Book review: 5 Voices
There are a plethora of personality assessments and the books which accompany them seemingly multiply at Amazon. Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram authored 5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead to amplify their 5 Voices Assessment. However, the Audible version of the book convinced me to purchase the hardcopy, and I can recommend it without hesitation.
The five voices they discuss are the Nurturer, the Creative, the Guardian, the Connector and the Pioneer. The first section of the book takes a deep dive into the description and uniqueness of each of the voices and explains how they work. The second section of the book is about how to interact with each voice. The third section is about building powerful and effective teams.
There are two illustrations toward the end of the book which put the five voices in perspective for maximum understanding and usefulness. The first is a chart about communicating vision (p. 164). The five voices are plotted along the Diffusion of Innovations scale. The Creative, Pioneer and Connector voices fill the first half of the Diffusion of Innovations scale. This includes the Innovators, the Early Adopters and the Early Majority.
The Guardian and Nurturer voices cover the second half of the Diffusion of Innovations Scale. This includes the Late Majority and Laggards.
The Creatives speak fluently and clearly with only 16 percent of the population. Pioneers reach only half of the Innovators and the Early Majority which make up 31.75 percent of the population. Connectors reach all of the Early Adopters and most of the Early Majority which is 47.5 percent of the population. They are the bridge between the future-oriented people and those on the back side of the curve who tend to adapt to change more slowly.
Guardians and Nurturers make up 73 percent of the population. That 73 percent of the population is always ready to put on the brakes in seasons of change. Notice that when they speak, 59 percent of the population listens to them.
How much more quickly would the pace of change accelerate if Guardians and Nurturers took the lead in sharing the vision of change with the church? What if we slowed down and went faster? Or maybe we could ask, What if we slow down to go faster?
The other illustration, “Build the Bridge,” (p. 175) discusses those personalities who will take visionary action. When it comes to crossing a river to take new territory, Pioneers, Creatives, and Connectors say, “If the vision is compelling, we will find a way.” Guardians and Nurturers say, “The vision may be compelling, but without a bridge, I’m not coming.” We need to build bridges to the silent majority who hold the fate of change in their thoughtful and reflective responses.
I recommend this book to build on what you already know about personality and temperament assessments. Discover a handful of new tools to help you communicate more effectively with the whole congregation and to lead through seasons of change.
 | David Bowman, (DMin, PCC) is the Executive Director of Tarrant Baptist Association in Fort Worth, Texas. He also serves as a Multiplying Trainer for Future Church Co. Learn More » |
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