down from participating) will be enabled to do so. A check will be carried out, 3 months in, to see where people are at.
• Every participant will be randomly paired with two other participants. One of these will be their Steward, and the other will be their Stewardee. Two people can't both be each other's stewards.
• Each participant is encouraged to meet one-to-one with their steward about once a month - or at whatever rhythm feels comfortable to them.
• Every stewarding relationship is different. Steward and stewardee are encouraged to work out the kind of support and the approach that works best for the stewardee.
• Participants can steward more than one person at a time, but we try to spread the load evenly.
• After the end of the 6-month period, participants will be invited to a retrospective to decide on whether the practice should continue, and if so, how to extend it.

To take part in this experiment, please register using this form, before March 1, 2023.