Manama Toastmasters Club Newsletter— for internal use only
Term 2, Issue 5 . May 2010 Newsletter
Is it a test? Or is it play? Have some fun on contest day!
Why We Avoid the Dues Blues Help in Hard Times Climbing Out of Troubled Times Keeping the Holidays Happy
You'll Love Your Gov!
Go for the Gold!
Toastmasters International From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 250,000 members in more than 12,500 clubs in 106 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills. Most Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved. Good communicators tend to be good leaders. Some well-known Toastmasters alumni include: • Peter Coors of Coors Brewing Company • Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies
Manama Toastmasters Club Formed in 1964, Manama Toastmasters is the first toastmasters club in all of Arabian Gulf. Since then, for over 46 years, it has been helping people to become better leaders and better communicators wherever they are - in their organizations, schools, universities, businesses, social networks and many other areas. Hundreds of members have gone on to lead, or form, huge organizations in Bahrain and abroad. Many toastmasters clubs in the Gulf too, owe their birth to Manama Toastmasters Club, which is why it is often called 'the mother club' of District 79. District 79 - of Toastmasters International - comprises 275 clubs in the GCC Countries and Jordan and Lebanon.
Manama Toastmasters Club - Club No. 2916 . Est: 01.07.1964
President Message
In the last five months of my journey as the president of Manama Toastmasters Club, I always remember my Executive Committee team members who made it a great success comparing with what it was at the beginning to what we reached to in May 2010. Starting from plans to projects which go very well with the theme “Teamwork” which is less of I and more of WE. We believe that Teamwork is the greatest thing I have learnt from my journey of Toastmasters. It is an experience of everyone taking up some tasks no matter what his age or origin is. Each one of us contributes with different skills but with some good values, my team learns from school of Toastmasters to achieve our common goals, similar to bees, different roles but one common goal. Start planning your team through focusing on fundamental questions to build high spirit solidarity. Such as: Who are we? Where are we now? Where are we going? How will we get there? What is expected from us? What support do we need? And how effective are we? All teams are groups of individuals but not all groups of individuals necessarily demonstrate the cohesiveness of a team. The energy of teamwork develops or starts when team members work together and fuse their personal energies and talents to perform outstanding results which can make the dreams a reality! And not to forget the benefits of teamwork, that can build future leaders through dividing the workload, reinforcing individual capabilities, motivating new comers and by making better decisions. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships”Michael Jordan
With warm regards, Khalid AlQoud, DTM President Manama Toastmasters Club District 79 – Toastmasters international
Why We Avoid the Dues Blues When it’s time to pay dues, if you snooze, you lose! Imagine that you’re competing in the International Speech Contest. You’ve e-mailed your speech to friends and mentors for comments. You’ve practiced for weeks in front of your club, spouse and goldfish. Everyone’s rooting for you to win. But it’s not easy. First, one competitor’s speech about his mother leaves no dry eye in the house, and you’re sure he’s going to win. Then another club member makes everyone laugh, and you’re sure she’s going to win. Finally, after many anxious moments...the winner is announced. It’s you! Your club is thrilled to send you to the next level. A few weeks later – after much more practice and polishing – you step onto a larger stage and approach the lectern. The contest chairman starts to announce your speech – but a booming voice from the audience interrupts her. Marching down the aisle with arms waving, a competitor bellows, “THIS SPEAKER IS INELIGIBLE!” In the coming moments, you learn that your club has not kept up all its dues payments to World Headquarters. As a result, you’re disqualified from competing. You go home in shame, ruin and defeat. Don’t let this happen to you!....The truth is, members who pay their dues on time and who belong to clubs in good standing enjoy a variety of benefits. Contest participation is only part of the package. The Many Benefits of Paid Membership Educational Development. All new members receive the Competent Communication and Leadership manuals. The backbone of the Toastmasters program, these practical manuals have brought many nervous speakers into their own as confident, competent speakers and leaders. Plus, members receive three guidebooks: Your Speaking Voice, Gestures: Your Body Speaks and Effective Evaluation. These booklets guide speakers in developing the skills they need to communicate gracefully and feel at home in their Toastmasters meetings. Leadership Experience. For those who wish to pursue leadership training, opportunities abound at the club level and beyond. Leadership positions offer members great training at the area, division and district levels...and even higher. In Toastmasters, options are often limited to your dreams and your willingness to work hard in pursuit of them. Support the Club. It’s always a good feeling to know that you’re supporting your club. After all, these are the people who supported you when you first stood at the lectern with your knees knocking. By keeping up your dues, you’re helping your club to maintain its status (or work toward the goal) of being a Distinguished Club. It’s important to note that Distinguished Clubs offer the best possible learning environments for their members. Trisha Bridenstine, president of Rancho Speech Masters in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, agrees. “Working toward being a Distinguished Club not only stimulates personal growth and pride but bonds the club by providing a common goal,” she says. “This distinction is also a magnet for new membership, inspiring the club with new ideas, experiences and creative opportunity.”
