Show #12 – When YOU are the GE
I begin this show with a bit of real life humor I had the pleasure of experiencing centering around “first impressions”.
I begin by discussing Gary’s VIEWPOINT article, entitled, “Creating Your Legacy of Leadership”. It gives us a chance to consider what legacy really is.
My “FEATURE ARTICLE” I talk about being the General Evaluator (or GE) at your Toastmasters club meeting. I couldn’t resist as my role as GE at my home club meeting last week resulted in me making a fundamental blunder. So I thought, “To redeem myself, why don’t I do a show around it”, and so I did. Hopefully my experience can assist other members at rounding out how they perform when they are the GE.
For the “TIP IF THE SHOW” I point members to an excellent toastmaster website I discovered full of resource and tracking charts. There is so much there I still haven’t perused it all. Maybe you will be luckier. Check out http://www.t82.org by going into “MEMBERS ENTER HERE” ( I found out it means Toastmaster member, NOT District 82 member). It is the District 82 website of India / Sri-Lanka.
In “OF WORTHY MENTION“ I hilite 1 article from the November issue of TOASTMASTER magazine. ” HOW A HUNTER CAPTURED HIS GAME” introduces us to this years “World Championship of Public Speaking” (WCPS). Reading this article several times, I already want to buy the video proceedings from the Convention just passed at Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Hope you enjoy the show! Remember, feedback and discussion is always welcome here!
A Treasure Chest of a TM Resource
One of my challenges has been trying to record – and keep in good record – my TM accomplishments. Like, you serve in some District leadership role for a year, and you may not be able to take full credit for it in a module till a year or 2 later, if not more. So where do you record such so you don’t forget about that accomplishment? Good question. Now many of you may have a process that works for you ! That’s great ! But this little guy doesn’t know about it – and I have tried to wrap my head around trying to devise some methodology that works for me, many times. And to no avail, I surrender, after trying to assemble something viable, simple, and neat. Then, if I were ever to put it together, I would share it with the TM world !
Well, let me share with you a resource I stumbled upon somehow (oh yes, I remember how). It’s a fabulous Toastmaster District website that is chalk full and abound with record keeping & resource material. It’s the District 82 website for India & Sri Lanka;
www.t82.org – At the top, click the “MEMBERS ENTER HERE” button.
You will then go to a page where on the left-hand-side is a complete listing of Education Programs and Goal Cards. Pick whatever you are looking for. For most you can download both a PDF and EXCEL version of the file. There is also a numerous collection of pages to read.
www.t82.org or bookmarked from my TDKtalksTM website under Toastmaster Network – District 82 HomePage
Great Job District 82 of India & Sri Lanka !
The Anatomy of a Speech – Show #11
Show #11 – “The Anatomy of a Speech” is published. You can listen, download, and / or subscribe in 3-ways;
1) My PodCast site – http://www.TDKtalksTM.com
2) iTunes music site (hotlink on my homesite above)
3) ZUNE music site (hotlink on my homesite above)
To select what works best for you, go to my PodCast site (above) and select a source from the right-hand-side menu.
My content is intended to mentor and nurture the BEST out of every Toastmaster, along with introducing GUESTS to what Toastmasters can DO for YOU !
Since we are about 3/4 way thru our Fall Humorous Speech Contests, on the road to the final competition at the District level, I thought I would challenge myself by trying to understand the speech creation and presenting process. Speaking is the main reason many of us initially join Toastmasters, so why not give this process some thought.
I competed and won at my club level ( well, I was the only competitor …… hmmm ….. ). I did lose against 2 others at the AREA level. (Well, did I really lose ?) I then judged at the Division level, judging 6 speakers including 2 newer up-and-coming members. All did a great job. Congrats to all ! Funny how you learn something, even from junior speakers who make very obvious mistakes. Even they contribute to our learning process. We give them full support also, for we know how tough those first times of competing are.
