A DC Toastmaster's Blog

Make Some More

2007-12-02T16:14:00.000-05:00

The supply of guest kits is running low in our cabinet. Not only is it time to make some more, but it is time to reassess what goes into the package.

Traditionally, we've leaned toward overkill in the kits. A welcome letter, a club newsletter, a magazine, an application, a couple TM flyers, a brochure on the club, the OPM Toastmasters letter, and a couple additional promotional items. Probably 10-12 items in the kit.

I'll be sitting down with the Club's Vice-President membership soon to look at the inventory of what we have, and to assess what it is that we really need in there.

The idea of the guest kit is to bring guests back to the club, but sometimes I wonder if its a bit too intimidating with all that information in there.

It's In the Way That You Use It

2007-11-23T08:01:00.000-05:00

I am a slow reader. I started Eric Clapton's autobiography last month in the airport and last night came across a nugget worth thinking about.

He is discussing his tour after his son's death and the MTV Unplugged album. He relates that he originally performed the song "Tears in Heaven" as the opening song of the act, but did not feel the song was successful there; after all, there were 20+ thousand people in the audience all excited and ready to see and hear him. On top of that, he felt he lacked sufficient stagecraft to properly convey the message of the song that early, and he felt he only only getting by as a musician given recent events in his life. After a few stops, he solved the dilemma by moving the set of acoustic songs to the middle of the show, where they were accepted by the crowd that had spent some of its energy built up by anticipation.

So what does this have to do with public speaking? In order to be effective, you need a) a message; b) to know your audience; c) to know your limitations; d) to be flexible; and e) to know how to put it all together.

After all, like Clapton sings, "It's In the Way That You Use It."

I Did It

2007-11-16T12:38:00.000-05:00

It’s taken a lot of time and effort over the last six years, but this week I finally did it. Forgive me for tooting my own horn, but I am now a Distinguished Toastmaster.

Even though I can now append the DTM tag to my name, I realize that DTM does not mean perfect speaker.

Yes, I have grow substantially as a speaker and presenter since that initial Icebreaker. I’ve developed a style and presence that is me. I have confidence and can organize an effective speech. I have learned by practice and observation.

But, I still have a ways to grow.

That hit home when the evaluator asked me, “what would happen if you put yourself completely into your speech?” And I do understand where she was coming from and know that her comments were meant to inspire a goal, not to knock me down. And she is right, after a minimum of forty speeches, with incalculable lessons and objectives, I still don’t make myself part of the speech. After six years, I am still an aide, not the attraction.

Rather than stopping Toastmasters because I reached the summit, I’ll find my way back down so I can start again. I know there is room for improvement, and I plan to improve.

Lessons Learned

2007-11-01T22:00:00.000-04:00

I previously mentioned my conference travel and my visit to a local Toastmasters club. I also wanted to share some of the presentation lessons I learned from watching three days of speakers with Powerpoint. Unfortunately, these lessons are based on real-life negative experiences.

Lesson 1. Review your slides. One speaker's slides were truly unappealing. there was a dark red font on a black background that seemed almost invisible. Graphics were paster over text. The text on each slide flowed beyond the template's visible margins. A review of these slides by a colleague or two may have provided valuable feedback to improve the presentation.

Lesson 2. Slide are only support materials. One speaker seemed to put the entire text of his presentation on to the slides-- and then proceeded to read it all. Slides are meant to highlight, support or reinforce what the speaker says-- that why they are called bullet points and visual aides.

Lesson 3. Branding can be inhibiting. My office has prescribed a specific template and layout for staff to use when crafting presentations. In preparing my materials, I was limited in organizing some information in the way I wanted because specific elements were part of the standard layout. Also, in applying the new, branded template, a great deal of manual reformatting and editing was required.

Lesson 4. You've got to practice. This really came to light when a three person team gave a three hour presentation in five hours. Part of this came from repeated questions and interruptions, but part was in the lack of practice- knowing what they needed to get a across, who the audience was and what could be trimmed. Practice may have also meant knowing how long it actually was.

Lesson 5. Be flexible. Things will be happening throughout the conference that will affect your presentation-- up to and including events during your delivery. Questions are always a big reason to be flexible. The room layout may be something you have no control over and your setup will be dependent upon it. Earlier speakers may take the wind out of your sails, providing some of the same information. Other speakers may go overtime, and you'll be the one who has to shorten up. Be prepared for the potential pitfalls and know how you can react and can adapt.

These are just a few of the lessons I learned this week. To share them all would require a book. Toastmasters, though, helped me through the conference and my presentation. For that, I am grateful.