The Toastmaster Magazine. Toastmasters around the world look forward, each month, to the arrival of the Toastmaster magazine. Speaking tips, techniques, stories and a sense of community...they all come together in its pages. Included in your membership is a subscription to this helpful and informative magazine. Member Pricing on Toastmasters Products. Diana Ewing, president of UniMasters club in Lake Forest, California, enjoys the discounts at Toastmasters.org/shop. “The TI store is an added benefit for both individuals and clubs because it offers members access to – and preferred pricing for – a host of wonderful educational and training materials,” notes Ewing. “Also available are ribbons, pins, certificates and many other items that we use to recognize member achievements and encourage people to strive for even greater success.” Don’t forget the contests. The rewards of competition, and in particular, the International Speech Contest, can be fabulous: learning opportunities, recognition, adventure, fun and a trip to the International Convention to be crowned the World Champion of Public Speaking. But if it’s worth doing – it’s worth doing right. The Toastmasters Speech Contest Rulebook states that each contestant must “Be a member in good standing of the club in which he or she is competing. The club also must be in good standing. A new, dual, or reinstated member must have dues and membership application current with World Headquarters.” Colin William, top-ten finalist for the 2008 World Championship of Public Speaking, says, “It's always been reassuring to me when I compete to know that my clubs have had responsible treasurers whom I can trust to submit the dues on time.” Remember: To be eligible to compete in any contest, the speaker must be a member in good standing in a club in good standing. Have you spoken to your club treasurer about paying the club’s dues on time? When you add them up, you may be surprised at all the benefits coming your way. So take a moment and imagine a new scene: You’re competing in the International Speech Contest...and you win! After confirming your paid dues, there’s only one thing left to do: Start practicing – that contest is just around the corner
Climbing Out of Troubled Times How one club did it with DIDIK
In the Malaysian state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, one of Toastmasters’ most tenacious corporate clubs manages to thrive despite considerable threats in recent years. Former club president Barbara Jabu discussed the club’s challenge-filled history in a presentation she gave at the Toastmasters International Convention in Calgary, Canada, last August. Originally, the group was known as the 1st Silicon Toastmasters, but when its Malaysian company, 1st Silicon, merged with German company X-Fab Semiconductor Foundries, the club’s name evolved to fit its new parent: XFab Sarawak. That was only the beginning.
