Choosing Service Over Self Interest

“Having a group of people whose job is to watch and monitor steals accountability and responsibility from those doing the work. We can neither legislate nor engineer accountability. Having others define for us our accountabilities, measure us against them, and pay us in accordance with their measures creates a culture of caution and compliance.”

Peter Block, STEWARDSHIP – CHOOSING SERVICE OVER SELF INTEREST

Having spent a good portion of my working life as an engineer in a regulatory agency, I have often felt frustrated in my role as compliance inspector. I have also observed first hand the negative consequences on our environment that dictating compliance in essence relieves us from being responsible for how we operate our businesses and communities. This type of command and control system assumes that the “stick” of enforcement will compel folks to take care of our environment. Based on global warming, the condition of our waters and air, overflowing landfills, and a plethora of other environmental problems, I for one am ready for doing business in a new way, a way that puts responsibility back in the hands of the regulated party, and out of the hands of big brother.

Peter Block’s book STEWARDSHIP has put words to the frustration I have felt for many years, but also helped me to understand my own role in creating that frustration. If you have experienced frustration in your own work hierarchy, I would encourage you to read STEWARDSHIP, and find some hope in creating a more sustainable work place.