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Dilip R. Abayasekara, DTM, AS, Accredited
Speaker, is a trainer, speech coach, and a
professional speaker. He was twice a finalist at
Toastmasters World Championship of Public
Speaking, placing second in 1992. He also won
Toastmasters District 18 Evaluation contest in
1993. Dr. Abayasekara is an adjunct faculty
member at Central Pennsylvania College and
Eastern University's School of Professional
Studies. Through his company, Speaker Services
Unlimited, he offers individualized speech
coaching as well as training and keynote
speeches. Contact him by phone at 717-728-2203
or by e-mail at drdilip@drdilip.com Web site:
www.drdilip.com
Copyright @ Dilip R. Abayasekara, 2004
All Rights Reserved |
The Seven Habits of
Highly Effective Evaluators
Stephen Covey said that highly effective people
have seven habits in common. Interestingly, over
a period of twenty years of receiving and giving
speech evaluations, I have noticed that great
evaluators also have seven "habits" in common.
These "habits" are constituted of knowledge,
communication, demonstration, and insight. When
you put these seven habits into practice, you
too can become a highly effective evaluator.
#1. Understand Why
Great evaluators understand why they are
evaluating a speech. This understanding tells
them what they should not do. They know that
they should not upstage the speaker, make the
speaker feel inadequate, give the speech, give a
summary of the speech, overly praise the speaker
without giving pointers for improvement,
criticize the speaker and the speech, or
otherwise create no value for the speaker.
The first "habit" is one of applied knowledge.
This knowledge is that the evaluator has three
objectives: (1) reinforce the strengths of the
speaker; (2) suggest ways that the speech could
be improved; (3) encourage the speaker. The
measure of the evaluator's skill is the value
the speaker receives from the evaluation. Great
evaluators are never self-centered; they focus
their energy, on achieving the above three goals
for the benefit of the speaker.
#2. Reassure
Just like good doctors have a good bedside
manner, effective evaluators have a manner that
reassures the speaker that he or she need not
feel threatened by the evaluation. If you've
ever had one of your speeches evaluated, you
know the apprehensive feeling just before the
evaluator begins his evaluation of your speech.
Great evaluators are sensitive to this
apprehension and try to reassure the speaker
that there is nothing to fear.
Evaluators who do not understand the need for
reassurance may undermine the relationship of
trust they want to build between themselves and
the speaker by doing something as simple as
taking a large pad of paper or a clipboard with
them to the lectern. That large pad of paper or
clipboard may suggest to the speaker that you
are going to elaborate on a large number of
problems regarding the speech. I take only one
piece of paper, sometimes folded in half, the
smaller the better. Some evaluators eschew any
notes and try to do the evaluation by memory. I
think that is unnecessary and borders on
showmanship. Effective evaluators use key words
and phrases written in an orderly manner that
allows them to keep on track while speaking
conversationally.
Facial expressions that are reassuring
(especially smiling), fluid body movements and
gestures, open body positions (arms open, not
crossed), well modulated voice volume and tone
all create an atmosphere that makes it easy for
the speaker to listen to the evaluator.
#3. Follow a Sequence for Psychological
Receptivity
How do you make someone want to listen to
you when they are afraid that you will criticize
them? Here's a secret that highly effective
evaluators know. Make the person feel
appreciated before you suggest ways that he or
she might improve!
A speaker feels appreciated by an evaluator when
the evaluator notices and mentions the things
that the speaker did well. Be specific in your
praise. Don't just praise the speaker for doing
a "great job." Tell the speaker what he or she
specifically did and said that you thought was
noteworthy. This recognition creates
psychological receptivity, a mental state that
accepts what you say. This is the reason why
great evaluators always start off by recognizing
what the speaker did well.
The sequence that you, the effective evaluator
will follow is: recognize what the speaker did
well; make suggestions for improving the speech;
encourage the speaker and leave him wanting to
return to the lectern. Like the meat in a
sandwich, the suggestions for improvement are
sandwiched between recognizing the speaker's
strengths and encouraging the speaker.
#4. It's Just Your Opinion
Highly effective evaluators are humble
enough to know that what they are sharing is
just their individual opinion and is not
necessarily the voice of the majority of the
audience. So they sprinkle their comments with
"I" statements. Examples are: "I thought that
your opening was perfect for what you were
trying to accomplish with your speech." "It
seemed to me that your pauses were a little too
short." I felt a little disconnected with your
speech because you didn't look at me."
One reason that you make it clear to the speaker
that you are only giving your opinion is that
the speaker will then feel free to accept or
reject your comments without worrying whether
every person in the audience felt the way you
did. This eases the pressure and let's the
speaker know that you are honestly sharing the
way you felt about the speech.
Sometimes inexperienced speakers shy away from
evaluating the speech of an experienced speaker.
This is understandable if evaluations are
supposed to reflect the mood of the audience.
The truth is that evaluations can only reflect
the response of the individual evaluator. Once
new Toastmasters understand that, it is much
easier for them to gather the courage to give a
good evaluation.
#5. It's Just a Suggestion
"Where the rubber meets the road" in an
evaluation is how well the evaluator's
recommendations are received by the speaker. If
the evaluator is too pushy, the speaker may
mentally reject the evaluator's analysis of the
speech. So, effective evaluators always qualify
their remarks by softening the tone of their
recommendations. Note the italicized words in
the following examples:
"You may want to consider this method in order
to establish good eye contact."
"When I was a beginning speaker, I too had a
problem uttering too many uhms. Over the past
few years, I've learned a way to overcome that.
