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Practice library

Stewardship practices

Repeatable practices to strengthen capacity across the eight dimensions. Each converts insight into action.

Discernment Practices

  • The Future Stakeholder Chair

    Include future generations, absent stakeholders, ecological systems, or affected communities in decision-making.

    When to use
    When a decision affects people or places not present in the room.
    Duration
    45–90 minutes
    Participants
    Decision-makers and affected representatives
    Materials
    One empty chair, decision brief, recording method
    1. Name the decision.
    2. Identify who is not in the room.
    3. Assign one chair to represent future or absent stakeholders.
    4. Ask what this stakeholder would need protected.
    5. Record resulting changes to the decision.

    Expected outcome: Decisions reflect wider responsibility and longer horizons.

    Related: stewardship, governance, ecology, discernment

Trust Practices

  • The Trust Repair Loop

    Restore confidence after misalignment, silence, confusion, or broken commitments.

    When to use
    After trust has been strained or a commitment was not kept.
    Duration
    60–90 minutes
    Participants
    Those directly affected and a facilitator
    Materials
    Shared timeline of events, agreement template
    1. Name what happened.
    2. Name what was expected.
    3. Name what was affected.
    4. Clarify what can be repaired.
    5. Agree on a visible next commitment.

    Expected outcome: Trust begins to rebuild through honest naming and visible repair.

    Related: trust, belonging, governance

Knowledge Practices

  • The Knowledge Preservation Sprint

    Capture knowledge before it disappears.

    When to use
    When expertise is leaving or institutional memory is at risk.
    Duration
    Half day to 2 days
    Participants
    Knowledge holders and documenters
    Materials
    Interview guide, repository access, recording tools
    1. Identify critical knowledge at risk.
    2. Identify current knowledge holders.
    3. Capture stories, processes, decisions, and lessons.
    4. Store in a shared repository.
    5. Assign future maintenance ownership.

    Expected outcome: Critical knowledge survives people and transitions.

    Related: knowledge, resilience, stewardship

Governance Practices

  • The Governance Clarity Map

    Reduce confusion around decision-making.

    When to use
    When decisions stall or people are unclear about authority.
    Duration
    2–4 hours
    Participants
    Leadership team and key contributors
    Materials
    Whiteboard or mapping tool, decision list
    1. List recurring decisions.
    2. Identify who recommends, decides, contributes, and is informed.
    3. Mark bottlenecks.
    4. Clarify decision rights.
    5. Publish the map.

    Expected outcome: Decision rights are visible and bottlenecks are named.

    Related: governance, trust, knowledge

Reciprocity Practices

  • The Reciprocity Audit

    Identify whether value is circulating or being extracted.

    When to use
    When relationships feel one-sided or burnout is rising.
    Duration
    2–3 hours
    Participants
    Core stakeholders
    Materials
    Stakeholder map template, value exchange worksheet
    1. Map stakeholders.
    2. Identify what each gives.
    3. Identify what each receives.
    4. Identify imbalance.
    5. Design one repair or reinvestment action.

    Expected outcome: Imbalances are visible and one repair action is underway.

    Related: reciprocity, belonging, stewardship

Ecology Practices

  • The Ecological Consequence Check

    Make ecological impacts visible before decisions are finalized.

    When to use
    Before approving projects, policies, or resource commitments.
    Duration
    1–2 hours
    Participants
    Decision-makers and place/ecology advisors
    Materials
    Impact checklist, place map
    1. Name the decision.
    2. Identify land, water, energy, waste, and biodiversity impacts.
    3. Identify second-order consequences.
    4. Identify regenerative alternatives.
    5. Revise the decision accordingly.

    Expected outcome: Ecological consequences are named before commitment.

    Related: ecology, stewardship, discernment

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