The second component that we are looking as part of the competency of Energize Others is Engaging Unusual Voices. The competency of Energize Others is about seeking ways to encourage people to engage. It is not about motivating people to do specific work, it is more about people engaging together with the adaptive challenge at hand.
This component is perhaps one of the more difficult while being one of the most basic. The unusual voices are those voices that are not usually heard, who may be less engaged.
The Usual Voices are those we engage most often. Thinking in a church context the usual voices may be those you are closest too, people who you volunteer with the most, people in our Sunday school class, or the people you sit closest to in church. The Unusual Voices are the ones that one does not hear very often or who might engage with different activities at church.
There is some risk in engaging the unusual voices. How does one even know who the Unusual Voices might be in the situation?
Here are some ways to start identifying who carries the Unusual Voice: Identify those who might have a voice that is unusual to you. Identify those who be effected by a cause or decision. Make it simple when you engage them, over coffee or a meal. Don’t say you’re right and they are wrong, meet them where they are. When you have reached a place of understanding their voice, only then ask them for feedback on your opinions.
While it may not always be easy, it is one of the ways to move an adaptive challenge forward.
--Amy Nissley Stauffer