Visiting Others

2007-11-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to visit another Toastmasters Club while on travel and I found it worthwhile and enjoyable.

I was in Downtown Tampa attending a conference for my office, one where I would have to present to a crowd of about 150. Before I left, I visited the toastmasters.org website to find a club. I searched by the zip code of my hotel and a list of the about 30 clubs came back. The first club on the list turned out to meet only two blocks from the hotel during lunch.

I called the club contact when I was certain I could break free from the conference. The meeting was still on and there were no hoops to jump through for me to attend.

The Tampa Downtowners Club welcomed me immediately-- and put me on the agenda as grammarian and ah-counter. I was als called upon to address a Table Topics question.

The meeting was fun. There were two excellent speakers, including one completing his Advanced Communicator Bronze. The large audience included a good mix of members and guests.

What I most enjoyed, though, was seeing how a different club can follow the same basic program, but with their own unique identity attached. For example, the TMOD, early in the meeting, identified each meeting role and called upon the member to describe their roles or read a speaker's speech objectives. Other differences came across, but this one struck me as unique.

I learned something, and made a few new friends during that visit. It was something that I plan to do again. In fact, I'm traveling soon to Raleigh-Durham and I've already made a list of clubs in the area.

And Down He Goes

2007-10-26T14:44:00.000-04:00

I spent time not too long ago watching my no longer infant son, Thomas, learn to walk.

At first, he would pull himself to both feet and hang on, usually falling. Soon, he’d pull himself up and hang, but he learned to control his fall, putting the diaper provided padding to good use.

Later, Thomas would start to move his feet– holding on to the sofa or table, but purposefully moving from one spot to the next. It was a slow process, until his confidence kicked in.

Lately, though, its been no hold barred. A few tentative steps at time, then a fall (some intended, others not so much). Each time he’d pull himself up and try again. Crossing from the sofa to loveseat, a distance of two feet, is no longer a challenge. Today’s challenge is in distance, and obstacles.

A walking toddler presents many challenges such as finding a moment to sit rather than chase.

There are, though, great rewards. Have you seen the pure joy and excitement in a toddler’s eyes and smile as they reach their destination?

Fellow Toastmasters, I want to encourage you to be more like Thomas and work towards your goals.

Each of us joined Toastmasters for a purpose. While that purpose may have been unique to you, I am sure that one factor in your choice was to improve your communication skills. As you matured as a member, your goals may have involved educational achievements or leadership roles.

Reach for those goals with the enthusiasm of a toddler. You may be tentative and needing support early on. You’ll gain confidence as you succeed. Before too long, you’ll be running. And when you reach the finish, you’ll have the joy and excitement that only success can bring.

If you don’t have any goals now, why not plan some now? We’ll help you— and take pride in watching you Communicate…Lead…Succeed.

Just Showing Up

2007-10-18T14:12:00.000-04:00

I came across a quite recently that reminded me of the importance of attending Toastmasters meetings.

Andrew Carnegie once said (or wrote), “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what people say. I just watch what they do.”

You’re probably wondering why this reminds me of the importance of attending meetings, when Toastmasters a speaking organization. Think about it, we attend meetings to develop our individual communication skills. As a prepared speaker, you are working on specific skills based upon your experience and manual objectives; for many, the topic and message of the presentation is secondary to developing or improving skills.

By attending a Toastmasters meeting, you have the opportunity to learn without speaking yourself. As you attend a meeting and watch and listen to each speaker, you will notice things a speaker does well, areas where a speaker needs to improve. Some of these things you may recognize in your self. Some you wish to emulate. These are things you learn just by attending meetings.

Another way Carnegie applies is in evaluations of our speakers. These are opportunities for you to learn if the evaluator is walking the walk, not just talking the talk. Consider whether the evaluator is using appropriate gestures when discussing a speaker’s lack of body language. Is the evaluator using appropriate eye contact when discussing the use of notes?

I realize that Carnegie was probably referring to his business success. That he stopped asking for advice, and started to look at what the successful businessmen were doing. It worked for Carnegie as he became one of the most successful businessman and philanthropists in American history. It can work for you, too, in Toastmasters.

Which reminds me of another quote, though I can’t place it’s owner, “Half of success is just showing up.”

More Than Just Talk

2007-09-09T16:36:00.000-04:00

If there is anything I have learned during my years in Toastmasters, it is that Toastmasters is about more than just talk. And this is being reinforced in me now.

