Tag: public speaking

A Toastmaster’s Learning Experience from teaching Youth Leadership

Youth leadership Program (YLP)  helps students to learn public speaking and develop leadership skills. Also, it teaches them the ability to analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

We usually draw leadership lessons from other leaders at work or teachers, parents, community, and many others. Observing the young participants during the YLP sessions helped me remind myself of the importance of leadership skills and the need to continually apply them to inspire, educate, and transform others.

#1: Importance of Smiling and Having fun

Children are so care-free and have fun. They keep smiling through the entire session ?.
Moreover, all of them want to be the “Joke master” as they have tons of jokes to share. The laughter and smiles set the mood as well as creates a very positive and supportive environment.

 #2: Be Curious and Ask questions

Children do not have preconceived notions or judgments. They are full of curiosity and ask questions. They want to understand the “Why” and pose logical questions. Natural curiosity leading to questions is a crucial leadership skill for success.

#3: Resilience makes you strong 

I have seen many currents, and past students overcome so much adversity, be it in a challenging home situation or coping up with studies. However, they still rise. Children with greater resilience are better able to manage stress. They always have a positive attitude and maintain a hopeful outlook.

#4: Be Creative and Think outside the box

Children think so creatively and come up with a solution, which is simply amazing. For example, the table topics suggested by them were so unique, and in one of our YLP sessions, the students came up with a fiction story at the end of the impromptu speaking section of the meeting. I felt so privileged to learn and grow from their ideas.

Teaching children is such a fulfilling and rewarding experience. Besides, providing leadership training prepares youth with positive life skills that they will carry into adulthood.

Nelson Mandela said it very well  “The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”

About the Author:

Somesh Chablani is a member of the OMNI-PRO Speakers Bureau, sponsored by District 83 Toastmasters. He loves to mentor students and members on public speaking. Somesh works for one of the leading Fortune 500 Tech company and leads a global team. Outside of work, Somesh likes to spend time with his family, practices laughter yoga and conducts Youth Leadership Programs.

Somesh Chablani, DTM
Email: toastmaster.somesh@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/someshchablani

Are You Suffering from Butterfly Effect?

You have been preparing for your speech for days. You rehearsed it many times over your head and you have been waiting for this moment, yet when the Toastmaster announces your name, all of sudden you feel gazillion butterflies swarming in your stomach making you very uncomfortable. You look around nervously. Out of nowhere, you have sweaty palms, your hands are shaking, your heart beats faster than normal, your mouth feels dry, and no word comes out of your mouth when you try to speak. All you want is to run away.

Does this sound familiar to you? I hope not.

However, if you are one of those people who gets nervous before presenting a speech and are suffering from the “butterfly effect,” there are things you can do to calm yourself before you begin to speak. Over time, I have gathered steps from many sources to help calm me when presenting a speech. I am going to share them with you.

Keep in mind sometimes nervous energy can be a good thing because it can be converted into an enthusiastic speech. Therefore, having a little bit of the butterfly effect helps you be more prepared and focused. On the other hand, if the butterfly effect stands in a way of your performance, you can try the steps to calm yourself before speaking.

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Club Spotlight: Open Door Toastmasters (Part 2)

Arnold and I started Open Door Toastmasters in 2004.  Our club has been a President’s Distinguished Club in all but our first year when we achieved 7 of the 10 goals toward a Distinguished Club status.  All subsequent years we have been a President’s Distinguished Club. Our membership varies between 35 – 40 members.  We are a very friendly Club and guests are greeted and made to feel welcome.   I believe that this is our biggest asset.

We have generated several District Officers, including the 2016-17 District Director, Paula Markert. Open Door has been instrumental in getting 4 new clubs started. We meet the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month (except in Nov. and Dec. when it is best to check our website for meeting dates because of the Holidays) – Irene Card, DTM

My Toastmasters journey, like most, has twists and even zig-zags and the story of how I wound up at Open Door started years before I knew there was more than a single Toastmasters club, period.  I spent my first two years in a new club and nobody even understood what that CL manual was for.  Finding that resource was an eye opener for me, which led me to realizing there is a large community of clubs and Toastmasters available as resources.  Once I realized there was a well-defined path for a Toastmaster to follow, I started reaching out, going to conferences, attending contests, and even volunteering for district roles. 

The funny thing about momentum is it catches up to you even when you didn’t see it coming.  I jumped in with both feet and one of my first clubs I was an Area Governor for was Open Door and it was probably the first time I saw how a well-oiled machine a club could be.  The people were all so warm, caring and welcoming that after attending 6 meetings, and adn hosted 4 area contests in 21 months. I just had to join them as my second club.  I got more involved with the district (even hosting a conference First-Timers session), worked hard to complete my CL manual while continuing on my speech path and within 18 months completed my DTM because of the club and their supportive members.  Looking back, I couldn’t have planned this but the journey was part of the process and I still have fond memories of how I got here and great expectations of where it will lead me. – Stuart Kramer, DTM, Immediate Past President

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Mentoring Matters: An Interview with DTM Mark Grebenau

One of my mentors, DTM Mark Grebenau shared his story of continuous self-improvement, hope it serves as an inspiration for us all. Mentoring plays a significant role in Toastmasters as they help create the social glue that ensures we stick together. We set our educational and leadership goals and our mentors keep us accountable.