This approach may be helpful to you too; this is
how it works."
"Perhaps writing out your manuscript in outline
form may help you get away from dependence on
the text."
When you phrase the recommendation like a
suggestion, it will become easier for the
speaker to be open minded about your suggestion.
#6. Don't Just Talk, Demonstrate!
Highly effective evaluators believe that
showing is more powerful than telling. This is
why they demonstrate, as far as possible, the
improvements that they recommend to the speaker.
For example, instead of saying, "Jenny, consider
trying harder to establish good eye contact,"
you could say, "I have found that I can
establish good eye contact with the members of
my audience when I think that they are not a
mass, but a collection of individuals. I'm
speaking to one person at a time! My experience
is that if I hold my gaze with each person's
eyes for three to five seconds, (demonstrate
this as you speak) audience members feel as if
I'm directly taking with them. Try that and see
if it works for you."
Demonstrating is not always possible. But as far
as possible, demonstrate the improvements you
suggest. You will increase clarity,
understanding, and receptiveness.
#7. Evaluate with Your Whole Self
Great evaluators use their eyes, ears, mind,
and heart when evaluating a speech. The eyes
observe the speaker's body language, dress,
movement, posture, facial expressions, gestures,
and command of the speaking area. The ears
listen for vocal quality and vocal variety, for
diction and articulation, rate of speech, pitch,
and volume modulation. The mind analyzes the
speech structure, clarity, logic, transitions,
and achievement of purpose. The heart analyzes
the connection of the speaker and the message to
the audience, the speaker's presence and
self-confidence, the flow and feeling OF the
message.
The above is why an effective evaluation never
sounds wooden or dull. A great evaluation has a
life of its own because it is delivered from the
whole self of the evaluator.
The Final Question
Sometimes you will hear a presentation that
is so excellent that you find it difficult to
come up with any suggestion for improvement. Ah!
That is a test of your evaluation skills. In
such a case, I have found this to be very
helpful: ask yourself "What is the one thing,
that when properly done, would have the greatest
positive effect on this speech?"
The answer to the above question can take many
forms. Applying it to an excellent speech a few
months ago, I realized that although excellent
in many ways, the speaker did not relate the
value of the talk to the interests of the
audience. Another time, I felt that the speaker
was so intent in delivering a "speech," that he
forgot to simply and conversationally talk with
us. Having competed in as well as judged
evaluation contests for many years, I find that
all other things being equal, the person who
wins a District level evaluation speech contest
is one who is able to articulate the most
significant way that the speaker could improve.
So there you have it. As I mentioned in the
opening paragraph, the seven habits of highly
effective evaluators are an amalgamation of
knowledge, communication, demonstration, and
insight. The only way to learn them is to
purposely put them in to practice every time you
evaluate a speaker. After a while, these skills
will become part of you. What that means is that
every speaker you evaluate will get great value
from your evaluation. Even more important, you
would have learned a skill that will help you in
every form of human interaction. You will have
in your grasp, the power to help another person
grow.
Tips on How to Strengthen Low
Membership Club?
-
Find out whether
there are any members who really want the Club to
survive. If the answer is "no," don't force your
solutions on them. If the answer is "yes," then the
Club can be saved.
-
Discuss with the Club
Officers the reasons for the low membership. If
any problem can be fixed easily, do it. E.g., Club
meets at an inconvenient time or place.
-
Ask the Club
Officers whether they would be interested in getting
the aid of a Club Specialist. If they are open to
the idea, then ask the District Governor to appoint
a Club Specialist for that Club.
-
Remind the Club
Officers that the best membership-building tool is
an excellent Club meeting. Offer help to the VPE to
improve the quality of the meetings.
-
Educate the Club
Officers on the value and benefits of using the
Distinguished Club Plan (DCP).
-
Ask the Club
Officers to set a Club goal for the DCP.
-
Challenge the Club
and especially the Club President and other officers
to implement the mission of the Toastmasters Club.
-
Ask the Area
Governor to pay special attention to that Club and
visit it often.
-
If any of the Club
Officers have not been trained, arrange for that
training to be given, regardless of the time of the
year.
-
Inform the Club
Officers about the Speechcraft program and how it
can bring in new members and funds for the Club.
-
The LGM or the DG
could telephone the Club President to encourage him
or her.
-
If the membership
very low, request Toastmasters from local Clubs to
attend the Club meetings and even take on roles at
the meeting.
-
Make sure the Club
President is aware of the importance of setting a
good tone for the meeting and the importance of a
positive Club culture.
Training Skits For Highly
Effective Area Governor Club Visits
Make it Easy for
People to Learn
Have you sometimes
wondered why some of your Area Governors don't make
the most of their Club visits? The reason may be
that they have not fully understood how to achieve a
good Club visit. Do use the Area Governor training
materials provided to you from WHQ. This is
supplementary material.
The reason why the following skits have been found
to be a great learning aid is because of the way
people learn and remember. People who are visually
oriented can usually learn a procedure by reading a
manual. However, those who learn more easily by
hands-on applications and by listening will learn
more readily with demonstrations. Also, a
demonstration is more active, raises the energy
level, and captures the audience's interest.
These Three Skits Cover the Gamut of Quality
Following are three skits that illustrate three
levels of competency for an Area Governor visit.
Skit #1 shows what a very ineffective Area Governor
visit is like. Skit #2 demonstrates a passable Area
Governor visit that still could be improved further.
Skit #3 illustrates an excellent Area Governor
visit.