Currently, I am serving on the Guidance Committee for two separate High Performance Leadership projects. And both are drawing attention to the need to ingrain the Leadership aspects of Toastmasters into regular club or District programs. At the heart of each, is getting the Competent Leadership manual up in front of clubs and encouraging people to use it as more than a paperweight.

In one HPL program, the Leader is looking to encourage the use of the manual District-wide. He is suggesting that a specific CL manual role be created in each club across the District. Those serving in this role would do so for a fixed term, for example 3-6 months, and not only serve as evaluator, but mentor and subject matter expert.

In the other HPL project, the Leader is seeking to establish an enduring mentor program within the club. In this club, a formal mentorship program has suffered from serious starts and stops over the years. The question the Leader is pursuing is when new members should be introduced and encouraged to pursue the CL manual.

In all the years I have been a Toastmaster, I have aggressively pursued leadership opportunities. I encourage others to do so as well. And I heave learned though experience, that communication and leadership skills are not mutually exclusive, both are necessary to succeed.

Where Did You Start?

2007-09-02T17:51:00.000-04:00

I am in the process of preparing on e of my last speeches needed to earn my Distinguished Toastmaster award (DTM)…”The Touching Story” in the Storytelling manual. I was thinking of talking about the two foul balls I caught at baseball games and how they are both still in the family, then going on with something about baseball being a bond between father and son.

But the more I sat and thought about that, the less sense it made to me. Not only that, nut something else kept entering my mind as an apt subject for the Touching Story. And that would be my grandfather.

I can’t say were particularly close, since we lived primarily on opposite coasts. But, I was his first grandkid and I believe that counts for something.

My grandfather grew up a poor farm boy in Texas during the Depression. He flew B-17s in World War II and then became an optometrist in Southern California. He was a successful man with a growing family and practice.

Watching me grow up, I believe he took pride in watching us grandkids grow up and graduate from high school, college and graduate school. He and my grandmother helped me get an interview for a Hill internship my freshman year in college. He travelled across the country to attend my wedding, despite declining health.

He was a good man. Always encouraging me from afar. I also think my sense of humor comes from him.

One thing, though, that sticks with me, is that he started telling me about Toastmasters while I was still in high school. I wasn’t old enough, or inclined, to join, but it was something he kept coming back to over the years. I never followed through on it until grad school years later—and then I took a break for another six years.

I rejoined Toastmasters after I settled into a job in Washington. Within a year, my grandfather passed away.

That Fall, I took my family to visit my parents. My mother told me my grandfather had left me something and she gave me this tiny Toastmasters lapel pin that had been his years ago. This pin is so old that the backing screws onto the post. It is also a bit smaller than the ones TI currently offers.

That pin is stuck in the blazer I keep at work. It goes with me to TM events, and to meetings with senior staff. I treasure it.

My mother also gave me a newspaper from May 1949. On the front page, there is a picture of my grandfather and details from that week’s Toastmasters meeting—my grandfather was the Best Speaker, again, the article said.

My grandfather and I never had an opportunity to discuss his Toastmasters career. I tried asking TI once, but records like that aren’t available. I know that since t hen, my Toastmasters career has gone farther than even I could have anticipated.

I believe that my grandfather’s interest and words gave me the push to get started in Toastmasters. I also believe, that as I attain my DTM, it is my grandfather who continues to pull me forward.

Contest Time...And No One Cares

2007-08-24T17:04:00.000-04:00

It is time for the Fall Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests, but it seems no one in the clubs I belong to seem to care. With two weeks before the scheduled club contests, no one has stepped forward to compete, except me.

To promote interest in the club level, I've organized a special meeting where we will review the contests' rules and judging criteria. After that briefing, we will watch video from a previous Regional Humorous Speech Showcase. We are opening it up other clubs in the Area. The goal is to promote understanding of what the contests are and to get people excited about competing.

This special meeting is something we tried last year for the International Speech Contest, and it was well received. While our contestants were only one for each contest, our ISC contestant got all the way to Regionals, before falling to the eventual World Champion.

I encourage clubs, or Areas, to hold these sessions. They are beneficial and fun.

More on My Toastmasters Goals

2007-08-17T20:55:00.000-04:00

In the past I've written about my Toastmasters goals. I am getting closer to reaching the biggest of the five I have for this year.

As a refresher, my goals for this Toastmasters year are:
1) earn my Advanced Communicator Gold;
2) earn my Distinguished Toastmaster;
3) earn an Old Competent Leader;
4) earn a new Competent Leader; and
5) earn an Advanced Leader Bronze.

