Being asked "can you say this for me" today reminded me of the path many of us take to develop our voice and that we all have different natural volume levels.
I'm in a group that's testing out dynamic governance as our governance model. I enjoy that it does everything in circles. There are initial reaction circles, then clarifying circles and consent circles, which ensures that everyone has a voice. I also like that in order to object to something you have to be able to clearly articulate why it conflicts with the mission, values, etc. that group has set out for itself. It makes it tricky to foster a personal agenda. Everything comes to the table in the form of short proposals, which also gives a level of accountability and clarity on the presenter.
At first, it can sound like it will be very inefficient. Won't you just go around in circles forever? I've found the opposite to occur. The balance it provides of voices ensures there isn't an opportunity for dominance from a few and surfaces diverse viewpoints that may have been quiet before. It also builds trust and empowerment across the group creating a level of ownership because everyone feels like they had a chance. People are less likely to leave room stating "I wish I had of said that in the moment."
Whatever system you might be playing with, today was a reminder for me of the importance of making space for everyone's voice. Whether that is stepping back yourself or the environments and channels that you create, it's an important task for the modern leader. The world is moving too quickly and the expectations are becoming too high to not sure we're leveraging as much value from our people and creating all the connection and ownership that we can.
Being a Force for Good 