I think everyone must have their own process of speech writing, practising, and delivering. What we begin with when we first join Toastmasters is what we know at the time, about writing, practising and presenting speeches. Gradually, after watching others speak, going to contests and even evaluating / judging speeches, we start honing and refining our own speech methodology. It’s a learning & refining process. Eventually we hear someone speaking whom we mark as, “That’s how I want to speak and present !”
I think a good part of the process is simply idenifying what is OUR speaking and presenting character. We have been writing for years – well, not formally I guess. But some of us have NOT been speaking formally that much, if at all. So we need to find that part about ourselves. The search continues !
On Integrity
In the July issue of the TOASTMASTER magazine, in her 2nd last VIEWPOINT article, our outgoing International President, Ms. Jana Barnhill writes on ‘The Courage to Conquer Begins at the Core’. The virtue of INTEGRITY pops up and it’s only fitting that, integrity is spoken about.
It’s a quality very important in the world around us, in light of recent failures in our economy and business. Integrity is a quality that is not initially mentioned when you hear and are told about Toastmasters. But yet, along with confidence which we learn to acquire and develop in Toastmasters, the confidence to speak and lead well, integrity is vital in keeping a sane, fair, competent and professional world around us, regardless of what you do and where.
Years ago, long before I was born, much of business was done ‘ON A HANDSHAKE’, (so I am told). There were no battery of lawyers signing reams of papers which may have been written with grayish jargon such that, if needed, would be read and interpreted with a possibility of ‘plausable deniability’, resulting in a “out-of-court settlement” or stalemate. I recently heard about large companies having staffs whose sole purpose is to write the companys’ investment releases, disclosures to securities regulators in release to the investors and the general public, to deliberatetly bury what would be questioned and questionable, if written in plain black and white. Consider that business sealed with a handshake ONLY had the person’s INTEGRITY and honesty to resolve issues which arouse thereafter, and nothing else ! No lawyers, No courts, No lawsuits. Don’t get me wrong. We do need lawyers, but as you will have heard many times, “Keep it Simple”. Perhaps bring in the lawyers when absolutley necessary, but try to resolve issues long before you need to call them in with their expertise.
Ms. Barnhill speaks of a false credit put forth to TI for a member achieving a level, but that person’s response to TI in a phone call was, ‘I just received a certificate from you but I haven’t been in Toastmasters for years’. Much of what we put forth to TI for credit is with full compliance to our honesty. No one watches over us or audits us to ensure we met all the criteria. So it is left up to us to question ourselves in such, and ask, “What point is there in putting forth something where I know myself, is inaccurate or bogus?” It starts to become increasingly important as we rise out of the club and take on senior leadership roles in Toastmasters at the Area, Division, District, or World Headquarter levels, not to mention the general public. Especially important is when we become Coach/Mentors as this is what we project, keeping in mind, it’s not just us as individuals we represent, but TOASTMASTERS in general.
At our COT (club officer training) session yesterday which I presented at and attended, I sat in on a JUDGES and JUDGING workshop and reflected how, we as judges of speech contests, are asked to perform with full integrity and honesty. So too when we do speeches from manuals and may realize, we haven’t met most of the objectives and personally decide to REDO THE SPEECH.
Our perception and skill at exercising personal INTEGRITY is always called upon as Toastmasters, wether it be in delivering a speech, evaluating, judging speech contests, presenting at Club Officer Training, or taking TM outside the club to organizations . With our regular meetings and involvement, INTEGRITY just naturally becomes ingrained within each of us, so that when we do return to our daily lives, at work or play, that INTEGRITY is naturally there. Sometimes at work, I witness it being exercised, at senior levels of management, where the questions being asked, are being used to decide and formulate a response and action plan. Sometimes, if a mistake or oversight was made, so be it. Admit such, absorb the loss, and move on.