It may be cheating a bit on first two goals, as the last remaining requirement I have for the DTM is to earn the ACG. As of this evening, I only have three speeches left to deliver to earn both the ACG and DTM. They are scheduled between my two clubs and I will finish them on September 26th. The titles, since I've been working on all three, are "Air Fair?" "Foul Balls" and "The Witch of Pungo."

For the other goals, I am making progress. The OCL needs only two educational modules and I'm prepared to talk about the Distinguished Club Plan and a meeting when we are running short. I'm bringing the new CL manual to each meeting, getting evaluations for whatever role I am serving in that meeting. For the ALB, I'll need a couple more educational modules, but that won't be difficult.

My real concern about my goals for this year, is that in reaching them this year, what goals will I need to set for next year. With a couple CTMs already in pocket, I guess I can start on the DTM trail again with the ACB, or even with the half finished CC manual I have.

Where would you start?

The Year is in Full Swing

2007-08-05T21:11:00.001-04:00

Already the Toastmasters year is in full swing. Our clubs' first awards are already posted, new members are arriving and the Area Governors are soon to visit.

I've been elected to serve as President of one of my clubs. In the other, I've been asked to serve as an adviser to the Executive Committee. Between the two clubs, I will be keeping busy.
This first month has flown by. The biggest obstacles to overcome are the Officer Training and the Distinguished Club Plans (DCP). For the training, I attended one session in early June and went to a class, not knowing which position I would be holding. Well, I'm serving in another positions and was told by the TLI Dean that my June attendance would not count unless I attended the sessions for the President; that this year, there was the reminder that this was the technically correct protocol and it would be enforced within the District. So, I went off to another session a couple of weeks ago and earned the proper credit for my club. The other officers are attending their sessions and are getting trained. As of this evening, five our the seven have been trained.

The DCP is always difficult to complete as we seem to have difficulty in knowing, within reasonable certainty, where any particular member is on their progress towards any award. This is more difficult where members may belong to more than one club. We don't have a perfect system, but it revolves around asking our members where they stand and what their goals are for the year. In one club, we feel we can easily reach 7 of the DCP goals, but are shooting for nine. In the second club, we feel five are easily achievable, but are shooting for nine as well.

Now that the plans are in place, I think I will be able to get back to more regular writing here. Wish me luck.

3...2...1...Happy New Year

2007-06-10T16:56:00.000-04:00

The new Toastmasters year doesn't start until July 1st, but the new year's efforts have already begun.

Yesterday was the first of three planned District 36 Toastmasters Leadership Institutes (TLIs). And, dedicated servant that I am, I attended to ensure my clubs get some credit toward the DCP Officer Training goal. And the best part? Even though I volunteered to serve as an officer in each of the clubs, as of this afternoon, we still do not know which officer role I will fill in the new year.

So what did I do? I seated myself in the Vice President Public Relations session and filled out the attendance forms for both clubs. So what if I've already been trained as VPPR. So what if I've already served as VPPR. So what if I won't be VPPR this year. I enjoyed the class, shared the discussion and my experiences from serving as VPPR in the past. I had the opportunity to meet the new crop of officers and District leaders. And I got some ideas that are good enough to steal, excuse me, borrow.

Even though the new year's efforts are already begun, I still have some housekeeping to complete before the current year ends. On Wednesday, I will be presenting the last education module needed to earn my Advanced Leader-Bronze (or the old Competent Leader). Since one of my clubs has endured a drop in membership over the last year, I thought it would be beneficial to present the Finding New Members for Your Club module and distribute a new flyer for the members to post.

Also on Wednesday, one of the club members will be presenting the speech he is rehearsing for the Region 7 International Speech Contest. I'm looking forward to the new speech, and wishing him luck. When we meet again, the Contest will be over and we expect to start preparing for his trip to Phoenix.

Losing an Evaluation Contest

2007-04-22T19:12:00.000-04:00

If you win some, you have to lose some as well. That's what happened to me this week in the Division Evaluation Contest.

At the contest this week, there were four contestants vying for the opportunity to compete at the District level in May. I did not even merit a trophy (boo woo). But I do believe the experience was truly worthwhile.

The contest room setup required that I do things I am not used to doing-- namely, speaking from the middle of the room, rather than from a lectern, and using my notes very little. With the District's Top Three in the room, people I've worked with in the past, I felt I had to put on a show. I used my notes very little, though because I didn't and then had to search for a last point on the list, I believe I lost some points there.

