There’s a problem with looking at humans primarily as resources to be managed in the light of an organization’s strategic plan. The danger is that we could begin to see humans primarily as a means to an end. Such functionalist or instrumentalist approach then needs to be managed for efficiency and efficacy.

Managing Human Resources therefore needs to be balanced in accord with Stewarding Creative Excellence, which raises the question: what might creative excellence look like for the people entrusted to us? This could be a daunting approach if we define creativity primarily in fuzzy or popular terms such as innovation or psychometric evaluation of human potential. 

But could there be more to  understanding and stewarding Creative Excellence than what we are used to or prepared to address? 

Creative Excellence may be compared to a broad waterway with criss crossing currents, high and low tides, and in general a volatile and unpredictable environment. It’s going to take multiple and distributed efforts to get the team across, safely. All hands on deck—a collaboration founded upon unwavering trust. (Isa 23)

But how do we build trust? Here are some initial thoughts:

For a manager, the first step is to entrust yourself to the people you are called to serve. In order for this to happen however you are going to adopt an unshakeable view of yourself—do you love what you see in the “mirror”? What sort of mirror are you using? Is it shaped primarily by the greater good or your worst impression of yourself, possibly through the eyes of someone else?

Second, once you begin to grasp the sensibility of owning and resting in the goood view of yourself as someone created in excellence for excellence, then you are in a place to see others with an eye for excellence. But this is not easy. 

And therefore, third, it is an ongoing process of overcoming the unconscious and conscious biases that inhabit our core being—not merely behavioral change, but a belief and value transformation, a shift in primary allegiance, unless all we want is outward behavior change. But again, this is something that can and needs to be addressed intentionally in the context of a mutual and open relationship with those among whom you are called to serve.

Questions to ponder:

How might we differentiate between managing and stewardship? What do these look like or mean for you in your place of work?

While we might acknowledge an overlap between managing and stewarding in how we understand these terms, what metaphors would best describe stewarding creativity in self and others versus managing self and others?

Which is more doable–sustainable and desired–in the long run for your stakeholders?