DTM Mark Grebenau is a Toastmaster with over 30 years’ experience. In the past, he has held several leadership positions including that of Area Governor and Division Governor. He has completed his 14th CC and will complete his 17th CC within this Toastmasters fiscal year (2017-2018). DTM Mark is a formidable orator whose creativity seems ceaseless. His speeches are meticulous, carefully sprinkled with humor and impactful. His evaluations are geared to help us grow in our speech craft.

TM Alton James, ACB, ALB award DTM Mark Grebenau his 14th CC pin.

Mark prepared me for my speech contests. The results were, my winning at the Club Level and at the Area (2015-2016). He has also helped me temper my goal driven nature with a deep sense of humility, as we are all volunteers try to become better. In our 2016-2017 term, for my HPL, he was willing to take on 6 new mentees from the Toastmasters at NJIT club. Even during a time of personal pain over losing his mom. Mark loves to give back. He loves to teach. This is what drives him and in turn motivates us.

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Get Your Own Grit

“Nope, I’m not available Mr. President. I’m traveling this week to North Carolina on the 1st of September and I won’t be able to attend toastmasters meeting this week on the 5th. Will see you in 2 weeks.”

That was me telling my club president that I wont be able to attend our  club meeting as I’m travelling to North Carolina on holiday this week for 10 days. The good thing about Toastmasters is that it is everywhere you go. For me, Toastmasters stand for continuous education and self development. In most, cases we do not excuse ourselves from what others enforce on us to comply such as our job responsibilities, but we regularly excuse ourselves from our own self development.

Jim Rohn, one of the most respected success gurus, says, “Formal education will make you a living; self education will make you a fortune.”

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Why I am a Toastmaster

Five years ago this week, after a lot of research and with a heap of trepidation, I visited Old Bridge Toastmasters for the first time. I felt a little awkward going to something where I didn’t know anyone, but the people were friendly enough.

They had this interesting program where you could earn awards for completing different sets of tasks. It appealed to me as a nerd, but there was no way I would ever be able to summon the courage to do all of this. 40 speeches? I couldn’t possibly have that much to say. Be a club officer? Maybe one day, I could build up the courage to run for Sergeant at Arms. Serve as a district officer? Terrifying! Mentor someone? I have nothing to offer anyone, I thought.

And yet, when we had an open house two months later, I offered to be the guinea pig and give my first speech. When it came time to elect officers, I took a deep breath and ran for Vice President of Education. As my confidence grew, I took on more. Metaphorically speaking, a crawl became a walk became a run.

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From Author to Toastmaster

I first joined Hunterdon Speak Easy toastmaster club in March of 2016. I had just published my first book and was feeling very shy about speaking to the general public about it, so a few people encouraged me to seek out a Toastmasters club. I went to two other clubs in the district 21 area before deciding on Hunterdon Speak Easy, and I have to confess that it was the warmth and support that quickly encouraged me to become a member. Within a year, I had not only defeated my fear of public speaking but also earned a CC while working to complete a CL simultaneously. I also found myself participating in contests and taking on roles I normally would have been too shy to accept. 

My continued attendance and participation has enhanced both my speaking and leadership skills. Joining Toastmasters was a terrific decision for my professional and personal development. If you’re reading this and not quite sure about becoming a toastmaster, I will simply encourage you to trust the process. It works!! 

How to Keep Existing Members Motivated

“I’m getting new members, but how do I retain my core team to support the growth?”
 
This is a firsthand plight of a club President. If you were a club president or part of the core team, you know what this means.
 
What makes people stick to a club? There is no single answer for this. Each person has their own unique needs and wants when they join a club or a social circle. Following are some key ‘needs’ my core team and I thought of while I was a president of Parsippany Toastmasters club. As the current VP PR I think about it more.
 
* Need for affiliation – why do some of us prefer a ROLEX over an unknown brand or why do we prefer BENZ/BMW over another? Simple answer is some of us get satisfaction and self worth thru association with a brand. Most of us have this in ourselves to be associated with a brand. Therefore, make the brand stand out so tall and valuable so that the members want to be part of it.
 
* Need for achievement – some of us need to achieve and that’s our top priority. The inner drive pushes us until we active are satisfied. The club which gives more opportunity to its members will stand out and appear more attractive to these kinds of members. Remember, its not about you. Its about them.

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Meet the Division Directors: Rachel Nuber

Name: Rachel Nuber, DTM

Position: Division I Director

Club(s): Germinators Toastmasters in Area 93

Other positions: Various club officer roles and former Area Director

How long have you been in Toastmasters? 10 years

What are your plans for the district/area/division?

As Division Director, I plan to support the District, Division I, and its Areas in their goal of achieving distinguished status. And support the members of Division I to achieve their fullest potential.

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Reaching Out to Millennials

“Seasoned” members of Speechmeisters Toastmasters.

I recently dropped my eldest daughter off at college. She is a dedicated student academically, but I tried to convey to her the importance “soft skills” play in the game of life, namely communication. Uwanna Ikaiiddi from Study Breaks wrote, “I would argue that it is the single most-important skill in our modern world…A huge part of communication is not only doing it in the first place, it’s also knowing what situations call for which type of communication methods.”

 
Born in 1998, my daughter could be considered a Millennial. She pursued music and theater in school, so she is no stranger to speaking before an audience, and therefore more comfortable communicating than many of her generation. Studies cite the lack of leadership and communication skills in current college graduates. Useful skills that can be learned, practiced and nurtured in Toastmasters.
 
For one recent graduate, Shahil, a frustrating freeze at the podium during grade 9 prompted him to join Toastmasters as a college freshman. Even more daunting for Shahil was the fact that English is not his first language. Shahil grew up in Nepal and came to the US to attend University.

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