Getting the Most from these Skits
To get the most from this training exercise,
immediately after all the skits have been presented,
ask the audience leading questions and let them
discover the ingredients in a successful Area
Governor Club visit. Sample questions are given at
the end of this article.
The following is written in a format suitable for
eliciting volunteers from your audience to play the
roles that are described. Prepare a sufficient
number of copies of the script. In advance of the
training session, find the right people for the
right roles in the skits. Fill in the blanks in the
scripts with the names of the actors. Have each
participant read their portion out loud at the
appropriate time, so that the audience can follow
along. I recommend that one person take
responsibility to keep everybody organized and give
cues to them to speak their parts at the right time,
if necessary. The parts that are in bold are to
be read out loud by the narrator. This is a lot
of fun. Go with the flow. This is learning by doing!
SKIT #1: Clueless Cleo
Area Governor
#1 (The following is based upon a real experience
that the author had)
Actors:
Scene: The Club meeting is about
to begin. A "stranger" (actually the Area Governor)
walks in hurriedly.
Sergeant-at-Arms: "Hello! Welcome to the
Pitter Patter Toastmasters Club! Glad to have you
with us. Is this your first visit to a Toastmasters
Club?"
Area Governor: "No, no. I'm the Area
Governor. I need to speak with your Club President.
Can you point him out to me?"
Sergeant-at Arms: "Sure. Let me introduce you
to him."
The Sergeant-at-Arms introduces the Area Governor
to the Club President.
Area Governor: "I meant to call you earlier,
but just got too busy. I'm your Area Governor. My
name is __________________________ (insert name of
actor). I'm here to visit your Club and complete my
report to the District."
President: "Oh? Are we supposed to do
anything special?"
Area Governor: "No".
The meeting begins. The Club president introduces
the Area Governor to the Club members. The meeting
proceeds in the usual manner.
Just before the evaluations are to begin, the
Area Governor speaks up:
Area Governor: "Excuse me, Mr. President. I
have a report to write and so, if you don't mind,
I'd like to ask a few questions in case we run
late."
President: "Oh? I guess that's OK."
Area Governor: "Thank you. The first question
- how many members does your Club have?
President: "Well…I think we have around 15
members."
Area Governor: "Down to 15?? Hmm. Do you have
a VPM? Anyway, next question - How many members do
you have who are working towards completing their
CTM?"
Meanwhile, the club members are getting restless.
President: "I'm not quite sure. Let me ask my VPE. Helen (looks at VPE), what's the number?
VPE: "We have two."
Area Governor: "Two?"
At this time, the VPM breaks into the
conversation very agitatedly.
VPM: (In an angry tone of voice) "This is a
District audit, isn't it? You are auditing us,
aren't you?
Area Governor: " Uh. I wouldn't call this an
audit, but…"(gets cut off by a club member)
Club Member: "Why do we have to go through
all this administrative stuff during the meeting? I
came here to learn something and have fun. Is all
this necessary?"
Area Governor: "Well, let me tell you …(The
Area Governor gets cut off by the angry VPM)
VPM: "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but
we only have an hour for this Club meeting. You
people from the District can't just march into our
club meeting and fire questions at us."
President: "Hold it, everyone."
It's too late. This meeting is lost.
SKIT #2: Able Abe
Featuring
Area Governor #2
Actors needed:
-
Area Governor
-
Club President
-
Narrator
Several
days Before the Club Meeting, the Area Governor
telephones the Club President.
Club President: "Hello."
Area Governor: "Hi, _________ (insert first
name of actor who is portraying the President)! This
is your Area Governor, ____________________ (insert
full name of actor). I'd like to visit your Club
meeting to introduce myself. I understand you meet
every Wednesday at noon. May I visit your Club this
Wednesday?"
Club President: "Yes. We'd love to have you.
Do I need to do anything special?"
Area Governor: "No. Just introduce me to the
Club. I have some paperwork to take care of. We can
talk about it when we meet."
…Before the meeting begins:
The Area Governor meets the Club President. They
chat. The Area Governor shows the President the Area
Governor Club Visit Report form. But the President
doesn't have enough time to provide all the answers.
…At the meeting:
The Club President introduces the Area Governor to
the members. After the meeting, the Area Governor
meets with the Club President and the VPE to get the
Club Visit report Form filled out.
SKIT #3: Marvelous Marv
Featuring
Area Governor #3
Actor's needed:
-
Club President
-
Area Governor
One month
before the Club visit, the Area Governor telephones
the Club President.
Club President: "Hello."
Area Governor: "Hi _______________ (insert
first name of actor who is portraying the Club
President)! This is your Area Governor
___________________ (insert full name of actor). I'm
calling because I'd like to visit your Club,
introduce myself, and get to know you and your
fellow Club members.
President: "That's great. It's been a long
time since we had a visit by an Area Governor. By
the way, are we supposed to do anything special?
Area Governor: "You are not supposed to do
anything special, but I would like to be given 5-7
minutes to make some remarks to your Club members.
Also, in order for the District Governor to know how
your Club is doing and to know how we can be most
helpful to you, I will need some information about
your Club. In fact, I'd like to meet with your
Executive Committee for about 10 minutes after the
meeting. In preparation for that, I'd like to fax a
copy of my Area Governor's Club Visit Report form to
you as soon as possible. This is so that you and
your fellow Club Officers can collect the
information for me before I attend your meeting.
That will make things easier for all of us!"
Club President: "That sounds good to me.
Here's my fax number: 123-4567. When would you like
to visit us?"
