Use your voice.
Will you stand when you're the only one? How strongly do you hold to your #beliefs and #opinions?
I recently facilitated a conversation where there were many well-intentioned, strong and passionate people in the room. There were key decisions being made as is often the case in strategic planning sessions. In this particular meeting, it was challenging to get everyone to speak. Often in planning sessions, or in group dynamics in general, the loudest voices can too often be the only voices heard. In this particular session I intentionally pulled perspectives, comments, and thoughts from those who sat quietly in the shadows. Sometimes people prefer to stay hidden rather than be exposed, but it's important, especially in board meetings, that everyone's voice be heard.
In this particular meeting there was significant discussion about core values. Core values are what we call non-negotiable. They are foundational to the nonprofit and define the 'who'. It is important that everyone weighs in and, when there is disagreement among the leadership, it has to be worked through.
It was an interesting exercise but what was more interesting to me was the dynamic during disagreements. I pulled someone from the shadows to get their thoughts about core values. They were hesitant to be seen or heard but their voice was important. In that moment I saw someone express their perspective in a compelling and articulate way. I saw them stand firm in their convictions when they stood alone. They were not swayed by popular opinion nor the extreme pressure put on them by others to succumb to complete consensus. It was inspiring to see beliefs held so tightly, and I wondered if I would be that strong. Some lessons learned from the experience:
It's okay to not have your beliefs on every subject completely sorted out. Keep open ears and an open mind. If you don't have convictions on every subject that arises that's okay. (Most board members didn't have extreme variants of opinions about what the core values should be.)
If you are part of a team, speak. You are there for a reason and your perspective matters. Use your voice. If it's to agree with others, great. If it's to challenge the thinking in the room, be heard. If it's to disagree, speak up.
Trust your perspective. If you feel strongly about something, share your convictions. If you stand alone, so be it.
Be respectful, but use your voice. Just some food for thought and perhaps a challenge to some of us.
-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP
