Amdavad Toastmasters Newsletter March 2013

Ripples…

creating waves…

Newsletter of Amdavad Toastmasters Club Club # 2472534/Area D1/Division D/District 41 Volume No.-2, March 2013

Index

About Us

1. About Us 2. From the desk of President 3. Achievements 4. In conversation with S K Brillian 5. The Toastmaster’s Edge – Bibhu Panigrahi 6. Meetings and more…

7. From the Corner of my Reflecting Mind – Preeti 8. Book Review – IT’S THE WAY YOU SAY IT

Amdavad Toastmasters club is the first and only Community Club in Gujarat.The initiative was started by a bunch of enthusiasts in the year 2011 which culminated in chartering of the club on 1st June 2012. Today it boasts of 35+ members and aspires to become best club in district 41 “The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth”

From the Desk of the Editor: Dear Friends, It has been an extremely satisfying journey for our club with a modest start followed by a gust of strong positive wind which witnessed an increase in the number of guests attending the meetings followed by their enrollment as members…!!!

Today while we boast of a 35+ strong Toastmasters Team, we are surely marching on the path of greater achievements in coming months.

With summers setting in, and most of the children through with current session resulting in parents getting a bit more relaxed, I look forward to meetings full of fun and learning which has become the hallmark of our club.

Learning is a continuous process and Toastmasters gives us an apt platform to harness our skills both as ‘Competent Communicator’ and ‘Competent Leader’. Let us make a calendar to achieve these goals and realize our dream for it is only prudent to plan and then execute.

TM Prasun Kundu, Cell no. 9824004696, e-mail – Prasun.kundu@idea.adityabirla.com

From the Desk of the President…

Achievements 1.

Dear Friends,

Odds Awards – Our club won the “Odds Awards” in district 41

2.

We achieved all our education goals in last EC tenure. Thanks to VP Education then, TM Biswajit who put in a lot of effort and focus to achieve this experiencing a cocktail of emotions of Gratitude, Passion and Excitement. marvelous feat.

While writing this piece, I am When I reflect upon the progress of the club, it gives me an incredible feeling as the outcome is quite 3.

Web site of the club launched in Mar’13 fulfilling.

4.

TM K P Jani winning the Area Table Topics contest on 16th March 2013

a.

The new Executive Committee installation ceremony was held on 6th of

Our club achieved the coveted “Presidents Distinguished Club” status in the very first year of its inception. in Thane It is indeed an incredible feat andheld each one of you can take pride in the fact that it could not have been possible without “YOU”. Thank 5.“YOU”. spirit, passion andhiscommitment, by first the TM The Sambit Panda completed CL and wentdemonstrated on to become the volunteers, is unbelievable. And I am in the best position to witness that. The club is full of gratitude and member of our club to achieve this feat. We congratulate him on achieving this in awe of each and every volunteer for doing their bit for the smooth running of the club and for making a feat and wish him for Competent Communicator (CC) ….!!! difference. All of us have this virtue of being the benefactor rather than only being a beneficiary. Whether acknowledged or not, the satisfaction we deriveCommittee as a benefactor is Ceremony priceless, something “Master Card 6.

Executive Installation cannot buy!”

Whether we realize it or not, all ofJanuary us are 2013 highlyinprivileged to restaurant. get this opportunity to followhas ourcommitted passion, to “Awadpuri” The new committee to become a better leader and speaker. In this fast paced world, where the demanding and hectic lifestyle is take the club forward from Jan’13 to Jun’13. taking its toll on our lives, there are only a handful of individuals who are pursuing their passion that is meaningful, self-uplifting, and serves causeceremony of the society.

Aren’tbyyou special one being b. the Thebigger installation was witnessed our afamily members as wella Toastmaster? When we pursue ourand passion wholeheartedly, we are assured “childlike all of them were quite convinced about theoffact that twojoy”! hours every Sunday

is being tofor putalltoof good by their spouses.

The last few months have been eventful us.use The ongoing contest season of course adds to the excitement. It will be thrilling if most us new can Executive join the division to cheer for Cdr. KP Jani and to c. ofThe Committeecontest (from R-L): witness the event. Please attend the Oration 2013, the District 41 Annual Conference. You will realize the d. cannot TM be Biswajit Adhikari – President, TM Sambit – VP Education, benefits only by attending; else it explained in words.

We assure you Panda that the euphoria will continue in the coming months TM as Anil we are planning some special make ourRelations, experiences Verma – VP Membership, TM events Anurag to – VP Public TM memorable and to increase the bonding among the members.

Our club is also thrilled like a kid who Rashmi Ranjana – Secretary, TM K P Jani – Treasurer, TM Mukund Joshi is– gifted with a new sibling. Thank you all the volunteers who are helping to expand the family in Ahmedabad Sergeant At Arms, TM Bibhu Prasad Panigrahi – Outgoing President swearing in and in Gujarat! Be there to share the joy, as the club is expecting a couple of siblings in the coming the new EC months!

Well. Let us keep up the good work. Let us keep transforming each and every item in our wish list to reality. As a leader I have nothing to complain, because I have always got more than what I asked for.

This feeling of contentment is worth relishing. I would like to share with you one of my learnings from the club before I sign off. “Seeking help is as important as being there to help. This attitude is a key ingredient of an effective team.”

I am privileged to be a part of this amazing club …!!!

TM Biswajit Dates to Remember: Division D Conference – 20th April 2013, Mumbai Oration 2013 – District 41 Conference - 17th May 2013, Hyderabad

Achievements Achievements

c

1.

Odds Awards – Our club won the “Odds Awards” in district 41 1. 2. Odds Awards – Our club won “Odds Awards” indivision district 41 We achieved 10/10 DCPthe goals (first club in D) 3.

We achieved all our education goals in last EC tenure.

2.

We achieved all our education goals in last EC tenure. ThanksThanks to VP to VP Education then, TM Biswajit who put in a lot of effort and Education then, TM Biswajit who put in a lot of effort and focus to achieve this focus to achieve this marvelous feat. marvelous feat.

4.

Web site of the club launched in 3.

-TM KP Jani

WebMar’13(www.amdavadtoastmasters.org) site of the club launched in Mar’13

5.

TM K P Jani winning the Area Table Topics contest on 16th 4.

TMMarch K P Jani winning theVashi,(New Area Table Topics contest on 16th March 2013 2013 held in Mumbai) held6.in Thane TM Sambit Panda completed his CL and went on to become the member of our club to achieve this feat. We congratulate 5.

TMfirst Sambit Panda completed his CL and went on to become the first him on achieving this feat and wish him for Competent member of our club to achieve this feat. We congratulate him on achieving this Communicator (CC) ….!!! feat and wish him for Competent Communicator (CC) ….!!!

6.

Installation Ceremony

Executive Committee Installation Ceremony

a.

The Executive Committee installation installationceremony ceremony was onon 6th6th of 1.

The new Executive Committee washeld held January 20132013 in “Awadpuri” restaurant.

The new The committee committedhas to of January in “Awadpuri” restaurant. new has committee committed take the forward from Jan’13 to Jun’13. take the clubto forward fromclub Jan’13 to Jun’13.

2.

The installationceremony ceremony witnessed by family our family members b.

The installation waswas witnessed by our members as well as well and all of them were quite convinced about the fact that the two and all of them were quite convinced about the fact that two hours every Sunday hours every Sunday is being put to good use by their spouses.

is being to put to good use by their spouses. c.

TM Sambit Panda(above) and his CL Completion Certificate(below)

“Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.” ― Albert Einstein

The new Executive Committee (from R-L):

d.

TM Biswajit Adhikari – President, TM Sambit Panda – VP Education, TM Anil Verma – VP Membership, TM Anurag – VP Public Relations, TM Rashmi Ranjana – Secretary, TM K P Jani – Treasurer, TM Mukund Joshi – Sergeant At Arms, TM Bibhu Prasad Panigrahi – Outgoing President swearing in the new EC

3.

The new Executive Committee (from R-L):

4.

TM Biswajit Adhikari – President, TM Sambit Panda – VP Education, TM Anil Verma – VP Membership, TM Anurag – VP Public Relations, TM Rashmi Ranjana – Secretary, TM K P Jani – Treasurer, TM Mukund Joshi – Sergeant At Arms, TM Bibhu Prasad Panigrahi – Outgoing President swearing in the new EC

Interview with S K Brillian, DTM (Division D Governor, District 41)

ATM - How did you join Toastmasters and what appealed to you then?

SKB - Believe it or not, my wife encouraged me to join toastmasters. I used to be associated with the world’s best youth organisation Retract for a long time. After moving away, I was spending more time lazing and watching television. My wife Vaishali's colleague Arvind Nair used to brief her about Toastmasters, that's when she realized I could be put to use for productive work ;). My first meeting I won the Table Topics, the entire format and way people were made comfortable to speak made me come back and signup as a member.

ATM - After associating with Toastmasters for many years, you are so passionate about the movement, which is unbelievable. What is motivating you at this juncture?

SKB - The truth is learning never ends, I have learnt that even someone who is beginning the journey can offer so many insights into learning. The fact that we have members from all walks of life, makes every interaction interesting and engaging. The motivator for me at this point of time is the fact that I am able to give back to the movement even as I learn.

ATM - Which is the most memorable moment of your journey in Toastmasters?

SKB - My Project 1 - which was witnessed by my wife on Valentines Day. It is an interesting story, the day we were to have our meeting, we realized that our regular venue was demolished. As a stop gap arrangement the meeting was moved to an open air amphitheater. It was a true experience of "Public Speaking", I can never forget that day.

ATM - What is the most important lesson you learnt at Toastmasters as a leader?

SKB - A leader must be open to let go, "if you don't let go, you will never grow". Trust, delegation and empowerment - the essential tools for every leader to succeed.

ATM - You have witnessed the journey of Amdavad Toastmasters since its chartering. What it has done well and what could have been done better?

SKB - Amdavad toastmasters took a while to come into the family of Division D. I have seen the club grow leaps and bounds. Amdavad club has a special place in my Toastmasters Journey as my DTM completion was achieved on July 1, 2012 after completing the module at the club meeting. The club should motivate members to attend Area, Division & District conferences. This would give members a new perspective on leadership and communication.

As told to ATM

The Toastmaster’s Edge TM Bibhu Panigrahi

I remember the day when Sanjay asked me if I had heard about Toastmasters International, a non-profit organization that helps people learn communication and leadership skills. He was full of praise for it, apparently because he was involved with it during his decade-long sojourn in the US. The name Toastmaster sounded like another pseudo-American pizza outlet, like U.S. Pizza. Though I heard him out with poise, I couldn’t believe that something I had never heard about could be so good.

The first impression lasts long, they say. Even if it is true, I don’t want to remember the first meeting of Amdavad Toastmasters Club. Four morons like me got together in my office training room on a Sunday morning and pretended to be conducting a meeting. Raghu was the toastmaster of the day, the prepared speaker, and the table topics master. Sanjay was the table topic speaker, the speech evaluator, and the general evaluator. I played the role of timer, ah counter, and grammarian. We also had a guest, whose name I do not remember. Actually, the guest had gone missing even before the meeting was half way through.

Before Toastmasters happened to me, I had nothing do with anything public, let alone public speaking. All my life, I had been a very private person. I had read more books than the number of people I had met. However, as the membership of Amdavad Toastmasters grew over the last one and half years, I discovered many things about myself.

First, I discovered that I wasn’t unique in my thoughts and feelings - there were many others who thought like me. It was slightly disappointing at first, since I had been revelling in the delusion of being absolutely unique in this world.

Later, I was happy that I did not have to read a book to feel a part of this world. I did not have to write a blog when I had an indomitable urge to express myself. I could share my thoughts with real human beings, and I could belong in a group.

Second, I discovered that my vociferous reading had not made me very wise. In fact, real learning starts only when you put down the book and start taking action. I had read scores of books about communication before I had even heard of Toastmasters, but only after I got an opportunity to practice at Toastmasters meetings that my learning began. I am still a beginner in communication, but I know those who are sitting in a closet reading a book about communication are yet to begin.

Third, I discovered that I enjoyed institutionalised education. I have never been fond of formal education because it is too prescriptive. While doing masters in English literature, I spent most of my time in the university library, but I read everything except English literature. I thought the only job of an educational institution was to forcibly confine learners to a narrow field of learning and prevent them from acquiring knowledge about a wide range of subjects.

Finally, in Amdavad Toastmasters, I got an institution that gave me the freedom to choose what I wanted to learn, at my own pace, without unreasonable restrictions and stupid examinations.

Let me explain what I mean by saying that it gives me freedom to choose what I want to learn. At Amdavad Toastmasters Club, I am learning so much beyond public speaking. I am learning how to meet and greet people, how to strike a conversation with people when I meet them for the first time, how to listen to others intently and purposefully, how to provide feedback and handle criticism in a group, and much more. In short, I am going through the basic process of socialization, which, unfortunately, had not happened in my case through all my school and college years.

Thank you Sanjay for introducing me to the idea of Toastmasters! Thank you Raghu for pushing me into it, somewhat forcefully! Thank you KP and Biswajit for sustaining the fire. And thanks to each member of this club for helping me become a social animal. I wish our education system was half as effective as a Toastmasters club.

Meetings and More….

Meeting No.52 Date – 27th Jan’13 Theme – Freedom Word of the Day – Discretion Best Speaker – Rashmi Best TT Speaker – Varsha Best Evaluator - Varsha

Meeting No.54 Date – 10th Feb’13 Theme – Winter Blues Word of the Day – Vociferous Best Speaker – K P Jani Best TT Speaker – Preeti Best Evaluator - Biswajit

Meeting No.56 Date – 24th Feb’13 Theme – What’s in Name Word of the Day – Ubiquitous Best Speaker – Anil Best TT Speaker – Manish Best Evaluator – K P Jani

Meeting No.58 Date – 17th Mar’13 Theme – We Can If We Think We Can Word of the Day – Dogmatic Best Speaker – Kartik Best TT Speaker – Siddharth Best Evaluator - Biswajit

Meeting No.53 Date – 03rd Feb’13 Theme – Celebration Word of the Day – Adulation Best Speaker – K P Jani Best Evaluator - Anil

Meeting No.55 Date – 17th Feb’13 Theme – Make a Difference Word of the Day – Heresy Best Speaker – Preeti Best TT Speaker – Sayanti Best Evaluator - Anil

Meeting No.57 Date – 03rd Mar’13 Theme – Change Word of the Day – Prolific Best Speaker – Preeti Best TT Speaker – K P Jani Best Evaluator - Varsha

Meeting No. 59 Date – 24th Mar’13 Theme – Celebration Word of the Day – Sparkle Best Speaker – Manish Khanolkar Best TT Speaker – Darshana Best Evaluator – K P Jani

"Think Different"

From The Corner of My Reflecting Mind TM Preeti Pathak

"Here’s to the crazy ones.

The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine.

They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." !!!

Contributed by - TM Anurag Jain

When some people speak, they cast a spell on our mind and leave us wanting to hear more while some as soon as they give the slightest hint of mood to talk, we want to escape the boredom. The language and the words may have been the same but then how does this difference of impact come in. The idea caught my mind as I sat on one evening with a mug of coffee leaving its strong aroma to wake me up with a few questions in mind, as I was picking up some of the scattered thoughts in my reflective mind.

What is communication? Did it not exist before language? Is it then so imperative to say “words matter”? “Language matters”? “Style” matters.

Is it really necessary to practice the gestures and the expressions and the body language and the verbal expressions?

My mind nudges me with another set of ideas. Thoughts have a beauty of their own. Sometimes has questions and then also finds the answers from the same depth of thoughts.

I had the answer, we did communicate even when we had no words, no sentences and no language. Perhaps there were more of sounds, like what Tarzan did. Language of sounds and gestures might have been self-sufficient at that stage but life does not remain stagnant.

The troglodytes wrapped leaves around themselves and used stones to spark fire and then came the new ideas for making life easy. The fire gave light, the wheel gave movement, the bulb gave ambition to explore for more and the scientific view, discoveries, inventions, defined the new man’s intellectual requirement. Currency gave industrial revolution and this paved the way for political and financial revolution gradually. Each change had its impact in the social evolution of man.

Human progress, society, social code of conduct, life style, all gave its way in the name of civilization. Man combated with wilderness and the life of uncertainties for many years. Then came the civilization and an age of scientific era led by inventions. Anthropology, Sociology, cultural science was evolving hand in hand with science. Global political, social, financial, turbulences did not leave anything untouched. With changing times, more literacy, reasoning man, intellectual awakening, saw the seeds of making life easier, better and smother.

Our lifestyle and living requirements have changed. We are almost in different times. Gone are the days when language was just primary tool of conveying the idea, now it is more in terms of leaving an impactful idea. Effectiveness in communication is not the idea but the necessity of being on higher end of this competitive edge. Language be it sounds or gestures, in the primary stage, it served the purpose of self-sufficiency.

As long as man could convey the mind, the thoughts, the functional purpose was solved. Nobody spoke of impact; there were no public speaking and leadership contests or training institutes. Why this refinement of language, the study of language as an art, as a skill under the gamut of Public speaking or soft Skills. Change from functional use of language to the refined study and even more a witty, humorous, motivational, purposeful language can move the audience, convince them, persuade them. It is now developed as a sharper, diplomatic and market oriented tool.

Contributed by- TM Manish Khanolkar

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur.

You take the front line when there is danger.

Then people will appreciate your leadership.

-Nelson Mandela

There are hidden and multidimensional layers of language and communication. Sometimes it is as simple as looking into the eye of a friend and holding hands and saying it in softer words “Don’t worry; main hoon na” or sometimes it is about creating a memorization PPT presentation or sometimes is may be just giving meaningful silence in between two words or leaving a pun in between, there is so much of creativity, so much of fun, so much of wit and so much of thoughtfulness. The more we delve into the study of it, the more you find the treasure. If one were to study it carefully, the change is in diction, use, phrases, idioms, special uses in the language brought in by varies faculties of studies like law, medicine, finance, computer and technology, all has laid its impact on language. Read the following sentences with the words in inverted comas carefully.

The “fall” in the “market” has “laid off” many employees.

Your “system” will go “corrupt”, if we “download” too many “files” as the “storage” is less and “roaming” charges apply.

Would you not agree that the words in italics are no more the same as it used to be in the primary stage of communication? It has been redefined with the finance and technological advancement.

We often overlook this growth and redefining process of language.

Language is like a phoenix. It dies in some form and takes the birth again in the usages, experiences and requirements of life. The common thread is the need.

Birthday’s January:

We associate to the bare necessity of “medium to convey the message” in language. This is where the problem starts. We are no more troglodytes and no more in the primitive stage where language with its simplicity was only to “convey” the idea, now we are in a world where we need to be more precise in “ communicating’ the idea.