Area Governor: "In about a month; how about
___________ (mentions date)? That way, your VPE can
fit me into the program. Also, I'd like to meet as
many of your members as possible. You might want to
make the occasion of my visit a reason to try to get
every single member to attend the meeting!"
Club President: "Hey, now you are giving me
ideas! Let's plan on you visiting my Club on
_____________ (date). We can promote the meeting as
"Meet Your Area Governor" night!"
Area Governor: " __________________ (fill in
first name of actor who is portraying the
Club President), I'm really looking forward to
meeting you, your fellow Club Officers, and the rest
of your Club members. I'll give you a call as we get
closer to that date."
Prior to the Start of the Club meeting:
The Area Governor arrives early. The Area Governor
is dressed well and has the Toastmaster pin and
badge on. The President and the Sergeant-at-Arms
greet him/her.
The President introduces the Area Governor to the
rest of the Executive Committee and other members as
they arrive. The Area Governor chats and makes
contact with many of the members.
At the Club meeting:
After all the prepared speeches, table topics, and
evaluations are done, the Club President introduces
the Area Governor to make some remarks to the
members.
The Area Governor speaks very encouragingly to
the members. He/she mentions the things that were
done right at the meeting. He/she talks about the
vital mission of the Club and it's important role in
serving members. He/she mentions the International
theme and the District Governor's theme. He/she
congratulates the members who earned an educational
award and encourages the Club to go for
Distinguished and beyond using the Distinguished
Club Plan.
By the time the Area Governor concludes the
speech, staying within the time allotted for the
presentation, the Club members are proud to be
Toastmasters and want to build an even stronger
Club.
Immediately after the meeting:
The Club President rounds up the Executive Committee
members and meets with the Area Governor. They go
over the information needed to complete the Area
Governor's Club Visit Report form. The Club Officers
also give inside scoop on the strengths and
weaknesses of the Club. The Area Governor asks
questions, listens carefully, makes notes when
necessary, and offers encouragement.
The Area Governor sends a thank you note to the
Club President for the warm hospitality the Club
showed to him/her and the cooperation that he/she
received.
The Area Governor also signs the Club Visit Report
form, makes a copy for his/her files, and mails the
original to the District Governor.
To make this really effective, immediately after
the 3 skits have been completed, ask everyone
searching questions. As far as possible, let THEM
come up with the answers.
Sample
questions:
1.
List every thing wrong with the Club visit in
Skit #1 and describe how each wrong act or word
spoken could be corrected.
2.
What makes the Club visit in Skit #3 so
successful? Describe the reason behind each thing
the Area Governor did.
3.
What happens when the Executive Committee
cannot meet with the Area Governor immediately after
the meeting because their meeting is held during the
lunch hour at their company and everyone has to get
back to work? Can we be flexible? What are alternate
ways of doing an A+ Club visit?
4.
What are some ways that Area Governor #2 can
improve his/her Club visit?
Eight
Steps to Distinguished Results
The Buddhist
doctrine espouses eight steps to attaining
enlightenment. This is called the 'Eightfold Path.'
I have discovered eight steps that are not quite so
spiritual but that are extremely practical in giving
Toastmaster Leaders a path to follow to achieve
their short term enlightenment - Distinguished
District! Here they are with the hope that you apply
them on your journey of success.
Step 1: KNOW YOUR GOALS
Know exactly what you want to achieve. If you don't'
know, find out what's needed to excel in your
position. Do you know the specific numbers for your
District's critical success factors? Do you know
exactly how your team members want to be treated?
Don't forget this fifth factor in the 'High Five'!
As the Cheshire cat said to Alice in Wonderland, "If
you don't know where you are going, any road will
take you there!"
Know exactly where you want to go.
Step 2: WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS
Write down exactly what you want to achieve. I don't
know why this works, but it is a vital step. Write
down the critical success factor numbers you want to
hit by the end of June. Also write down a
description of the quality of the relationship you
want to have with each of your team members. I
believing this writing step so much that I carry a
little card in my wallet in which I have written my
personal mission statement.
Step 3: COMMIT TO YOUR GOALS
Everyday, look at your written statement and
commit to your goals. Let your commitment sink in to
the deepest recesses of your mind. Visualize
success. Bring as many of your senses in to play as
possible in this process. For example, in your
imagination, see, hear and feel the success you
desire. Delete the word "try" from the vocabulary of
your mind. Instead, just 'know' that you will attain
your goals.
Step 4: KNOW WHERE YOU ARE
Analyze the results you have obtained at
present. Determine how far you have to go to reach
your goals. Ask yourself what the obstacles are to
reaching those goals. Sometimes we have imaginary
obstacles. Get serious here; strip away
rationalizations. Be honest with yourself.
Step 5: IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE CHALLENGES
The job you have to do may seem overwhelming.
Break it down in to small tasks. Now the job will
seem doable. Create a priority list of what you need
to accomplish in order to reach your goals within
the time frame you have.
Step 6: GET TO KNOW THE PLAYERS - IT'S A
RELATIONSHIP BUSINESS!
Every business, especially Toastmasters, is a
relationship business. You will not be able to do
everything you have to accomplish by yourself. You
need other people. You know that by now! As far as
possible, find out the human side of those you serve
(District leaders, Club officers, etc.), find out
about their joys, fears, pains, frustrations,
desires. Build bridges of mutual respect. Everyone
doesn't have to like you to get the job done, but it
is important that your team members respect your
integrity and commitment to those you serve and work
with.
