Creating Space for All Voices

I heard a quote by Arundhati Roy last week that has left me pondering ever since. I mean, I know that I am a pondering sort; but I’ve been pondering more than usual. The quote is this:

“There is no such thing as the voiceless, only the deliberately silenced or the preferably unheard.”

In today’s world, there is a lot of reference made to those who don’t have a voice. Generally speaking we’re referring to those who are marginalized in any way: the homeless, those living in poverty, racialized minority groups, those living with disabilities, the elderly as well as the extremely young  – essentially, the voiceless are those who, for whatever reason, don’t belong to the dominant culture.  While they may not be literally voiceless, they often have to fight to have their voices heard.

When I heard this quote – I was attending the Power Intelligence Conference through Diamond Leadership – the truth that there are no actually voiceless folks in our world landed like a punch to the gut. Because the truth is that even those who are mute have ways to communicate which is what having a voice is all about. But having a way to communicate doesn’t mean that your communication is always invited or even welcome. People can be silenced, or at least made to feel like they shouldn’t speak. I myself have had this experience., which is probably why the truth of this quote landed so powerfully. And I found myself getting curious about “the voiceless” within workspaces. 

Every workplace in which I have ever been has folks who are voiceless. I have witnessed this as an employee, an employer, a volunteer, a consultant, and as a coach. Even organizations who claim to give space for all to have a voice have this voiceless group. When I hold these organizations up to the light of Arundhati Roy’s quote, it makes sense. It’s not that these folks don’t actually have a voice; it’s that they are either deliberately silenced OR they are ignored because they’d rather not be heard by those in power. 

Consider your own workplace for a moment. Seriously. Uncross your metaphorical arms, quit the energetic shaking of your head and lose the thoughts of “that’s not true here”. Let yourself get curious. 

Imagine that you’re at a meeting with your team. Or attending a function of some sort with your colleagues. Look around the imaginary space and notice who’s there in your mind. 

Now, notice who you are pleased to see, and who you’re hoping will just stay quiet. 

Now push the boundaries on this a bit, and notice who you are willing to talk over. They start talking, and you cut them off. Or you see yourself hold your hand up in a stop gesture. Or you notice that you ignore them completely and ask someone else to speak.

These people aren’t voiceless. But you are making it clear that their voices aren’t welcome in your presence. These people are the “deliberately silenced or preferably unheard” that Arundhati Roy is referencing. And they exist everywhere.

Anytime you deny someone their voice, you in turn deny yourself the opportunity to enrich whatever experience is at play. It doesn’t matter if they are loud, or quiet. If you agree with them or not. It’s a classic example of everyone losing both in the moment and in the long run.

Here’s the bottom-line: everyone’s voice matters, and everyone’s voice is needed. Whatever it is you are trying to create, inviting all voices to the table will serve you better than leaving even one voice out. When you allow all voices to speak, and when you listen to all voices from a space of curiousity (whether you agree with them or not), you create spaces of true belonging. And honestly, folks, a sense of belonging is very much needed in the world right now.