Akash Gupta – 06th January Anup Kaushal – 19th January

February: Rashmi (Spouse of Manoj Jain): 26th February Sandhya (Spouse of Prasun Kundu): 24th Feb February March: Alok Sahoo – 08th March Biswajit Adhikari – 09th March Minakshi (Spouse of Alok Sahoo): 28th March

Whether we like it or loath it, one truth of life is irreversible. We live in a word of cut throat competition, we need to code and decode the intentions, furnish it with facts and figures, embellish it in appropriate words and that should serve the purpose, fit into the time, fit into the occasion, be lucid and precise enough to catch attention and mindful and watchful enough to succinctly project the idea to make a way into the thought process of the other person’s mind a leave an impact. It has to be convincing, persuading and selling the point to push the business.

Practice is needed all the more when it is to be done across not one or two but multiple people. Learning is a cognitive process. We need to rehearse, speak, and understand what happens at the level of mind when speaking is under the process of being rated by the listeners. The level of anxiety plays havoc in the mind or the speaker. This perhaps, paved the way for those who initiated the process of defining the experience of “public speaking” and “leadership communication”.

Anniversaries Sambit Panda – 06th February Alok Sahoo – 07th February Prasun Kundu 23rd February

Beautiful rays of the dawn Fall on my windows They fill up my life Like a thousand rainbows The dance of the sunlight The bloom of the flowers The fluttering of the butterflies Give a meaning to my life.

-

Contributed by TM Shruti

Sooner or later, people who win are the ones who think they can….

In Toastmasters Club, we gather together to discover the fine tools, we hone our skills, we listen, we clap, we pat, we analyze, we evaluate, we time our speeches, count the areas where things could have been done better, and check where we could have utilized our time even more efficiently. There is nothing right or wrong, only the shades of little imperfections leading to more and more ideas towards excellence. We grow, we learn, we encourage each other. It is a meeting point we nurture our minds, thoughts, skills and feel more empowered. Power of thought, power to speak it right, at the right time, in the right way and do it so skillfully that it lures the attention of the listener, is the ultimate aim and leaving them to hear you wanting to listen to you more is a skill we hone with practice.

In the corner of my mind as these rambling thoughts take a refuge in silence, I go with a firm belief that language in today’s world is a life line. It is something, we need to develop with more experimentations, permutations and combinations, experiences and realizations and most importantly about weaving those words together, to make it a memorable experience for even after man is gone, the words remain in the memories forever.

Book Review IT’S THE WAY YOU SAY IT

By Carol A. Fleming “No other skills will position you ahead of your competition as much as good speaking and presentation skills.”

Introduction: Speak Your Mind Effectively! The best, most direct way to convey our intelligence, expertise, professionalism, and personality to other people is through talking to them. But most people have no idea what they sound like. And even if they do, they don’t think they can change it.

It’s the Way You Say It is a thorough, nuts-and-bolts guide to becoming aware and taking control of how we communicate with others. Dr. Carol Fleming provides detailed advice and scores of exercises for understanding how others hear us, Dealing with specific speech problems, Varying our vocal patterns to make our speech more dynamic, Using grammar and vocabulary to increase our clarity and impact, Reinforcing our message with nonverbal cues, Conquering stage fright.

As we communicate with people, they come to know us both as an individual and as a professional. The only way that people can sense our intelligence and professionalism is through the effectiveness of our communication: what they hear we say, the attitude that they perceive, and the very sound of our voice.

Professional communication is important to people in every line of work. While our expertise and skills are, of course, essential, it is our personal verbal communication that transmits our expertise and confidence to other people. While many books out there on communication will tell us what to say, few address how to say it, and even fewer will help us learn how to work specifically with our speech and our voice.

CHAPTER 1 -Assessing Your Voice: If we ask people how they want their speech and voice to be described, they will probably say articulate, resonant, and knowledgeable, clear, persuasive, and confident. These are the characteristics of speakers we admire, and we want to be in that club because we know how very much it matters. The author says one of his clients once said, “Every time you open your mouth, you put your business in the street” (i.e., you put your reputation on the line).

