This article describes one persons experience (18 months to date) of joining their local Toastmasters group in Auckland, New Zealand.
I've always known my ideas at work are OK but sometimes when I tried to communicate them it was a case of one step forward, two steps back! This became difficult over time as certain concepts were never disclosed or discussed which is just as frustrating. Once I identified this as an area for improvement I looked at various methods of working out a solution but with limited results.
Through a recommendation of a friend of the family I attended a local Toastmasters club as a guest.
My preconceptions were that Toastmasters was mainly individuals practicing public speaking, after dinner or ceremonial speeches. During the meeting I realised that others had joined for all sorts of different reasons, many like me, but also those who were attending to learn specific skills. These ranged from best man duties through to presentation or leadership training for large organisations.
It was quickly apparent that Toastmasters is much more than learning public speaking. One speaker whom I thought might have been a community leader admitted that only a few years ago he was too afraid to speak in public. There were also hilarious impromptu two minute speeches and formal speeches that informed and inspired.
The meeting was fun. I didn't expect that. There was lots of laughter and applause and an excellent balance of people learning to enjoyment. It was immediately obvious that continuously improving ones communication skills would relate to almost every situation in daily life.
Each speech given was evaluated by another member. The feedback was positive, well meant and meaningful. The club seemed a genuine group who had created a positive, supportive and social environment.
Right now I'm working on the Certified Toastmaster certificate (CTM). This is a course requiring completion of 10 speeches each having specific requirements from a printed manual. It's a good goal and achievable in one or two years.
The first speech is the called the ice breaker where people generally speak to introduce themselves over about five minutes. I was a wreck but people still applauded and congratulated me after. I'll never forget that several club members phoned prior to my ice breaker speech to see how my preparation was going or if I needed any help.
The other nine speeches for the CTM develop skills for the use of speech structure, research, body language, visual aids, vocal variety, persuasion and inspiration etc... Although each speech has it's own challenges the speaker is continuously gaining confidence and other skills from standing in front of a group.
Through Toastmasters I have learnt more about other people, their opinions, topics, styles and knowledge. I've also learnt a lot about myself including the importance of preparation, evaluating others and receiving evaluations. I've also been exposed and involved in the organisation of meetings and understand that such participation is essential for the success of the club, meetings and members.
This is a personal journey and of course lots of things in life happen concurrently. Nevertheless I can clearly say that Toastmasters has been a positive and leading tool of change in my life. Whilst I have a way to go on this journey it is incredible see the subtle side effects in work, sport, social and personal environments, especially when it is other people who recognize the changes.
Many clubs participate in interclub or national competitions. Having thought I'd never be comfortable speaking in front of people the next challenge is do to so in front of completely new people and judges. In the much longer term the chance to mentor a newer member will be treated as a privilege.
Also I'm looking forward to learning more and more through the advanced manuals and develop my leadership skills. It really is a case of the more you put in the more you get out. I'm convinced that Toastmasters is a great way of learning and my initial estimate of attending meetings for only a few months has, well let's say matured.
A lot of hard work is required to keep any club running so naturally members are asked to contribute some time and energy to preparing items for regular and special events. For each club a committee is voted annually where longer serving members may be asked to meet additional responsibilities. This is definitely not a chore and is integral to the personal development programmes.
Toastmasters International (TI) is a not for profit organisation setup in 1924 to help people learn communication and leadership skills. There are a number of paths available and all are very well structured and supported. Compared to commercial organisations the cost of joining is nominal and includes all manuals and a monthly magazine.
All organisations revolve around people. The balance of old and new members provides the link between past, present and future. The courage and progress of newer members combined with the support, dedication and hard work of experienced members ensures that a good thing will keep going for very good reasons.