Jabu noted that the new parent had different priorities. The club was at high risk of being abandoned as the “stepchild” in this new marriage. Since 2006, X-Fab Club endured three corporate management changes and three company-wide cutbacks. In less than one month, the club lost 22 members. But it survived. The members acknowledge two reasons for their club’s survival: early company support that was eventually renewed and Jabu’s use of an island tradition popular with school teachers: didik. It all began in November 2003. 1st Silicon’s director of human resources founded the club to develop leadership and communication skills in the employees, says Stephen Chin, X-Fab’s Chief Financial Officer, who serves as the club’s patron and advisor. “Initially,” says Chin, “all human resources managers and officers were encouraged to join to start the membership ball rolling.” Club president Tan Hong Mui, ACB, CL, is proud of the club’s strong start – originally with 23 members – and points out, “We just celebrated the club’s fifth anniversary last month.” Toastmasters Values and Survival Strategies But company support can waver, with devastating effects. Like community clubs, corporate clubs often face the challenge of maintaining a steady membership roster, but they must do this in the wake of personnel shifts, mergers and other large-scale upheavals. Jabu said the club members’ resilience to whatever happens – in the company or the outside world – is of prime importance. To pull her club through a slow business year and repeated company mergers, Jabu adopted an attitude that she shared with her fellow members. She explained, “In my native tongue, the acronym DIDIK translates to the English word ‘nurture’ or ‘teach.’ It’s a common word used by school teachers [as a guiding axiom when they] motivate students at a young age. This reminded me of the values Toastmasters taught me. Hence DIDIK (Dedication, Intelligence, Discipline, Integrity and Knowledge) became the principle I chose to adopt for my home club, X-FAB Sarawak Toastmasters Club.”
A healthy club produces inspired and happy members. In her presentation, Jabu compared the club to a mountain-climbing team: “Having to survive a dynamic cycle of the semiconductor industry, our club faced emotional ups and downs. Thankfully, the team consistently mapped out the trails and needs of each member.” Using regular membership surveys, it was able to identify individual paths and paces of climbing. When people struggle through a mutual hardship, they often stick together through subsequent difficult times as well. At one point, the club almost folded, but the remaining members were determined to bounce back. With Jabu’s newly adopted DIDIK, the club went into high gear to rebuild membership. For each letter of their new mantra, the members enacted a strategy for survival: Dedication. The leadership team remained dedicated, keen to work and communicate with each other. Intelligence. They stayed in touch with club mentors and sponsors and valued their advice for success. To maintain corporate rapport, they invited corporate managers to speak at the club. Discipline. They paid close attention to club learning opportunities, tailoring the program to the company engineers’ educational needs, packaged in a way to showcase the benefits to the technically inclined staff. Integrity. They honored their members’ achievements via rewards and recognition. Knowledge. They didn’t just work hard, but worked smart, learning everything they could about their club’s history, needs, potential and prospects. Corporate Assistance These efforts weren’t lost on the company leaders, and their support eventually regained momentum. X-Fab’s corporate culture strongly supports education and training for employees. Chin says, “I believe the creation of the club at X-Fab Sarawak is in itself an incentive to the staff...The company subsidizes 50 percent of the membership fees of staff members. Snacks and refreshments are provided by the company during training meetings.” One benefit for X-Fab employees of having a company club is its convenience and accessibility. If a member must drop out for a while due to work pressures, it’s not difficult to rejoin later. For example, club president Tan says charter members recently rejoined the club after taking a break of one and a half years. X-Fab has also offered a Speechcraft program, which Jabu organized with the company’s blessing. Twelve new members joined the club from that one program alone. Of course, the company reaps several benefits from playing host to Toastmasters. The X-Fab club conducts its meetings in English, as this is the main language of communication used during work. Stronger employee English skills have also helped X-Fab compete in a tough market. “English is widely accepted as the international language of commerce and trade,” Chin says, “And as we conduct our business globally, this enhances our staff’s communication skills in the international arena.” With strategies like DIDIK and company support, it’s no surprise the X-Fab club bounced back to become a successful corporate club. The members are a hearty bunch, eager to prove themselves in every venture, whether it’s climbing a mountain, building semiconductors or presenting speeches in their club. Throughout it all, their spirit of DIDIK prevails. Jabu summed it up by ending her convention presentation with the following song, borrowed from the famous lyrics of Marvin Gaye: Ain’t no mountain high enough, Ain’t no valley low enough, Ain’t no river wide enough, To keep our club away from chasing its dreams!
Help in Hard Times How Toastmasters training can see you through
There’s no doubt that many Toastmasters are facing challenging times. With corporate cutbacks, Wall Street woes and other worldwide financial difficulties, we’re all feeling the stress of the day. If you find yourself squeezed by some belt-tightening tactics, it’s tempting to retreat from longterm goals and instead focus on short-term survival strategies. That may be a mistake. Maintaining your progress toward a goal by setting a course that includes daily, weekly and monthly objectives can help you navigate your way through the troubled waters of today and prepare you for better times ahead. What better place to do this than at your regular Toastmasters meetings?
He got through it Consider the example of Tom Oh, of Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Tom works for an interactive marketing media company in the nearby town of Irvine. Before he landed this job, he spent what he describes as “seven long months” unemployed and job hunting. It was the longest period of time Tom had ever been out of work, and rather than panic, he chose a path that set him in the direction of reconnecting with his career and his future. He decided to use part of the time constructively by joining a Toastmasters club and improving his job skills. Tom says two things became apparent when he was out of work: First, he needed to hone his public speaking skills. Second, he had no excuse to delay it any longer. This was a job skill he knew he would eventually need again and now his time was finally free to work on it. “No excuses!” says Tom with a laugh. Encouraged by a Toastmasters friend, Tom attended a meeting in July and was hooked. He attended only five meetings before finding a new job – but in that time he pushed himself to give two speeches. Tom especially wanted to improve his skills in speechwriting and preparation. So he made the most of the Competent Communication manual’s features allowing members to focus on certain aspects. For him, it meant working through the Ice Breaker and then the project on organization. He enjoyed putting together a speech, following instructions on how to improve its organization. Re-evaluating his work and writing a more-focused speech – even before presenting it to the club – gave Tom extra confidence in his skills. The meetings offered Tom emotional benefits as well. During a stressful time in his life, his club activities allowed him to escape to a place of camaraderie and support. Getting to know his fellow Toastmasters through their speeches made networking fun and easy. He relished the opportunity to network with all kinds of people. Tom says, “I met people working in different industries and enjoyed the opportunity to meet a diversified group.”
And the speeches – even those that were not work-related – really affected him. “People shared about their personal lives,” he says, “with wonderful quality and content to their speeches.” He learned that these personal perspectives make speeches more compelling and engaging. “They were passionate about their subject matter. It worked for the speakers and us, the audience.” He soon discovered the lessons learned in the club improved his job-related speaking, as well. To his own amazement, Tom had fun and learned a lot during his seven-month break from a job. And while he says it was uncomfortable to be job hunting in a difficult economy, he looks back at his experiences in Toastmasters with fondness. His new job doesn’t allow the time to attend the morning meetings of his old club. But he wonders about finishing those other eight projects in the Competent Communication manual. Who knows? Maybe he’ll start a corporate club in his new company! She’s getting through it Another example is Paula Harris, a “local market sales manager” with Avis Budget Group before she was laid off along with a thousand other employees in a cost-cutting measure last September. Paula joined Toastmasters a few weeks later with a plan to become more confident and an effective speaker. “I did have to do some public speaking at my last job and want to feel more comfortable and confident when I am speaking in front of others.” Paula hopes to soon land another job in marketing or account management and is preparing herself for the position by attending club meetings. “I want to increase my self-confidence and leadership skills and feel comfortable speaking in front of an audience,” she says. Though Paula’s journey is just beginning, she appears positive and confident when speaking in her new club. Recently, she gave her Ice Breaker speech and stood in front of the lectern, presenting her story without the use of notes. She performed well and received a round of well-deserved applause at the end. Beaming, she returned to her seat and was all smiles for the rest of the meeting. Though Paula hasn’t yet taken advantage of any networking opportunities, she does see the benefit of being in the group. She says, “Everyone is so friendly and supportive that I believe this is a group I can learn from.” With that kind of attitude, Paula will no doubt make it through this trying time and move up to the next step in her career. And with the support of her friends in Toastmasters, she will definitely be smiling when she gets
Keeping the Holidays Happy You need your meetings more than ever!