TDK – Sunday Sept 27-09
“I HAD a Dream ……. “
Not to take away from the infamous line, “I Have A Dream”, by Dr. Martin Luther King, I really did have a dream of my winning speech. Well, come to think of it ( I can still vividly remember it almost 2 days later), I was just getting ready to do 1 quick mental rehearsal prior to delivery ………………. and then I woke up ! So I don’t know how it went. I think that is left to me in the conscious realm.
Two days ago made it 09-09-09. The only event of signifigance for me, was this dream. I was at our up-and-coming Fall Conference slated for Novemer, 2009. I commit myself to compete and came there, Friday evening, with nothing more than several various ideas all swimming in my head. “Boy, am I asking for it !” I thought, as I was doing the usual “high school writing final exams” nightmare we still seem to get, decades after the fact. But I clearly recall that my urge, to just compete, inspired me to put together a plan and delivery, which was never tried and done before. I thought, “Why Not ??”. All they can do is disqualify me ! Atleast I will get a speech credit towards my AC-G.
How do you get inspired for your next speech? Is it a dream? Something happens at work? Something you read about? Or do you simply make something up and then talk about it?
So I have to stop here from telling you more, because I will actually try it. I don’t want to spill the beans, nor embarass myself, if it truly becomes a total washout. We have always heard people saying they did something because they had a dream about doing it. Paul McCartney’s composition, “Let it Be” was inspired by a dream Mr. McCartney had about his mother telling him thoughts and words of wisdom. Look what he turned that song into !
Interesting how dreams leave us to wake in a most positive, happy, optimistic, go get-em, serene feeling. Too bad we can’t feel like that most of the time. Or can we? There should be a way of harnessing that “state of being” so we can use it to propel us forward with our daily challenges, whatever that may be. Or is that perhaps why and how “successful” people operate? Perhaps it is. (Possibly another idea for a speech and further research ……………. )
I just hope I can have a further 9 dreams equally spaced to about 1 per month so I can get inspired and have some idea about the other 9. Here’s hoping to me seeing it through, so I can hopefully tell you how it actually went. Sometimes, I just want to go thru with something, if only to truly experience how well …………… or how bad ……………it actually works out in the end. Isn’t that how we started our very first speech in Toastmasters ? You, know, “The Ice Breaker?”
TDK – Thursday Sept 10, 2009
Speeches ………….. and the Winnning Speech !
I haven’t competed very much in speech contests. I have only attended several speech contests at club, area, division and district. I only attended 1 International Convention in Calgary, sat in and absorbed the 10 competing speeches. I bought the entrie audio proceedings and listened to ALL 10 speeches with the accompanying interviews, many times. I became intrigued in the “Winning Speech” format. So I am far from being the “Speech Expert”. But this little involvement thus far has already piqued my interest into the metrics and details enough so, to simply ask, “What would create the winning speech ……………. at any and every level?
Well, going into a year where I want to complete the next level of 10 speeches, I plan to forward a competing speech as well. Why not? I could get alot of experience out of it, regardless of wether I win or not. I realized that each year and subsequent completion of a speech contest, right from the club right on up to the WCPS (World Championship of Public Speaking), the bar gets raised each time, making it tougher for each new contestant, such as myself, to come up with “the winning speech”. What hasn’t been tried? What hasn’t been done? Would I purchase the last 5 or 10 years worth of videos and watch to see what pattern there is? Or what theme hasn’t been played too recently and is due for a rekindling, my way?
If I come on stage and during my delivery, fall face flat, as 2001 WCPS winner Darren LaCroix did, would I be disqualified because I copied a previous contestant? I can’t use a theme which has been long played out, such as a cancer survivor. I can’t use a theme which is your typical sob story – rags to riches to rags story either. But looking at it from the other side, the competition side, you only have to be better than your competition at that time. Every contestant is graded against their competition. So if your competition is very good, you have to be better, to win.
All in all, the bar does get raised slightly each and every year. So the longer I wait, the harder it will be to place either 1st, 2nd or 3rd.