Step 7: PREPARE A STRATEGY
In order to reach your goals from where you are,
you need a game plan, a strategy. Based on steps 4,
5, and 6, you are now in a position to prepare a
strategy based on knowledge. The strategy is the
plan to take you from where you are to where you
want to be. Write this down clearly, step by step.
As far as possible, get your team members involved
in this.
Step 8: TAKE ACTION!!!
General Douglas McArthur said, "There is no
substitute for victory." An effective Toastmaster
leader says, "There is no substitute for action!"
Now that you have clearly defined goals and a
strategy to achieve them, don't take action in baby
steps. Take massive action! It is much easier to
achieve success with a massive dose of action rather
than by taking small steps every now and then.
So dear District leader, I hope you will find this
eight-step path a useful guide to propel you to
District and personal success. May you attain your
Toastmasters 'nirvana' (heaven)
FOUR EFFECTIVE
METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING
THE ABOVE INFORMATION
TO LOW MEMBER CLUBS
1. Area
Governor
The most effective
communication is usually face-to-face. The Area
Governor (AG) is the main connection between the
District and the Club. The AG is in a unique
position to counsel, encourage, and guide the
Club officers of low member Clubs in his/her
Area. Besides Club visits, Area Council meetings
could also be used for this purpose.
2. Club Officer Training Functions and Other
Educational Functions
Just as TI provides special assistance to
struggling Districts, the District could make it
a point to have special educational functions
for members of low member Clubs. In the event
that members of such Clubs don't attend these
functions (as is usually the case), the AGs who
have such Clubs in their Areas could get special
training on rebuilding low-member Clubs and how
best to communicate this information to those
Clubs.
3. Communications from the Top Three Officers
Encouraging, Helpful, and Positive Telephone
Calls and Other Contacts to the Club President
from the District Governor or Lt. Governors
4. Consistent Communication Using Every
Available Method
Consistently Spread This Information in the
District Bulletin, E-mail News, Area & Division
Council Meetings, and District Executive
Committee Meetings.
I hope
that you found this article helpful. Please
share it with the Clubs in your District as well
as your Area Governors and Division Governors.
Let's make that 'holy' pitcher 'whole'…and then
let's fill it to the brim!
In Speech Excel, In Life Be Well
Asked the
student of the teacher,
How do I in speech excel?
For though I possess knowledge greater,
Scared am I of audience hell.
Looked the teacher at the student,
His eyes did smile, his heart did hear;
For the teacher loved the movement
Of the spoken word so dear.
Spake the teacher of erudition,
Most of what you need you have,
For the art of great rendition
Is more to do with mental salve.
If change you want the world to be,
Look with new eyes, that's the start.
Your fears reveal what your heart does see,
So change the viewpoint of your heart.
Said the student, puzzled, frowning,
I am who I am as born;
Fears my heart my confidence drowning,
Change I cannot, am forlorn.
"You are who you are" is conning,
Said the teacher in earnest plea,
The power to change and becoming
Means become the person you ought to be.
To change it means your heart connecting,
And then the head will follow, still;
Enter your heart by allowing
Your imagination, drawing fill.
Leave your fears outside for rusting,
Enter imagination's studio thrill;
See, hear, and feel your calling,
Plant the seed in mental mill.
Picture, hear, and feel indwelling,
Do it daily, deeply fill
Your mind in speech excelling,
Confidence building speaker thrill.
What your mind imagines vividly,
Does become your reality;
Drop your fears of failure sickly,
Instead imagine vitality.
One more step is needed student,
You must act upon your dreams,
Speak at every opportune moment,
Practice, rehearse, live your dreams.
Find a mentor who will lift you up,
Listen, learn, how speech is done,
Visit and join a Toastmasters Club,
Your dreams, possibilities, will become one.
Thus learned the student in speech excelling
Is not alone by technique fine,
But imagination unleashed, indwelling,
Releases power, confidence sublime.
As the teacher so expounded,
Your fears be chased, your dreams let swell,
Imagination and action, keys propounded,
In speech excel, in life be well!
Seven Tips
on How to Collect
Semi-annual Dues
On Time
1.
Educate the Club treasurer and the Club
president on procedures to follow when
semi-annual dues need to be collected and
submitted. This should be covered at Club
Officer training. Explain to them why it is
important to the Club members that the Club
remains in good standing with TI.
2.
Identify those Club treasurers and
presidents who did not receive training. Assign
their Area Governor to train those untrained
officers, making sure that the why and how of
collecting and submitting the dues & member list
are covered.
3.
Three months before dues are due, make a
list of all Clubs that are currently in arrears
on their last dues payment. One of the Top
Three, preferably the LGM, should call the Club
president and help him or her to develop and
implement a plan to get their dues paid.
Follow-up in a couple of weeks to see what has
been done.
4.
Appoint a Semi-annual Dues Coordinator
and clearly explain that person's
responsibilities and authority to Division
Governors and Area Governors. This person's job
is to: (1) work with Area and Division Governors
to help and encourage Clubs to collect their
semi-annual dues and submit them on time; (2) to
telephone presidents and treasurers of
delinquent Clubs, reminding them of late dues,
and suggesting actions they can take to collect
and submit the dues so that their Club will not
be delinquent. The bottom line is that the
semi-annual dues are submitted for EVERY Club.
5.
Three months before the dues are due, the
LGM or Semi-annual Dues Coordinator telephones
the presidents of all Clubs that habitually pay
their dues late. Ask them what procedures they
will follow to ensure that this year, they will
collect and submit their dues on time. Follow-up
with an e-mail or letter outlining what was
discussed and agreed to during that
conversation.
