What a fantastic Toastmasters convention this year! Around 1500 Toastmasters from around the world gathered in the hot desert of northern Phoenix, Arizona to learn, grow, and elect the next board.
The educational sessions began on Thursday, but my work started on Wednesday. District Governor Alanda Dyer, DTM and I went around interviewing candidates for International Director. Each year there are 8 seats open, 1 for each Region, and 1 seat for the Districts not assigned to regions (DNARs). We also interviewed the 2 candidates for 3rd Vice President, Pat Johnson, DTM and Ken Garber, DTM.
We learned why each was running and what his or her vision was for the future of Toastmasters International. We continued the process on Thursday along with our Lt. Governor Education & Training Bob Hudack, DTM, and met with all the other members in attendance from Founder's District that evening. At that caucus, we discussed each of the contested candidates (Region VII and DNAR as well as 3rd VP).
Wednesday afternoon was the briefing by the Board of Directors. It started off with presentations by each Committee chair outlining the work that had been done this year and the directions for Toastmasters International. Friday morning was the annual business meeting. Everyone who attended the conference from Founder's District was there to participate in the voting. The results are available at www.toastmasters.org.
Saturday was the most fun. It started with the 10 speakers vying to become the World Champion of Public Speaking title. It was amazing to see such incredible speakers assembled in one place. That afternoon, a record-breaking 51 Districts were honored for achieving Distinguished or better status, including Founder's District. We were proud to boast the largest group outside the host District! What an amazing experience. The convention concluded that night with the installation of the newly elected board members at the President's dinner dance.
Along the way, I learned from the various speakers at the lunches and dinners, attended a couple of excellent educational sessions, and met quite a few outstanding Toastmasters from around the world. I highly recommend attending the International Convention. Come join us in Calgary next August as we celebrate another year as a Distinguished (or better!) District!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
I'm off!
Today I am preparing to leave for Phoenix, AZ to attend the Toastmasters International Convention. There I will be interviewing candidates to lead us for the next 2 years as International Directors, and candidates for 3rd VP, who will serve on the board for 4 years. In between, I hope to catch some informative sessions and attend a speech contest. I'll report on my experiences when I return.
Until then, Happy Toastmastering!
Until then, Happy Toastmastering!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Leadership Development
Part I – Finding Leaders
In Toastmasters, the problem is ever the same: how do we find leaders to sustain our Clubs, Areas, Divisions and Districts? The answer is both strikingly simplex and simultaneously complex. The potential leaders are all around us! We know them from our clubs, or we meet them at a speech contest or other District function.
But how do we find “the good ones”? How do we figure out who will make a good leader? Or can a leader be developed from any starting position? And what is leadership development?
I don’t have all the answers, but I hope to put the problem into perspective. Most people don’t naturally think of themselves as leaders, so they will be afraid to volunteer. Most of our members come to Toastmasters to lose the fear of speaking in public, and never give leadership a thought. The course of action, then, is two-fold:
What should you look for in a potential leader? Watch who comes early to the meeting and offers to help setup. Who leads the applause in the club? Who is first to speak with a guest? Who is taking personal responsibility not only for their own success as a Toastmaster, but also for the success of the club? Who is willing to make flyers, to call absent members, to help out in any way? These are the people who are just waiting to be asked to be a leader. It’s up to you – ask them!
But what about those people who don’t fit into the mold described above? Start by getting them involved in club operations. Ask them to help with the newsletter or website. Ask them to serve as a greeter at meetings and events, making sure guests are welcomed and seated with a knowledgeable member. Ask them to serve on the audit committee, to help with a membership drive or contest, to help organize an open house or speech contest. Once they are comfortable with helping out, and they see that they have contributed and learned – and grown – then you can approach them with the suggestion that they should consider being a leader in the club or District. “Gosh, you really did a great job writing that article! I think you would make a fine editor for our newsletter!” Give lots of positive reinforcement and encourage them to continue stretching and growing in different ways.
Now, it’s your turn. Please give your input by submitting your comments to this post, in response to the questions below.
In Toastmasters, the problem is ever the same: how do we find leaders to sustain our Clubs, Areas, Divisions and Districts? The answer is both strikingly simplex and simultaneously complex. The potential leaders are all around us! We know them from our clubs, or we meet them at a speech contest or other District function.
But how do we find “the good ones”? How do we figure out who will make a good leader? Or can a leader be developed from any starting position? And what is leadership development?
I don’t have all the answers, but I hope to put the problem into perspective. Most people don’t naturally think of themselves as leaders, so they will be afraid to volunteer. Most of our members come to Toastmasters to lose the fear of speaking in public, and never give leadership a thought. The course of action, then, is two-fold:
- to observe people, to look for those behaviors that indicate they can naturally lead others; and,
- to involve as many people as possible in leadership positions and tasks, no matter how minor.
What should you look for in a potential leader? Watch who comes early to the meeting and offers to help setup. Who leads the applause in the club? Who is first to speak with a guest? Who is taking personal responsibility not only for their own success as a Toastmaster, but also for the success of the club? Who is willing to make flyers, to call absent members, to help out in any way? These are the people who are just waiting to be asked to be a leader. It’s up to you – ask them!