It’s a few weeks before the end of the year and you’re falling behind in preparations. Your boss needs that year-end report, your kids need costumes for the school play, and your mother needs you to arrange her travel for the holidays. You need a 30-hour day! Some Toastmasters members try to reduce their holiday hassles by missing club meetings during these busy weeks. That’s the last thing they should do!
Remedy for the Holiday Rush Spending time with fellow Toastmasters is an ideal antidote to holiday pressures. As a club leader, it’s your job to remind members of the stress-busting benefits of attendance. Get the word out by e-mail, phone call, postcard or a posting on your club’s Web site. By keeping up with their meetings, they’ll have the chance to: • • • • •
See friends Share some fun and laughs Discover more about their fellow members’ expertise Enjoy well-earned time for self-improvement Escape the demanding world for a while
Their schedules may be telling them that they don’t have time – but for their own health and well-being – be sure to recommend that your club members attend every meeting. Reaping the Benefits If you happen to be a club member who steadfastly attends meetings throughout the season, pat yourself on the back. Not only have you been helping yourself, you’ve been helping your fellow Toastmasters to continue their pace of steady improvement while enjoying all the benefits listed above. Missing In Action Perhaps you’re missing some of your friends from your club. They’ve skipped meetings and maybe sent you an e-mail stating that they’d be back after the holiday season. What can you do? Remind them of all that you’re getting for attending this season. Send your friends an e-mail and share the list of benefits. More ideas You might schedule some holiday-themed meetings, with special treats and surprise guests. Wouldn’t it be fun to get together with some former members from years gone by? Send out the invitations and prepare yourself for a wonderful reunion with your Toastmasters friends
Is it a test? Or is it play? Have some fun on contest day! You can enjoy speech contests
When Nahid was asked to compete in her club’s humorous speech contest, she was mortified. “I – I’m not funny!” she exclaimed. Indeed, her manual speeches had been heartfelt and serious discussions on the meaning of life. But her fellow club members insisted that she was funnier than she realized. She decided to take up the challenge and try the contest. Much to her amazement, Nahid learned that she is more than funny – she’s hilarious. She won the club contest and found herself looking forward to the area level competition with a new sense of excitement and pleasure. Her fear of “funny failure” had been banished. Now, when someone asks Nahid what she wants to do with her life, she responds without hesitation, “I want to be a comedian.” And she admits she owes it all to a speech contest, because it made her try something outside her comfort zone. Speech contests present many opportunities. Those who benefit in the most obvious way are the competitors. Being a contender gives you a chance to try a new style or type of speech. The result can be amazing, as in Nahid’s case. And even if you stay with a topic that you’ve given before, you know you’ll have to take it to the next level in order to compete. This is a terrific way to confirm your skills. Garry thought his evaluations were solid, but he wasn’t completely sure until he won an evaluation contest. He had worked hard to make his evaluation skills shine, and the results of the contest confirmed his belief in himself. On the other hand, it’s not always about winning. Evan was able to learn from watching expert speakers competing at higher and higher levels. He picked up several tips and tricks for performing that improved his own speeches and work-related presentations. The best news is, speech contests benefit everyone who takes part. There are many roles to try, all offering some sort of leadership experience. You can improve skills such as organization, teamwork, written and verbal communication, and event coordination. Of course, a lot of people are merely looking for an enjoyable way to use their Toastmasters skills. And while volunteering as a timer, counter, sergeant at arms, contest chair, or other role affords Toastmasters the opportunity for growth, adventure and a sense of team membership –you must remember that it’s also just plain fun. And though you might not think it possible right now, there may come a time when you find yourself volunteering for the role of speech contest judge. Don’t be afraid to try it. Experienced speakers can learn so much by participating as speech contest judges. The judging criteria for great speeches is printed on the back of every Judge’s Guide and Ballot. It’s like having your own personal cheat sheet for making a good speech great. And the more experience you gain in using these criteria to judge the participants’ speeches, the better your own speeches will become. That’s the great thing about Toastmasters speech contests. The more you put into them, the more you take away.