Somethings I believe I did well? The target speech concerned things we can do to help fight global warming- do this, not this. I used that as theme for the evaluation-- trade-offs. I picked examples where things were done well and offered alternatives for the speaker. For example, the speaker supported each point with facts, too many facts in my opinion; the trade-off would be fewer facts and to develop more of a story here. Using a theme for the evaluation, I think, is something that got me that far and will continue to benefit me in the future.

I think that I also used the room effectively. By this, I mean I took advantage of the audience I knew to maintain eye contact and vary my voice. Those I knew were scattered about the room and used them as points of reference, but I always came back to address the speaker directly as I started a point or offered suggestions.

There is one thing I despise about the Evaluation contest, and the Table Topics too. That is the fact that unless yo are the first contestant, you have no solid way of judging the competition. That said, once you start competing above the Area level, the competition is strong-- and I Wouldn't have it any other way.

Winning an Evaluation Contest...

2007-03-10T16:35:00.000-05:00

Last week, I posted many of the tips and suggestions I received from fellow club members as I prepared to compete in the Area Evaluation Contest. The contest was yesterday afternoon-- and I won the contest. A couple of fellow club members even remarked that the difference between the two contests was night and day.

How did I manage to win? I think it has to do with preparation. I'm sure that some may be wondering how you prepare for an evaluation contest, but it is possible.

The biggest thing for me was to find a structure to hang my evaluation on. Since the contestants can take and use notes as part of the contest, I prepared a two-sided piece. One one side I listed a number of categories and questions meant to elicit feedback for the speaker. These included the standard areas like structure, content, presentation, etc. I also added a category for meeting observations, where I could note things throughout the contest and perhaps tie them into the evaluation. In this case, once speech contestant spoke of breaking records and new champions; I tied to this in the conclusion of the evaluation. (I will give credit to John Kinde for making this suggestion in his Humor Power blog and newsletter).

On the second side, I prepared a standard opening and optional conclusion/closing, where I could essentially "fill-in-the-blanks." In between, was a tree diagram for an outline. The outline included the opening and closing, lines to insert observations after the introduction and before the closing, a line with spaces for two praises and a line with spaces for two recommendations. Taking the information from my chart of the back, I was able to make a quick outline in the preparation time, then run through it at least once in my head before the notes were collected. Since the outline was visual, I could still spend the waiting time running through the presentation as I waited to be called.

The other thing I did, which I hadn't done before, was something I picked up reading Putting the One Minute Manager to Work this week. And that was to focus not on what is wrong, but spend time on finding something done well, but which could be done even better. I even had an analogy prepared to explain my intent.

I'm happy with the win. Excited really. This is the first time I've won above the club level. But the best part is that I noticed, and others noticed, a significant improvement in the evaluation in many areas. While winning the Division Contest would be great, my immediate goal to continue to improve in providing positive and encouraging evaluations for my fellow Toastmasters. And I owe a great deal to my fewllow Toastmasters who provided the suggestions that helped me win.

Time to Compete

2007-03-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

It has been a few years, but I am finally back to competing in a contest beyond the club level. I have to say though, that it is only because others in my club did not step up to compete. Therefore, I will be representing on of my clubs in next week's Area Evaluation contest.
One of the benefits of "winning" this way is that we did a round robin critique of my evaluation. I know have about 20 suggestions for improving my performance prior to the Area contest. And the best thing is that they are all valid suggestions for improvement. Here is the list of suggestions:

Have a clearly more defined structure in the evaluation.
Avoid the verbal garbage that litters the evaluations-- too many "things " addressed and they are "sort of" distracting.
Keep the evaluation focused. Avoid meandering by having a structure.
Have a structure and stick to it.
Accentuate the positive at least as much as the negative. Leave them encouraged, not disheartened.
Smile.
Maintain the eye contact with the audience, but especially the speaker.
Show your energy and enthusiasm for the event, speech and speaker.
Smile before even starting the evaluation. Let them know you are happy, relaxed and ready for the evaluation.
Approach the speaking area with confidence and energy.
Have your evaluation's introduction and outline prepared in advance. You can take and use notes, so prepare as much as possible in advance.
Maintain the contact with the speaker. Even though this is your contest, it is still the speaker's speech you are evaluating and you need to acknowledge them in your eye contact.
Use the sandwich evaluation if searching for structure.
Keep up the energy.
Use your energy and vocal variety to demonstrate enthusiasm.
You have a sense of humor that is effective, use it effectively and appropriately.
If possible, summarize your evaluation's main points. Every speech needs a conclusion, even an evaluation.