TDK – Monday Sept 7, 2009
Leaders ………….. & Followers
We see them everywhere, beit work or play. Other names for them has been groupies, “the gang”, followers and “a** kissers”. All too many we see are simply ………… “followers”. These people simply agree with the common theme of “the group” and regurgitate the common theme or opinion, so they can gain quick acceptance and standing within “the group”. Yes, it is much simpler and requires little to no thinking in this step of gaining acceptance and popularity. Now don’t get me wrong. It’s great to want to belong and be associated with some “group or gang”, wether its socially or at work. During these tough economic times and job losses, becoming part of that gang at work may be a step to ensuring safety during times of layoffs and staff reductions. At work, its usually following the common rhetoric or “rumoristic theme”. Everybody wants to belong or feel they belong to some group – feeling at home.
But many times, I see people agreeing to beliefs and rhetoric that is just plain wrong and immoral without considering why something is why it is. Yes, it does take alot more effort, courage and bravery to go against common rhetoric of these groups, just to feel like “I belong”. Sometimes it could be along the lines of “anti-management” at work. Sometimes its along lines of sexism. Sometimes its discrimatory against visible minorities.
What takes courage is to stand apart from “the crowd” and have, tout and deliver your own personal belief, especially if it is totally opposite and 180 degrees to the “common theme or rhetoric”. To be an individual and to have 1 additional quality of being “a leader”, is what I see in it. These are the people that I am most attracted to because these are the ones who are “individuals” and “free thinkers”. As long as these people back it up with their own insightful opinions and examples, then they are worth listening to and discussing their opinion with. Hopefully we don’t have a contrary opinion, just to be seen as radical, opposite and cutting against the grain, or just to be different.
It is this one additional attribute I hope a Toastmaster member acquires; how to become an individual in their opinion and what they stand for. This is another quality that defines us as an “individual” like no other person in the entire world. I find these are the people who truly stand out from the crowd and are not afraid to voice their opinion, especially in times of defending a minority felt opinion. Doesn’t this form but 1 part in the definition of “democracy” – being led by the majority but always listening and considering the content of the individual ?
TDK – Saturday Sept 5-09
Show #9 – My Area Governor Year in Review
Summer is finally here, making it more difficult to release podcasts and updating this blog. With nice warm weather around, cycling for me is in full swing. Physically draining, it also takes away mental energy, that which is most required to do podcasts and blogs. But it can be done. I just have to discipline myself better. Once summer roles off, I plan to go full swing with a full slate of topics for TDKtalksTM. I can hardly wait!
Show #9 closes out my Area Governor year of 2008-09 by doing a review of what went well and what didn’t in that role. I am happy to say, 95% went very well. I made many new connections within my area clubs. It feels like I just going and it’s now time to hand over the reigns. With our TI convention of August 12-15 complete, so too comes the handing over of the presidential reigns.
I review the last ViewPoint article of our outgoing president, Ms. Jana Barnhill. Certainly a hilite of this past year was meeting and interviewing Ms. Barnhill at our Spring Convention and contributing to my Show #6. There were many questions I wanted to ask, but being grateful for the 15 mins I was granted of this busy lady, I trimmed it down to what I felt would make for an entertaining show.
I now return to complete 10 more speeches and my next level; ACG. Perhaps more writing creative TDKtalksTM podcast shows and learning how to write to this blog will be very close secondary goals. Isn’t that how we all start in TM ? – Just doing speeches ! Nothing wrong with that. I know that 10 speeches is also agressive, optimistic and challenging. That’s one a month ! Maybe I can capitalize on most of them by doubling them as a base for either my podcasts and/or this blog.
TDK
Show #8 – Social Networking Tools for Toastmasters
Show #8 is finally out. Sorry for the long delay since show #7. Once summer arrives here in the Great White North and my cycling starts, almost nothing else happens, except for hanging onto my job this year during this economic turmoil which no one needs.