But what about those people who don’t fit into the mold described above? Start by getting them involved in club operations. Ask them to help with the newsletter or website. Ask them to serve as a greeter at meetings and events, making sure guests are welcomed and seated with a knowledgeable member. Ask them to serve on the audit committee, to help with a membership drive or contest, to help organize an open house or speech contest. Once they are comfortable with helping out, and they see that they have contributed and learned – and grown – then you can approach them with the suggestion that they should consider being a leader in the club or District. “Gosh, you really did a great job writing that article! I think you would make a fine editor for our newsletter!” Give lots of positive reinforcement and encourage them to continue stretching and growing in different ways.
Now, it’s your turn. Please give your input by submitting your comments to this post, in response to the questions below.
- How do you identify and manage your potential leaders?
- How do you plan for the individual development of prospective leaders?
- What tools do you use to develop leaders?
- How do you plan for succession?
- Do you have a mentoring program in place? Is it formal or informal, and how do you assess progress?
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Tap into the Power of the Referral
Are you looking for members for your Toastmasters club? Of course, the answer should be a resounding “YES!” According to Toastmasters International, every club should seek to add 1-2 members per month to grow and to replace members who leave.* Not only will this build a healthy, prosperous club with exciting meetings, the club will achieve two goals – 4 new members, plus 4 more new members – toward becoming a Distinguished club.
So how do you go about the task of finding prospective members? Tap into the power of referrals and endorsements by opinion leaders. In the pharmaceutical business, companies seek “key opinion leaders” (KOLs) to help them research, launch and market new drugs. KOLs have valuable insights into the target disease(s) and corresponding treatments. More importantly, KOLs present their work at conferences, talk to colleagues, and work with patients on a daily basis. How’s that for exposure?
This morning I saw this article in the New York Times. It seems that Victoria Beckham, recently transplanted into Southern California along with her soccer star husband David, was spotted in May with a certain diet book. E! News picked up the story in June and suddenly, this book – which had seen low sales since publication – was hot! This weekend it will be #3 on the New York Times paperback bestseller list. How’s that for exposure?
Ms. Beckham has unwittingly become a “consumer opinion leader”, or COL, for diet books. After all, aren’t we all more willing to try something if someone we trust has already tried it and will vouch for it? This is the power of the testimonial, the power of the referral.
In fact, “a person like me” or a peer is considered to be the most trusted spokesperson throughout most of the world (in Asia, second to physicians), according to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2007, an international credibility survey. High visibility celebrities can’t be much farther down on the list of respected spokespeople.
How can you harness the power of the opinion leader to your advantage in your Toastmasters club? By finding your own opinion leader to refer potential members!
For example, in a company or corporate club (one that restricts membership to company employees only), senior managers including the Director of Human Resources are your opinion leaders. In the community, they tend to be physicians and teachers.
Once you have identified your opinion leaders, invite them to a meeting. Make it a great meeting, fun and enthusiastic, with everyone in attendance. Talk to them; describe the benefits of Toastmasters that are available to them, their employees, their friends, etc. If you can persuade your opinion leaders to adopt your point of view, your membership will grow. Your opinion leaders will be critical in moving your club to its “tipping point,” so be sure they come away with a POSITIVE view of Toastmasters and your club!
*(To help your club determine how to retain members, try the Moments of Truth training module from the Successful Club Series.)
So how do you go about the task of finding prospective members? Tap into the power of referrals and endorsements by opinion leaders. In the pharmaceutical business, companies seek “key opinion leaders” (KOLs) to help them research, launch and market new drugs. KOLs have valuable insights into the target disease(s) and corresponding treatments. More importantly, KOLs present their work at conferences, talk to colleagues, and work with patients on a daily basis. How’s that for exposure?
This morning I saw this article in the New York Times. It seems that Victoria Beckham, recently transplanted into Southern California along with her soccer star husband David, was spotted in May with a certain diet book. E! News picked up the story in June and suddenly, this book – which had seen low sales since publication – was hot! This weekend it will be #3 on the New York Times paperback bestseller list. How’s that for exposure?
Ms. Beckham has unwittingly become a “consumer opinion leader”, or COL, for diet books. After all, aren’t we all more willing to try something if someone we trust has already tried it and will vouch for it? This is the power of the testimonial, the power of the referral.
In fact, “a person like me” or a peer is considered to be the most trusted spokesperson throughout most of the world (in Asia, second to physicians), according to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2007, an international credibility survey. High visibility celebrities can’t be much farther down on the list of respected spokespeople.
How can you harness the power of the opinion leader to your advantage in your Toastmasters club? By finding your own opinion leader to refer potential members!
For example, in a company or corporate club (one that restricts membership to company employees only), senior managers including the Director of Human Resources are your opinion leaders. In the community, they tend to be physicians and teachers.
Once you have identified your opinion leaders, invite them to a meeting. Make it a great meeting, fun and enthusiastic, with everyone in attendance. Talk to them; describe the benefits of Toastmasters that are available to them, their employees, their friends, etc. If you can persuade your opinion leaders to adopt your point of view, your membership will grow. Your opinion leaders will be critical in moving your club to its “tipping point,” so be sure they come away with a POSITIVE view of Toastmasters and your club!
*(To help your club determine how to retain members, try the Moments of Truth training module from the Successful Club Series.)
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