What am I to take away from all these suggestions? A trophy from the Area contest would be good, but the real goal is to improve the way I evaluate. What is sad, is that many of these suggestions are things that I have heard multiple times in the past. I do have a tendency to lack warmth while speaking-- little smiling, sometimes too critical, lack of energy. Yes, all of these things are me.
To work on some the issues, such as vocal variety, I've opted for the Storytelling and Interpretive Reading manuals as I continue working towards my DTM. They will also require some demonstration of warmth and personality on my part.
I will take these suggestions to heart and work on them for the next week. I hope that Friday, I've internalized enough of them that I succeed in providing and promising, positive and enlightening evaluation for the target speaker.

Anyone Care to Join Me?

2007-02-24T15:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned the Open House shared by two clubs. Today I'll give a rundown on the membership contest one club is holding to get more members.

We set a goal of 5 new members for the end of the contest, which runs February 1-March 31. All current members were divided into two teams, with the VP Membership excluded and monitoring the contest. Each member was provided paper copies of, and electronic access to, the club's promotional flyer. Members are encouraged to post the flyer near their offices and workspaces. In addition to meeting information, the flyer contains contact information and the website, so referrals can be tracked.

Each member and team earns points for each request for information via telephone, email or web (1 point each), for referrals or guests attending a meeting (2 points each), and for referrals or guests who join the club (5 points each).

At the end of the contest, the team with the most points earns a breakfast provided by the other team (this is a morning club). The individual with the most points earns a gift card to a local establishment.

After three weeks of the contest, points are slowly accumulating. The week of bad weather in the area hurt. But there are still five weeks left for the members to wow us and bring new members in.

A friendly competition is good for the club. New members are good for any club, especially one that is on the borderline of charter strength.

I will share the results once they are in.

The Benefits of an Open House

2007-02-23T19:44:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, two of the clubs I belong to held a joint Open House. It had been postponed from the week before due to inclement weather. But the wait was well worth it.

For the record 30 people attended the event in the bowels of the building. Nearly a third were visitors and guests. If only one of the guests joins, the event was worth it.

The agenda for the meeting was a short demonstration meeting. Members of each club split the roles. Our prepared speaker has advanced to the District level in the International Speech Contests more than once. Our Tabletopics were handled by our Immediate Past District Governor. I handled the General Evaluator role. The key to the meeting, I believe, was explaining the meeting parts and intent as the meeting moved on. We took care to explain timing and why it is important. We emphasized the import of the speaker and meeting evaluation. Tabletopics were explained in real world terms. All in all, we made every attempt to explain how Toastmasters can benefit everyone, using examples they might understand.

Another key to the meeting was publicizing the free lunch we offered. Of course, to get to the food, you had to sit through the presentation. And while everyone was eating, members were available to answer questions and we played video of the World Champions of Public Speaking.

The one downside to the whole meeting is that I cannot locate the sign-in sheet we circulated. I know I picked it up, but I cannot find it in any of the materials I brought back to the office. Now I am unsure how we will follow-up with the guests. If we were effective, I'd like to think I'll have the opportunity to welcome them to the club in the near future.

Contest Time

2007-02-19T17:35:00.000-05:00

It is that time of the year, where Toastmasters clubs across the nation, and around the world, are holding their International Speech and Evaluation Contests. The same is true of the two clubs I belong to.

As excited as many are about these opportunities, particularly the chance to reach become the World Champion of Public Speaking, it is amazing how few club members avail themselves of the opportunities these, or any of the Toastmasters contests, present. Even if they do not compete, members can gain so much by attending the contests from the club level on up.

Enter a contest to stretch your skills and abilities. Think you're not the club comedian? Enter the Humorous Speech Contest and test that sense of humor, you'll be amazed and what you can do. Do you regularly struggle in Table Topics? Push yourself and enter that contest.

I've found that those who really want to improve their speaking skills will enter contests to see where they are and how much further they have to go. The feedback is almost immediate, and overwhelmingly positive. In some cases, you can end up with a trophy that will remind you daily of how far you have come.

And attending a contest is as important to developing and stretching your skills, especially as the level of the competition increases. Beyond the club level, you can see speakers from rookie to veteran who have something to offer, things you might not see, hear or otherwise witness from the confines of your own club. An audience member might pick up a new turn of a phrase, a new gesture that speaks to them, a new idea, or a new way of sharing the mundane in an original way.

Contests are one of the best, yet undervalued, ways to improve your speaking and presentation skills.

From a leadership side, there are lessons to be learned as well. The higher the contest level, the more work and effort is needed to carry out the contest. Leadership skills are prized in carrying off the successful Division or District contest. In fact, they are valued highly enough that the new CL manual has an optional contest chair requirement.