6.
Some corporations pay the dues of members
of their corporate Club. Since the check writing
and mailing is left to the corporation, there
can be a delay in getting the check mailed to TI
on time to meet the deadline. In such cases,
have the Club treasurer or president submit the
request to the corporation far in enough in
advance that the deadline is met.
7.
A few weeks prior to the start of the
semi-annual dues collection period, send out a
newsletter or flyer or e-mail announcement
reminding Club presidents and treasurers of the
semi-annual dues deadline. Ask Area Governors to
mention the semi-annual dues during their Club
visits and chats with Club Officers.
SIX SPECIFIC ACTIONS
LOW
MEMBER CLUBS CAN TAKE TO REBUILD THEMSELVES
The six steps
described below are sequential because they build
one on another. These steps are based on personal
experience. In one case, a Club that had a
membership of 8 with only 3 active members began to
practice these strategies. In a 12 month time period
it grew to 39 members, #1 in the District and #3 in
the world. It can be done!
1. Club Leaders Catch the Vision!
Important steps to this:
(1) Club
Officers get trained.
(2) Understand
the mission of the Toastmasters Club.
(3) Understand
the elements of effective leadership - this is
especially important for the President and VPE.
(4) Understand
why people join Toastmasters, why people stay in
Toastmasters, why people leave Toastmasters.
(5) Be exposed
to knowledgeable, inspired and inspiring
Toastmasters.
2. Become
Aware of the Resources Available to Help Rebuild the
Club and Call on Them
(1) Other
Toastmasters
Area Governor, other experienced and caring
Toastmasters, nearby strong Clubs, Club Specialist,
if appropriate.
(2)
Resources from WHQ
'How to Rebuild a Toastmasters Club' booklet, Better
Club series, Leadership Excellence series,
Success/Leadership, Success/Communication,
especially Moments of Truth and the Art of Effective
Evaluation.
3. Embrace
the Mission Statement of the Club
(1) Begins
with the President and VPE, and then the rest of the
Executive Committee.
(2) The Club
mission statement is shared with the members of the
Club.
(3) The
mission statement is lived by example by the Club
officers.
4. Create a
Vision of Success for the Club and Use the DCP
(1) Begins
with the Executive Committee and then is transferred
to the rest of the members.
(2) Survey the
needs and desires of the members.
(3) Set up
educational program to meet the needs of the
members.
(4) Set DCP
goals and strategies to achieve them.
(5) Get
members' buy-in for a strong, vibrant Club.
5. Track
and Communicate Progress
(1) Track
individual members' educational progress and
communicate this to the rest of the Club members.
(Use wall charts, newsletters, e-mail, etc.).
(2) Track and
communicate Club's progress toward its DCP goals.
(Celebrate as each goal is reached!).
(3) Engage in
other tracking and communicating too, such as Club
Toastmaster of the year award.
6. Create a
Winning Club Culture
(1) Make
consistent educational excellence a standard
expectation.
(2) Build and
maintain a strong mentoring program.
(3) Build and
maintain professional meeting standards (mentoring
will be required here).
(4) Have
fellowship and fun!
(5) Have a
strong public relations and membership building
emphasis.
(6) Recognize
and show appreciation to members.
(7) Maintain
administrative standards (dues collection, Club
Officer list, etc.)
(8) Become
active in Area, Division, and District activities
and beyond.
Built to Last
-
Ten Ideas for Chartering Strong Clubs
1.
Provide training to Club sponsors and
Club mentors.
2.
Have two trained mentors assigned to
assist the Club for a minimum of six months, but
longer if possible.
3.
Get every Club Officer position filled.
4.
Provide training for every Club Officer.
Do this very soon after the Club has chartered.
Don't wait for the next round of TLIs or
District Club Officer training.
5.
If it's a company Club, get the support
of the top officers of the company. Invite them
to special Club meetings. Invite them to address
the Club members.
6.
The Club mentors should attend Club
Executive Committee meetings and educate the
Club Officers on the mission of the Club and how
to effectively achieve it.
7.
Focus on the Club running great
educational meetings and the members having fun!
8.
Ask the Area Governor of that Club to pay
special attention to newly chartered Clubs and
visit them as often as possible.
9.
Encourage the Club Officers to watch out
for potential leaders among the members and
nurture them in to leadership roles.
10.
Strongly encourage the Club's members to
get to know other Toastmasters in the District.
Invite them to attend the District Conferences
and Area and Division Speech Contests.
TEN MAJOR REASONS WHY CLUBS FAIL
1. Weak
Leadership
A. Club
President
(a) No vision;
not trained; poor leadership skills; lack of service
orientation.
B. Other
Officers
(b) Not
trained; little accountability to members.
2. The Club
Depends on Just one or Two Members to Keep it Going
A. If this key
member leaves, there are no leaders within the Club
to give it direction.
3. The Club
Leaders Don't Use the Distinguished Club Program (DCP)
A. They are
not educated about the DCP and/or
B. They don't
buy in to the value of the DCP and/or
C. The
District Leaders don't talk up the value of the DCP.
4. Lack of
knowledge and lack of mentoring
A. No
knowledge about how to do the basics for effective
communication, leadership, and meeting management.
B. Club lacks
experienced, knowledgeable members (or they are
unavailable) to guide, mentor, and act as role
models for the less experienced members.
