The Winter Solstice, the New Year, holidays of gifts, food and light, they all give us pause to cherish where we’ve been and celebrate our path forward. Brightly wrapped presents become tokens in our shared journey toward goals, fellowship and new skills. Here are some memories of Toastmasters gifts from members throughout the District, and click on the different gift images — they each go to different little presents! Enjoy them as you refresh and refocus — the second half of the Toastmasters year has begun, and you have six months until our other year end, June 30. Happy 2018!
In this issue…
- Surprise – it’s FUN!
- Teamwork is a gift
- Not a peaceful holiday sentiment: Kill Fear
- Pathways is actually a useful, wonderful tool!
- Challenges accepted, accomplishments made
- Sometime the Journey isn’t about miles
- Perhaps you were looking for the regular January newsletter?
Best decision turns out to be fun
I am an engineer by education. Engineers tend to be comfortable with numbers, formulas and problem solving, not “soft skills”. Like many engineers, I wasn’t immediately drawn to public speaking. After finishing college I learned 
that communication was something you had to do – whether you wanted to, or not. I did enjoy marketing technical products, so I had a need become a more effective public speaker and presenter. But I certainly wasn’t going to have fun doing it. I joined Toastmasters and attended meetings regularly, but grudgingly … sort of like eating vegetables, exercising, doing laundry and making your bed … I did it because I knew it was good for me. The people in the club were friendly, and helpful, and encouraging, and … after about 2 years I found myself actually enjoying attending meetings. That quickly led to taking more challenging meeting roles, club officer roles and eventually, leadership roles outside of the club.
Joining Toastmasters has been one of the best decisions in my life. I am growing in ways I never expected and am having fun in the process.
The Importance of Teamwork
In being asked what I’ve learned most from being a part of Toastmasters, it is difficult for me to narrow it down to just one item. There are so many things I have learned through Toastmasters and I feel a lot of them are important.
Reflecting on my most recent experience as a member of the Trio for the past year and a half, I would have to say the most valuable lesson I have learned is the importance of teamwork. Here are three reasons why I feel this is an important lesson from Toastmasters (since we promote Toastmasters as a safe place to fail):
I can’t do it all on my own – but I need to identify who can. Given that I am accountable to the whole District which covers a great number of members and great distance geographically, I need the assistance of others to succeed. This requires identifying my strengths (attention to detail, organization, and financial items) and weaknesses (public relations, sales and graphic design). For the items considered my weaknesses, I need to identify, with advice from others if needed, those who are good at those at those tasks and ask them for help. In Toastmasters, others are willing to help easily, but at work, if you can present it as a “win-win” situation, you can identify the proper individuals as well.
Relying on teamwork allows others to grow. As Club Growth Director and Program Quality Director, success has not been achieved without allowing others to be able to do their tasks. This has been especially evident this year in planning the Fall Conference. The event was carried off well because of the collective efforts of the group. It was important to me to have a team that was balanced between experienced Toastmasters that I knew could handle some of the larger tasks while bringing on new individuals into some of the other equally important tasks. By having this diverse dynamic, working to coordinate the event was enjoyable and allowed me to get to know some other people better at the same time.
Delegating and empowering people allow me to grow. By leveraging teams in Toastmasters, I have been able to see the growth in myself as well. Instead of having to be a “doer” or instruct others on how to do their tasks, I can lead by acting more as an advisor while allowing the team members to do their jobs and grow at the same time. I know more about certain things like PR and sales that I can make better informed decisions when advising others or tackling projects. Using the experience I do have, no matter what the task, allows me to “trust my gut” when making decisions because those initial instincts are either partially or fully correct.
All of these items can help with the satisfaction of a job well done after the fact. While there have been many good milestones, by continuing to follow the principles even more can be accomplished in Toastmasters and in life.
How to Kill Fear
There’s something about people in Toastmasters…
Fear is a funny thing. Not funny, ha-ha, but funny weird.
Fear cuts your dream off before it can be born. It makes you shut up because your inner voice says, ‘They don’t care!’ Fear is the jerk who trips you when you’re just doing your thing.
It sucks.
I spent a lot of my early years living in fear. Perhaps I wouldn’t call it that. Certainly I wasn’t phobic, and yet… I was stuck. I schlepped around and tried this and that and didn’t have a fit. I shut my mouth, so it wouldn’t sound like I had an opinion. *Gasp*
For 20 years I ran a business with my husband, and THAT got me a bit stronger, it’s true. There’s something about *having* to kick butt that makes you stand up and kick it.
When I joined Toastmasters, I saw the opportunity that was there for public speaking. With my business, if I could speak well, perhaps I could teach a class or do some marketing or something. Maybe I would be more poised with clients or subcontractors.
I didn’t expect the leadership to matter at all. *snicker*
I didn’t expect confidence to show up, either. Kicked fear right in the knickers.
After I joined Toastmasters, I had the good fortune to have one of the senior members take me under her wing. Barb would invite me to things, and she was always having fun with something.
Then, she asked if I would serve as Chief Judge at a contest. I was surprised that she didn’t ask me to take on a more junior position. She was just so SURE that I could do it.
So, I did.
After that, I was elected President. Freaked out! (Just a little), but, hey, figured it out, too.
Since I was doing that, I figured that, yes, I would be the Area Director, Division Director…you get the picture.
Once I got up to speed on how this whole leadership thing worked, I was unstoppable.
