On July 29, our District 83 started a four part series with aim to connect Toastmasters in District 83 and work on a personal success plan conducive to reaching One Level Up in the current 2017 – 2018 Toastmasters Year. These educational training modules are more than a check the box form. They are a blueprint, a road map, to help as many members as possible understand the current Toastmasters Communication and Leadership Track. In these modules, members brainstorm with other members on the best ways to set the course that will build the basics for arriving at whatever educational award or project achievement the individual member intends. During these sessions, attendees will learn firsthand from the experience and best practices of other members, who have found solutions to problems many of us encounter in our own journey.
Part 1 was about creating a Success Plan. During that training, we covered selecting and planning on SMART Goals, Distinguished Club Strategies, and tracking these goals. We had a session that covered beyond the Competent Communicator manual and an in-depth review, explaining the scope and objectives, of each one of the 15 advanced manuals. We also reviewed the leadership track and all the projects needed to achieve DTM.
Part 2, “Realizing Your Purpose” is going to be about how experience and Distinguished Toastmasters have navigated through the Communication and Leadership Tracks to achieve the ultimate Toastmaster Award. Before we get to that, let me start with Google’s definition of the word purpose: “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists”.
As Toastmasters, we all have a purpose for attending meetings and staying active. What brought you to join this organization may be completely different from what motivated me, but what is common to all of us is that we have an expectation of getting somewhere and that destination point is expected to be better and closer to where we want or wish to be in either our careers, skills, or personal growth.
In D83-P2 Module, we are going to learn from the personal experience of our Division A Director Narendra Pondugula, DTM. He will explain the way he laid out an action plan to reach the coveted Distinguished Toastmaster award in can be record time.
This module will also cover the Successful Club Series speeches, “Keeping the Commitment” and “Mentoring.” Club Growth Director Lynda Starr, DTM and Program Quality Director Manny Reyes, ACG, ALB will present the module and discuss how these practices apply to their lives.
Another part of the Toastmasters program we will go over is the “member achievement record,” a checklist attached to the personal success plan and the smart goal we launched in D83-P1. If you have not started the success plan yet, you can start at this training. We are going to encourage participation. We want you to find another person that can hold you accountable for achieving your plans and aspirations. Without goals to verify that milestones are met within pre-established time records, it is difficult to see where we are on our path. Let’s construct the a map to guide you at every step to reach or land close to your desired destination.
And there will be more presentations and presenters, who will share their personal experience and what is working for them and their clubs to get more members. One of the most valuable exercises a club can do to ensure growth and a constant way to get better and improve on quality meetings.
Lastly, we are going to present a new idea, a new concept on practicing your speeches in a challenging way that we call X-Press-U. Come and find out more about this interesting concept and compete in our 2018 X-Press-U Marathon. I hope to see there!