You'll Love Your Gov! How Area Governor Visits Can Help Your Club Thrive
Your club is not alone! Toastmasters’ local service model exists to help. This is how it works: Your club belongs to a small group of neighborhood clubs called an area. Each area is run by an area governor, a veteran Toastmaster who knows what it takes to build and support healthy clubs. And twice a year, the area governor will visit your club. Sometime between July 1 and October 31, and then again between January 1and April 30, the area governor will visit your club to develop new friendships, enjoy a meeting and offer assistance where needed. Take advantage of this great opportunity to make the most of a visit from the area governor. He or she can help you to: •
Review the Distinguished Club Program report online to determine where your club is in relation to its membership goals. • Review your Club Success Plan (and will request a copy before the visit). • Share your club’s historical information and demographics with any new members. • Customize your area governor visit and ensure the club is getting the most out of it. Each club visit will vary depending on the arrangements your club president makes with the area governor. Focus on those items that are applicable to your club: • • • • • •
Discuss the club mission. Discuss characteristics of successful clubs through best practices. Ask the area governor how to meet the needs of your members and how to measure results. Request that he or she perform a sample manual speech for the club. Review the Toastmasters programs (e.g., Membership Building, Distinguished Club Program) Identify prospective district leaders in your club – tell you about leadership opportunities within Toastmas-
ters Along with visiting the club, your area governor may wish to spend time with the club’s leaders. He or she will probably ask you for feedback about the visit. This is another opportunity to make sure you’re getting full value from your area governor visits. The area governor may ask how communication between your club and district leaders can improve. Let those leaders know how best to contact you or other club officers. You’ll have the chance to sit and discuss where the club is in relation to year-end goals and plan strategies to ensure those goals are achieved. The area governor will help you use the Distinguished Club Program and Club Success Plan as your guide. Your visitor will then recommend methods for moving forward and point out opportunities for enhancement. Even after your club visit, the benefits continue: The area governor will submit a brief report to the district team, informing them of your progress He or she may follow up with your club and see how things have been since the visit. If your club needs additional support, this will help guarantee that it’s provided. He or she will probably keep records of your visits and pass them on to the next area governor. This will ensure that any transfer of leadership won’t affect your club’s access to help and guidance from the local leadership.
Go for the Gold! You've struck gold!
Imagine a gold miner from the turn of the last century. He’s been digging in a mineshaft deep in the heart of a mountain and has filled one of his pockets with gold ore. When he feels the weight of the gold in one pocket, he decides he has enough wealth and leaves…abandoning a gold strike worth many millions. After all that hard work, does it make sense to walk away before claiming the entire prize? Of course not! Sometimes, it seems Toastmasters do the same thing.
You may have belonged to a club for a little while and you’re progressing toward improved communication and leadership skills. With this improvement, you may notice more appreciative comments from co-workers and bosses. You may even receive a promotion. At that point, you decide you’re “too busy” to attend further club meetings. But what have you walked away from? Could there be untold wealth that remains untapped? It’s time to consider further gains in your personal and professional lives: • • • • • •
A member with improved networking skills may continue to improve communication with family A strong presenter may learn more about the art of speechwriting A great speech reader can practice presenting memorized speeches Great with pauses? How about eye contact? Great with eye contact? How about vocal variety? And much, much more…
Earning a Competent Communication award is a wonderful step! But it is simply a first step on a road that can lead you to mastering the art of communication and leadership. Some members see only the glitter of the Communication Track in the Toastmasters experience. But what might you miss if you never try the Leadership Track? • • • • •
Finding the courage to conquer new challenges, including “stage fright” before subordinates or a team? Time management skills? Project planning and guidance? Dealing with difficult people or challenging relationships? Setting a goal for a team and guiding the team to achieve that goal?
The benefits of joining Toastmasters start almost immediately: improved communication, improved relationships at work, improved job performance and improved leadership skills. All that is great! And it’s even better when you continue working to improve…and find that you can claim the entire prize!