YOU are unstoppable.*
*Obviously, we are not superhuman, but, hey, roll with me here.
Think about how many times your ideas are cut short before you even try.
Think about how many times you dream of how great it would be to try something new, but you never do.
What could you accomplish if you tried?
What could you do if you had more confidence and less fear?
When I got the hang of leadership, I started the Leadership Council in Eau Claire to support local leadership in Toastmasters. I NEVER would have tried that before.
Now, I have started a new business on my own, and I’m talking to other artists and networking. I am confident enough to ask people to go to coffee or lunch. I show up with ideas knowing that I have some good ones.
I know that if I have another project that takes leadership – as in, other people have to like it and follow – I will try it. If it doesn’t work, I won’t be crushed. I’ll just learn and move on.
There’s something about the people in Toastmasters.
When you go through an evaluation and realize that they can give you improvement tips and not hurt you.
When you can try leading something and realize that people see you as a leader.
When you have an opinion, and they back you up.
When they cheer you on – and when you learn how to cheer them on.
*evil genius laugh* Mu-AH-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Now you try it. Yes, try the laugh.
I’m waiting…
That’s how freaking AWESOME it is to know that you have the power to try. Your little lizard brain isn’t going to twist your arm behind your back and make you cry ‘Uncle!’
YOU can have the confidence, too. Partner up with another member if you need extra support, but YOU can do it. Take a chance on yourself and try.
When you feel a bit of confidence in Toastmasters, keep stretching. When you have a small leadership position, take a bigger one next time. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and realize that you have a clan now that will back you up.
Kick fear in the knickers.
A very different membership and publicity tool: Pathways!
Pathways is an exciting opportunity for Toastmasters not only in current membership, but also finding new members and bringing back members who have not renewed.
Tom Carlson, Central 03 Area Director, has been a Toastmaster for almost 40 years, and he considers Pathways to be an outstanding improvement in learning and marketing.
“Now with the 10 paths, it’s personalized, and all members will be on different Pathways – But they’ll all come together to learn to progress under the normal format of the Toastmasters meeting — that’s not changing.” Online record keeping will help Vice Presidents of Education and Club Secretaries with their jobs, as well.
Reaching out to previous members and developing open houses around the new Pathways offerings can increase both membership and engagement in the club. Carlson especially encourages using business cards with QR barcodes as one way to reach out to potential members
Pathways can be a great tool for club publicity and marketing he explained.
“I think Pathways can be an exciting spark in Toastmasters; public relations and marketing are not the same process. It involves capturing peoples’ interests,” Carlson stated.
With the 10 paths, the tie in with potential members’ goals is far clearer.
The “You Can Do It” Award
My favorite growth experience in Toastmasters was when I received my Competent Communication educational award. This was a major achievement for me! I am the person who is uncomfortable speaking before a crowd and being at the center of attention.
Being awarded a CC Award acknowledges that I have successful completed not one, not two, but ten speeches on a variety of topics to groups of individuals, other than family members.
When I completed my ice breaker speech, for which I relied heavily on my notes, I was not sure that I could do another speech especially nine more speeches, but I did. We did. I say we because I could not have completed my first speech or the others had it not been for the support of club members, especially my mentor Fred Debelack.
With his ready smile, quick wit and ability to craft an amazing speech or funny response in Table Topics, at the drop of a vowel, Fred provided the example, encouragement, support, and helpful critiques that allowed me to improve, grow more confident and merge onto the road to becoming a better speaker. I am becoming a better speaker because I still follow his advice to “Go for it!” “Have fun!” “Take a chance!” when it comes to the opportunity to give a speech.
I am becoming a better speaker because I am the proud recipient of the “you can do it award” better known as a CC Award.
A Journey Worth Taking
We all come to the Toastmaster Experience for different reasons. Getting over a fear of speaking, networking, to continue to learn new things. I originally joined Toastmasters because I didn’t feel like I was learning or challenging myself as much as I could be.
When I joined – I originally focused on me. Speaking, working on manuals, visiting other clubs and attending the District 35 Fall Conference and Spring Convention. As I started to “get it” – I realized that I did learn doing these activities, but my real growth came from giving back to others.
Jack Welch from GE said it best –
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
How did I start to give back?
- Club Officer – in this role I learned the yearly cycle of a Toastmaster Club and the duties and responsibility it takes to run an effective club.
- Area Director – in this role I stepped out of my club and learned about several clubs close to me. I also held contests, training and learned that my duties were to reach out, support and give back to the clubs.
- Division Director – in this role I took an even larger step into the unknown and became aware of Toastmasters on a District-wide scale. Stepping in to the Division Director role introduced me to people across the District – people I might not have had an opportunity know and work with otherwise.
- Lieutenant Governor Marketing, Program Quality Director and District Director – in these roles I truly began to understand what being a Servant Leader means. Because of the roles I had held previously – I held a club, Area and Division perspective as I looked at our District 35 clubs and members. Giving back, supporting other as they grow and develop is one of the greatest gifts you can receive from your Toastmaster journey.
We can all give back – and in the giving we are actually receiving the best gift of all. The ability to give back to our fellow Toastmasters and the important people in our lives. Consider giving back and taking the next step in your Toastmaster journey – it can lead you in amazing directions.
Want to discuss next steps – send me an email! Cindy.laatsch@yahoo.com