But the best part of the contests is that they are fun. Win or lose, you've done something to improve. The food is usually good. And the people are fantastic. After all they're Toastmasters.

Is the New Competent Leader a Competent Program?

2007-01-16T11:44:00.000-05:00

This weekend I attended the TLI session for Vice Presidents-Education. The main item of concern (or contention, for some) is the new Competent Leader manual and how a) to get club buy-in to complete the manual, b) to weave it into a regular meeting and, c) to ensure it is a worthwhile endeavor for members.

So, some thoughts on each of these, both personal and gleaned from the meeting.

How can a club get buy in from its members on pursuing the new Competent Leader? When the program was announced in 2005, I looked into it and found the presentation scripts provided on-line. I talked it up at meetings as an officer. And when it became available, I purchased one. Then I started working on the manual, asking members to evaluate the different things I was working on. Finally, we bought a few of the manuals for club members and offered it to those who are interested in pursuing the CL and who did not already have the manual. I also provided each club member with a copy of TI 2005 description of the program and a copy of the assignment matrix I developed for my own use, as a way of letting members know how in depth the manual was. I feel that talking it up, going forward by myself and a couple other members, and actually putting into members’ hands goes a long way towards getting the club members to buy into the leadership program.

How can a club weave it into a regular meeting? Where I’ve been garnering a written evaluation in a hit or miss fashion, someone in the session pointed out they added a CL Evaluator Role to the meeting agenda. This person completes the written evaluations for anyone working on their CL manual. Because of meeting time constraints, these evaluations are not done orally. The number of people completing a CL assignment may vary from meeting to meeting, so the CL Evaluator’s effort will vary as well. As VPE in my club, I’ve unilaterally decided in implement this role on a trial basis and will evaluate how well it works at the end of the TM year.

Finally, there was concern that by not following the manual in the order presented, members may not discover the true value of the manual. The comparison was made to following the progression of speech assignments in the communication manuals, where one skill build upon another; is it truly wise or worthwhile to do the “Inspire Your Audience” speech immediately after completing your “Icebreaker?” I believe there is some merit to this belief, but my opinion is that the CL manual is designed to be opportunistic—that is, complete the assignments as you can. Ideally, each skill/project should be mastered before moving to the next, but I cannot see VPEs and members easily, or willingly, scheduling assignments based on the manual progression. (“Joe, you’re working on your CL and ACB. In February you’ll be an evaluator, Grammarian, and Table Topics speaker.”) Additionally, like the HPL, some of these projects are on-going or extend beyond a meeting or two (organize a club contest, run a membership drive, web or newsletter editor). Until TI comes out and tells me flat out that the manual needs to follow the listed order, I’ll allow my members to complete the manual in the order they choose.

These may not follow the company line, but they are my thoughts and opinions. I hope they hold some value to you. And I am always happy to take your comments.

Training Time Again

2007-01-07T16:32:00.000-05:00

I've been a club officer of one rank or another for any number of years now. And each Summer and Winter, I trudge to the Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) sessions and learn a little more about how to do the jobs I've accepted. I even presented the SAA session once.

But after going to so many trainings, I sometimes wonder why I still go. I don't want to have that "been there, done that." or "I know it all" attitude. So, why do I go? I go to get credit for my clubs toward the Distinguished Club Plan (DCP). And I go to share. And I go to learn.

I've learned that every club has its own personality and way of doing things. I can't go and visit every club out there, but I can sit in these sessions and learn how other clubs are handling things. Whether it is scheduling, PR, websites, the Icebreaker, or anything. The manuals each officer receives are fine and dandy, and the instruction the District provides is great, but it is the interactions within the sessions that make them worthwhile for me.

I'll be spending my Saturday morning attending training this Winter. I'll make sure each of the clubs I serve gets their proper credit. And I'll learn something while I am there.

Now, Where Does It Fit?

2006-12-27T22:14:00.000-05:00

I had an idea this afternoon for a good, humorous speech. Now, I am wondering if I can fit it into one the manuals I am working on now, or if I need to go back into the CC manual for a good fit.

The idea? Sharing some of the practical jokes that I've used around the office. Simple things that leave people more confused then wondering why they couldn't figure it out sooner.
Some of these things I've done. Taping the paper in their printer together so that an unclearable paper jam occurs (no paper actually goes into the printer). Removing the cartridge from the laser printer and stashing it in one of their drawers. Being in cahoots with the office keeper of keys, gaining access to locked cabinets and cleaning them out in their absence. Moving a co-workers workstation while they were in a meeting. Wrapping a colleagues cubicle in plastic wrap while they are on travel. Filling the bosses desk with packing peanuts while he is on vacation.