C. Club
leaders and members are unaware of the resources
that are available to help them - Area Governor,
Division Governor, Materials from WHQ, etc.
5.
Attitudinal Barriers of Club Leaders
A. Club
leaders foster a feeling that the Club is an island
unto itself.
B. Club
leaders view the Area Governor visits as
interference instead of support, encouragement, and
help.
6.
Untrained or Uncommitted Area Governor or Lack of an
Area Governor
7. Weak Educational Program.
A. VPE is
unaware of Club educational standards, OR doesn't
aspire to challenge the members live up to these
standards.
B. VPE lacks a
service orientation.
C. Members are
not surveyed.
D. As a result
of A above, manual speeches are only an option. This
slows the educational progress of the members.
E. Poor
meeting planning.
F. Poor
delegation of duties.
G. Poor
follow-up.
H. New members
are given meeting functions to perform without
adequate mentoring or guidance (#2 above).
I. No
educational sessions involving Better Club Series,
Successful Speaker series, Leadership Excellence
Series, Success/Communication, or Success/Leadership
are conducted for the Club members.
J. Educational
achievements are not recognized or praised.
K. Members are
not addressed by their educational designations.
L. Members
don't wear TM badges or pins.
8.
Relationship Problems
A. Veteran
Toastmaster/s forget the mission of the Club and
dictate standards to other members.
B. Some
Toastmaster members form cliques.
C. As a result
of #7 I above, evaluations are poor quality.
(a) "Brickbat"
evaluations discourage members;
(b)
"whitewash" evaluations don't help members grow.
9. Poor
Guest relations and Little or No Emphasis on Growing
the Membership
A. Due to lack
of training or unsuitable dispositions, the
President, VPM, Sergeant-at-Arms and others don't
greet and treat guests properly.
B. No guest
book; no follow-up to guests' visits.
C. No/weak
membership drive.
D. No new
member inductions.
10. Meeting
Location and/or Time is Inconvenient to Many
Members.
A. Club leadership doesn't seek to address this
issue.
Bounce
Back from Burnout
Around April and May of every year I often hear from
Toastmaster leaders that they feel burned out,
tired, or 'stale.' I'm not surprised, because I
remember having some of those same feelings when I
was serving as a Top Three Officer. Can you bounce
back from being burned out, you ask? Absolutely!
Here are some ways that you may be able to get back
that spring in your step.
Identify what is Causing Most of the 'Burned Out'
Feeling
Burn out occurs when you have a high degree of
stress with no relief for an extended period of
time. If you can identify what's causing all or most
of the stress, then you can figure out an action
plan to decrease or at least manage the stress. Here
are some common stress creators for Toastmaster
leaders: (1) unresolved conflict in the person's
team; (2) increased work loads at the job decreasing
the time they have available to attend to the
District's needs; (3) marital difficulties; (4)
working very hard month after month to meet the
District's goals, but not having much to show for
it; (5) criticism of the leader by key people in the
District; (6) trying to please everybody; (7)
working very hard over an extended period without
getting adequate rest; and (8) lack of balance in
the person's life style for a long period of time.
Take Specific, Direct Actions to Relieve the
Stress
Don't beat around the bush. If you want to
bounce back from burn out, you've got to be bold!
One very successful District leader told me that
when she spotted those burn out signs, she made
arrangements for District functions to be handled by
reliable people and went on a week's vacation where
she was away from telephones and meetings. My wife
and I made it a rule that when our family was at
dinner, neither our children nor we would answer the
telephone. Some leadership teams that have had
conflict have gone so far as to get a knowledgeable
mediator to work with them. If the cause of the
stress is lack of balance in your life, then
reassess the way you spend your time, what your
priorities should be in order to regain the balance
you need, and then make it happen!
Here are some examples of positive actions you
can take:
Lack of
exercise: make
appointments with yourself to go to the local
exercise Club on specific days at specific times to
exercise. If someone tries to book you for that time
period, check your day planner and say, "Sorry, I
already have an engagement at that time."
Not
spending enough time with your spouse:
Arrange to meet your spouse for
lunch during the week. Arrange for a babysitter and
go out on a biweekly date.
Working
very hard for the District but little to no progress
being made: You might
be working very hard at the wrong things. Go back to
basics. Study the District mission statement if you
are a District Officer. Study the Club mission
statement if you are a Club Officer. Focus only on
things that will directly have ramifications on the
critical success factors for your office. Consult
other knowledgeable and successful Toastmaster
leaders.
Trying to
please everybody:
That's a no-win situation. People who tend to do
this have low self-confidence and self esteem. Get
help from a counselor if necessary. Realize that you
are a person of worth and have much to offer. Be
grateful for those who help you and also be grateful
for those who give you a hard time because they are
making you reassess many false assumptions you are
laboring under. Focus on getting the job done in the
right way and forget the popularity contest.
Trust The Higher Power of the Universe
The higher power in my universe is God. Whatever
your religion and whatever your acknowledged higher
power, make room for spiritual growth and peace in
your heart. We human beings have a body, mind, and
spirit. If we are too busy to pay attention to
matters of the spirit, then we are too busy. Take
time to mediate or pray. If you can do neither, sit
comfortably in a place where you will not be
disturbed, close your eyes, and breathe deeply,
putting your full attention on each breath, as it
enters you through your nose and exits you through
your nose. Let all other thoughts fall away gently
from your mind. Discover the healing balm of
silence.
Reduce the Clutter
Simplify your life so that you are attending to
your priorities first. Reduce distractions. Look at
your daily planner, or personal digital assistant,
or calendar where you record all your appointments.