I discuss some common social networking tools and sites which Toastmasters should consider to support their Toastmastering. Some of these tools, place extra demands on our time with seemingly little to no return or benefit to us. Many, of my vintage, will strongly agree that the demands on our time is already stretched and success for us will be when we thin out some common distractions from our daily routine(s). I really feel that this “instant messaging” craze, despite being with us for several years already, is still in its honeymoon state, as you see many teen and 30 something’s eagerly huddling over their i/o device and reading/sending some form of importantly worldly message. Its no different than when we get a new toy as a kid, a treasured book, or your first iPod/MP3 player. Some honeymoons last an hour. Some may last for months. I think this “instant messaging” craze will be into the “years” duration. You see this happening during meetings at work, during what should be your relaxing breaks, lunch hour, and even your evening socializing with REAL people. Is humanity now retracting into a virtual world of relationships?
I begin with e-mail; a tool that has been around with us the longest, growing out of the BBS (bulletin board system) of messaging of the 70’s and 80’s. Yes, e-mail was already around then and earlier. But each progresive year since, has become more and more prevalent. Look at what e-mail has done to much of our already poor and lacking english. In most e-mail messages, you will find good examples of run on sentences, incomplete sentences, no capitalization, communicating phrases and thoughts with smileys, emoticons, and so on. Text messaging is even more prone to such as you have a smaller keyboard, smaller display and probably limited time to do spelling and editing corrections ( probably when sending/receiving a message during a meeting or while talking/visiting with someone over a meal).
Its OK, I presume to be well versed at such, but we should still know this is incorrect, slang and a bad practise. We should still bounce back to the norm and learn to write complete and proper sentences in our e-mails. Phrases are probably acceptable also as the person reading it has as little time to read it as you have to write it.
TDK
Show #7 – “7 Executives in 7 Minutes – Which Exec Should YOU Be ?”
Seeing that this is Spring and with most of our speech contests done and the victorious contestants on their way to the World Championship of Public Speaking (WCPS), now before us are the nominations and eventual election of our new club execs for next year. So I thought it fitting to do a show on the club executive.
Why would you want to be a club executive? Well, no one ever mentions it (though the position manuals lists “leadership” many times), but it is the first and suttle entry onto the “Leadership Track”. The 7 club execs steer the club and look after the members well being. Now that the newer members know the routine and are more relaxed amongst each other, they can consider becoming 1 of 7 execs and focusing on working closely with the other 6 execs. It isn’t all that much more work and gives a member more visibility both inside and out of the club. Since I started my TM trek, I have been (in order), Treasurer, VP Education, VP Membership, President and finally VP Education. The year went by fast but I learnt more about myself and about working with others also. It helped me acquire insight, especially now as I write to encourage others to consider such moves. With a choice of 7, each one providing a slightly different level of involvement, a prospective member need only ask the current exec for a synopsis of the position.
I think the real gyst of these 7 positions is learning how to work as a TEAM. There is no real boundary to any position. Ideally there is slight overlap, but stopping short of stepping on each others toes, of course. The President is the one who has to keep all 6 motivated and working in harmony. Also, as leadership sometimes demands, if the President observes any of the 6 positions somewhat lacking and on a consistent basis, must in a constructive and motivating manner, get that position back on track, so they fulfill the minimum required. That is probably the more difficult attribute of a leader and not one that can be acquired over night.
One probably learns more about themselves than others when confronted with the more challenging and demanding tasks of managing people. Of my 3 most current years as a club exec, there was 1 monumental year where I can say we 7 execs were “firing on all cylinders”. It was like “the perfect storm”. We had a very good President ( aka LEADER ) that kept all of us hopping but in a very fun, motivating and attentive manner. Even though we gained about 10+ new members, me as VP Membership did not feel any extra strain or effort required. Its the strangest thing to describe, somewhat difficult. BUT you can actually feel the accomplishment and sense of TEAM work. It was definetly a hilite for me that year as VP Membership.
TDK
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