Empowering Temporary Member Stewards

Empowering Temporary Member Stewards is the practice of identifying trusted, engaged community members and formally authorising them to perform specific, light-touch hosting and welcoming duties during a community manager's planned or unplanned absence. This is not about appointing a deputy manager, but rather about creating a temporary, low-stakes role focused on maintaining conversational momentum, ensuring new members feel seen, and upholding a positive atmosphere. It is a proactive strategy that builds community resilience and empowers members, ensuring the community continues to thrive even when its primary leader is unavailable.

Why it matters — Empowering Temporary Member Stewards

This practice holds significant value for the community manager, the community itself, and the sponsoring organisation. It moves a community from a state of dependency on a single individual towards a more robust, self-sustaining ecosystem.