Ask yourself what you can cut out so that you have
more 'white space' in your life.
Take Time to Play
Don't take yourself so seriously. When is the
last time you had a good belly laugh? Do you have a
hobby that is different from your work or
Toastmasters activities? If so, spend a little time
each week on that hobby or interest. You will be
able to return to your Toastmasters work with a new
zest.
Commit to the Bounce
General George Patton, who barely passed from
West Point but later went on to become one of the
Second World War's most successful field commanders
said, "Success in life is not determined by how high
you rise but how high you bounce back from
adversity."
Like General Patton, make a decision that your
bounce back from burn out is for the long run. Stick
to the changes you make in your life. You will
wonder how you lived any other way. Good luck.
Bounce high!
Dilip's Dozen: Twelve
Ways to Encourage Members
to Present Manual Speeches
(How Clubs Can
Help Members Achieve Their CTM & ATM)
1.
Remind the VPE of each Club to take a
survey of the interests and needs of their Club
members. Find out why members joined and what
they want out of their Toastmasters experience.
According to surveys done by WHQ, most members
say that they joined in order to become more
effective and confident speakers.
2.
Based on the above survey, encourage the
VPE of each Club to convey to the Club members
the link between giving manual speeches and
reaching their personal goals. The VPE could
give a speech about this in the Club and also
follow-up with telephone calls to individual
members.
3.
Encourage every Club to establish a
Mentoring program for the inexperienced members.
Assign experienced, knowledgeable, and caring
members to mentor new members through their
first few speeches. This one-to-one attention
will help many new members overcome their
jitters and get a good start in speaking.
4.
Reward and recognize members who give
manual speeches. Examples are: standing ovations
for ice breaker speeches; positive comments
given informally to speakers by experienced
Toastmasters during a break or at the end of the
meeting; hand written notes of compliments
passed to the speaker after their speech, etc.
People tend to want to repeat the things that
get immediate positive feedback.
5.
When a member completes their CTM, ATM,
-B, -S, -G, or DTM, encourage every Club to hold
a ceremony to honor the achiever.
6.
Print the name of every person who
achieves the CTM or any ATM or DTM on the
District Newsletter and any electronic news.
Also print the name of the Club AND the name of
the Club President. People like to be
acknowledged and honored. Toastmasters who read
this will want to be honored too, and they will
be motivated to do what it takes to be
recognized.
7.
Sell every Club president on the benefits
of using the Distinguished Club Program (DCP).
8.
Same as #6 above, recognize and honor
every Club that progresses toward achieving
their goals on the DCP. Always include the name
of the Club President.
9.
The LGET, or someone appointed by the
LGET, write an article directed toward all the
members of the District who have not yet
achieved their CTM. Post this on the District
web site and also include it in the District
Newsletter. The article could include these
topics:
o
How the
Communication & Leadership Program manual is
designed to help them reach their goals of
becoming more effective, confident speakers.
o
How they can go
about completing the C & L manual, one speech at
a time.
o
How to pick
topics
o
How to set a
time table to achieve the CTM
o
How to pick a
mentor and ask for one-on-one help
o
How to practice
and prepare for a manual speech
o
How to get the
most out of the evaluations they receive so that
they improve with every speech.
10.
Publicize the above article via every
medium available: telephone calls or e-mails to
Division Governors, Area Governors, Club
Presidents, VPEs; a flyer e-mailed or faxed and
posted at Area, Division and District functions;
District Executive Committee Meetings, TLIs and
Club Officer Training meetings, etc.
11.
Ask every Area Governor to talk up
manual speeches and completions during Club
visits and conversations with Club Presidents.
12.
Make it clear in your communications
that non-manual speeches are detrimental to
members' progress and Clubs achieving their
mission. Some reasons why non-manual speeches
should be discouraged are that they: (1) have no
guide or structure given for the speaker; (2)
have no evaluation criteria for the evaluator;
(3) rob the Club program of a manual speech that
could have been given during that time slot and
thus the advancement of a member toward their
CTM or ATM; (4) usually have no specific
objectives on which the audience can focus; (5)
encourage impressionable members to pay less
attention to the professionally prepared C & L
manual and Advanced C & L manuals when planning
and preparing their speeches.
For members who have completed their CTM, we
have 15 advanced manuals which can be used for
almost every conceivable type of speech.
Publicize these manuals. Better yet, have them
on display at Club meetings.
Don't Try to Fill a Holey
Pitcher
or Why
Clubs Fail and How They Can Rebuild
The major challenge that many District Leaders face
has to do with meeting marketing goals - Club goal
and percap goal. Look at this critically. The
District brings in the new Clubs, BUT the Clubs
bring in the new members and sustain the present
members. If you look beneath the surface, what that
means is if Clubs live up to their mission,
members will be growing and achieving their goals,
educational goals will be being met, every Club will
be adding to their membership, and loss of Clubs
will be minimized!
The bottom line is - if most of the Clubs in your
District are successful, you will easily exceed your
educational goals and find it easy to meet your
marketing goals!!!
Trying to charter new Clubs while not educating
Clubs on how they can become successful is like
trying to fill up a pitcher when the pitcher has a
hole in its bottom!
Sure, some Club loss is inevitable. Some companies
go out of business or move. There are some things we
cannot control. But most other reasons for Club
failure can be avoided. If Club and District leaders
know why Clubs fail, they can prevent failure by
spotting these problems and taking actions right
away. I hope that the ideas below will
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