None of these were significantly time consuming or difficult to pull off; the most difficult being the plastic wrapped cubicle. The cruelest, though, was taking a vacationing friends half-finished Sprite bottles and pouring and spreading out a small amount each day he was on vacation and adding a fresh piece of paper each time. Only a week of vacation, and it took most of the day for him to clean when he came back.

I think that I can pull these things together into a coherent and humorous structure and present it as one of the assignments in my manuals.

Progress Made?

2006-12-22T17:20:00.000-05:00

I want to claim a victory in making progress, but I'll settle for a first step instead.

I am working on the Storytelling manual right now and needed a folktale or something of the sort to work with. Well, despite the fact I have younger children, an appropriate tale wouldn't come to me. So I hit the library yesterday afternoon and found more than a few tales in folklore, including a book on Virginia folklore.

Of course, now I must now choose a tale, work it up, practice and then deliver it. But at least now I have the raw material needed to begin my project.

Conducting TableTopics

2006-12-19T07:26:00.000-05:00

One of the most intimidating aspects of any Toastmasters meeeting is Tabletopics. Am I going to be called on? Why is my mind blank right now? I wish I had that question. All of these thought might slip throug our heads as the session moves on.

A lot of attention has been paid in the Toastmaster magazine, particularly the December issue, on how to respond and prepare for Tabletopics, but I can't say I've seen much devoted to the preparation and conduct of the session as Tabletopics Master. In my years of experience, I have seen a widening gulf in the manner Tabletopics are conducted-- by novice and veteran alike.
Some call on a person and read the question specifically for them. Others seek volunteers and then read the question. Yet others, and I prefer this style, ask the question then call on someone. A final variation is asking the question then soliciting volunteers. Of the four methods, the last two, I feel, are preferable. Immediately taking most of the audience out of the question is a put off to me.

What about the questions themselves? Here, the variety in presentation, style and content is fantastic. Some will pull headlines from the morning paper and ask about those. Other drop props in a bag and have respondents select one, sight unseen. I've seen tag-team questions where one member provides the oral response and a second the appropriate gestures. The keys to a good Tabletopics question, though, are to keep it simple and keep it open-ended-- allow the audience's and respondent's minds to flow and explore a possible response and form a response beyond your typicall teenager's vocabulary of "yup," "un-uh," and "Idontknow."

I encourage you to make it fun for your audience, and allow them all to participate, even with limited time, by not limiting who responds to the question until after the question is asked.

Looking at My Goals

2006-12-17T17:10:00.000-05:00

When the Toastmasters year began on July 1, I set what I thought were five reasonable and achievable goals for the current Toastmasters year.
First, I was going to earn my Competent Communicator Silver.
Second, I was going to earn an old Competent Leader Award.
Third, I would earn the new Competent Leader Award.
Fourth, I would earn the new Competent Leader Silver Award.
Fifth, I would earn my Competent Communicator Gold. When I completed this particular task, I would also be eligible for the Distinguished Toastmaster award, already having the Advanced Leader.

Six months into the year, where do I stand in relation to these goals?

I did earn the CC-Silver in July. At the time I needed only complete one more speech, and did.
I earned the old CL in September. I presented the last needed educational module at the club I mentored.

I have four assignments left in the new Competent Leader manual. And I believe I can knock those out in the next two months-- provided I bring the manual with me to meetings for evaluations.

I am working on the new CL-Silver. I'll need the new CL first. I'm serving two clubs as officers and attend training. I also have the two educational modules scheduled for January. So I don't see where I'll need additional work to reach these four goals.

Where I am having trouble is in completing the speeches necessary to earn the CC-Gold and DTM. All of the additional requirements are completed, only the speeches to go. I opted for the Storytelling and Interpretive Reading manuals, to work on my vocal variety some more. But after six months I have only two speeches done, with eight remaining.

There is some pressure to complete the work by May, so I can be recognized at the District conference. But I am not sure I want to commit to that. I still believe, though, that I can complete the work by the end of the year.

I have confidence, because I control speaker scheduling in one club as the VP Education. In the other, with fewer members, opportunities only require showing up prepared. Of course, that leads to the question-- am I prepared. Not for any speeches at the moment. But with the 10 days I am taking off for the Holidays, I plan on working on at least two speeches.

Check back in March and I'll update my progress again.