Author says it’s a hidden secret: People are not good judges of their own speaking characteristics. They may be aware that there’s something about the way they talk that is a problem for them and they make guesses about the specifics.

CHAPTER 2 - Resolving Specific Problems: Focusing attention on specific issues works! A vague wish about a generalized outcome doesn’t. In this section, author will give us steps to resolve specific problems. Select one communication goal that one is most motivated to achieve. If there are more than one, we can always go back after we’ve made reasonable progress on our first goal.

Consider the feedback we’ve received from others. How does it match up with our own listening? Many people are quick to defend themselves against critical description by attacking the source. “Oh, he just says I’m too loud because he really doesn’t want me in the office anyway!” Often people discredit some excellent feedback this way.

On the other hand, now that we’ve heard a recording of our own voice, some of our biggest problems may seem clear to us. It is not unusual to have a listener in our office who is flabbergasted by his or her own recorded speech. “Good heavens! I can’t even understand me! That’s what they’ve been trying to tell me!” I’ve heard this many times.

CHAPTER 3 - Developing a Dynamic Voice: People easily make the leap from the sound of our voice to the nature of our personality. If we sound a certain way, we are a certain way. For example, “He always sounds so friendly.” Have you noticed how good we usually are in making these judgments? Have we ever wondered how this happens?

A good speaking voice offers variation in the stream of sound. This is the feature that communicates our personality.

These variations reinforce meaning and increase the intelligibility of our speech. The amount of change we produce in our speaking appears to reflect the extent of our emotional involvement. The sound of our voice carries our attitudes about what we’re saying and about the persons to whom we are speaking.

CHAPTER 4 - Becoming Well-Spoken: Being well-spoken sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? It puts us in a certain class of people who appear to be polished and verbally competent, fluent, gracious, and proper. We all want to be well-spoken, because we know that (1) we judge people by the way they speak, and (2) we want to make a good impression. To be well-spoken is to be articulate, fluent, and courteous.

Articulate means speaking in a way that is well-formed, clear, and sounds like we mean what we say. It also implies an extensive vocabulary that’s appropriate to the situation. The words people use carry information about their intelligence, socioeconomic background, and educational level. The specificity of our vocabulary reveals the distinctions our mind is capable of making. This is why a vocabulary test is a part of almost every intelligence test and why we care about it so much. Fluent means having words come to us easily and flow effortlessly. There are few extraneous words, sounds, or comments (e.g. ahhh, okay, ya know) that get in the way of straightforward communication. We sense that thought has preceded speaking. Sentences are also well-shaped to easily convey meaning and a consideration of the person being spoken to and a respect for the time of all concerned.

CHAPTER 5 - Unifying Your Verbal and Nonverbal Messages: “I told you I love you,” he says, his face buried in the newspaper and his voice absolutely flat. This is what is known as a mixed message, and we don’t know what to believe. We probably want to believe the words—the content of the message—but somehow it is just not ringing true.

People read each other in rather complex ways, and we use more than just words to figure out meaning. As it happens, what somebody says—the actual words—carries only a small component of the emotional information, while tone of voice accounts for much more of the impact. But the nonverbal parts, the physical part of facial expression and body language, are registered even more powerfully and can take command of the message. This is how we work our way through sarcasm, noting the difference between tone of voice and the words. And if we’re still not sure, we look at the speaker for more information.

CHAPTER 6 - Let’s Talk Business: Dealing with the public on behalf of a business requires us to conduct our self in a way that reflects our personal identification with our occupation. We need to understand what being professional means and how we can communicate it. The three aspects of work behavior that will be considered important to our professionalism are our expertise, our attitudes and standards, and our communication skills. Performance reviews always consider communication skills.

Expertise-This word describes what you know or do that has (monetary) value to others. When you “know your stuff,” what is the stuff you know? Your stuff may be old or cutting-edge. It may be traditional and well-understood (dentist), or technical (computer architect), or vague (administrative assistant).

WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE