


DistrictDirector SapnaOhri,DTM
ProgramQualityDirector HardikShah
ClubGrowthDirector AnkitDasgupta,DTM
DistrictPublicRelationsManager NehaBhatt,DTM
ImmediatePastDistrictDirector MuktaNadkar,DTM
DistrictParliamentarian ArvindNair,DTM
DistrictAdministrationManager SunitaVinod DistrictLogisticsManager VishalGarg
DistrictFinanceManager Dr.NishantSMehta,DTM
AreaDirectorA1 PushkarInamdar
AreaDirectorA2 YogeshKantak
AreaDirectorA3 HarshitKhandelwal
AreaDirectorA4 AkritiJain
AreaDirectorC1 NikitaDaswani
AreaDirectorC2 ShrishtyAgarwal
AreaDirectorC3 TarunGoyal
AreaDirectorC4 BhavinRajendran
AreaDirectorJ1 VikashJha
AreaDirectorJ2 PravinaBharija
AreaDirectorJ3 MeghanaMehta
AreaDirectorJ4 RudreshDixit
AreaDirectorS1 RaunaqRaje
AreaDirectorS2 KrutikaWani
AreaDirectorS3 ParvathyMS
AreaDirectorS4 ShailendraSoni
AreaDirectorB1 LawrenceMohan
AreaDirectorB2 PreranaGaurisaria
AreaDirectorB3 RanganathanRamani
AreaDirectorB4 JyotTalreja
AreaDirectorD1 AvanyaTiwari
AreaDirectorD2 MayurKotak
AreaDirectorD3 VaibhavJadhav
AreaDirectorD4 PriyaRathore
AreaDirectorM1 SangitaMishra,DTM
AreaDirectorM2 RajendraPatil
AreaDirectorM3 GauravKarnik
AreaDirectorM4 AnandAshok
AreaDirectorU1 AashnaBhimani
AreaDirectorU2 RavindraA.,DTM
AreaDirectorU3 AneeshRamachandran
AreaDirectorU4 SanjivSrinivasan
The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”
-Steve JobsAs the Chief Editor of Communicate 98 District 98 Newsletter, it’s another new beginning in my leadership journey in District 98 Last year I served the District as an Area Director. Every leadership role I took be it Vice President Education, Vice President Public Relations or President of the club; was a new beginning at some point and arrived with different challenges which required other solutions
I joined Toastmasters in 2014 in Melbourne Australia After serving as Vice President of Education at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Toastmasters Club (RMIT). I took a break of 5 years and resumed with the Goregaon Speakers Community Toastmasters club in 2019
Toastmasters gave me opportunities to lead and identify my qualities as a leader. It helped me become more confident and relaxed in front of an audience Mastering this fear of public speaking was an ego booster and it also helped me in my profession as an Entrepreneur and a YouTube Content Creator.
‘Train the Brain’ is close to my heart, not just because this is the first issue of the year but also for the inspiring cover story "CORPORATE COALITION WITH TOASTMASTERS " You will enjoy a glimpse at the PQD trails and CGD surprises for this quarter. Don’t miss "BREAKFAST FROM CHAMPION" which is about how to win the contest
Do let us know what you would like to read in Communicate 98 We look forward to your feedback at Newsletterteam@distric
Intentional Action combining thoughts and feeling with action is the bread and butter to Train Your B
Enjoy reading!
Webster's dictionary defines skill as “the ability to use one ’ s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance.”
We all have been made to believe and think that speaking, writing, reading, and listening are natural gifts. However, Toastmasters breaks this myth. Toastmasters provides you with an experiential learning platform, where you learn these skills by watching others and doing it yourself
I joined Toastmasters in 2011 I was enjoying the journey of delivering and redelivering speeches, taking up meeting roles and contesting By this time, I had understood my style of communicating Conversational communication. I write the same way as if I am speaking to someone easy to understand and relate too
In 2017, I was sitting with an acquaintance in a coffee shop I had a sudden realisation that I was observing everything that he was talking about including his body language and eye contact. I could count the fillers in his speech and observe nervousness in his body language and eye contact This was strange to me for the first time. It happened again with a friend and just because I was comfortable giving feedback, I did tell him that he used “All right” as a filler in his conversations It will be good if he is conscious of it and avoids using it On a lighter note, he asked me not to observe his speech anymore and on a serious note, I started realising how I have unconsciously picked up the skills of listening, observing, speaking, and writing in Toastmasters
In 2018, I appeared for the IELTS exam and met a few people who had appeared in the test to know their experience Most of them told me that the test is tough and that I should sign up for coaching to get a good band. The classes were expensive I decided to prepare on my own through an online website I trusted the learning and skills that I had developed in Toastmasters and prepared on my own. I scored a band of 8.
In 2020, I attended a teacher’s training program during covid times. They taught the concept of “Mental Brainstorming”. After going through the session, I told my trainer that we have “Table Topics” in Toastmasters, which helps one to think on their feet, gather thoughts in their mind, create a story and share the same with the audience through a 1 2 minute speech.
Toastmasters is one platform that provides a plethora of opportunities where one can develop these skills over a period. What it requires from you are your time and patience It gives you an environment where feedback is provided on a timely basis to help you to learn about your strengths and work on areas of improvement And we take the process of giving and receiving feedback seriously.
Toastmasters is the last place where you will be 'judged' We do not judge We evaluate! That's where the distinction lies. Here, you come as your raw self, talking about yourself, your priority list, and your surroundings without the fear of being judged. We always provide constructive criticism that is needed only to shape your journey To hone your skills, work on your attributes and make yourself a better person.
Perseverance is the key, patience is the spell The key to cracking the psychological barriers of psycholinguistics in the field of communication lies in effective communication Talk, express, and emote the way you are Be proud of yourself.
In the wise words of Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones, "Never forget who you are, for surely the world will not Make it your strength Then it can never be your weakness Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."
Unity in diversity | Excellence in variety | D98 is best example of that, Corporate, Community and College clubs together
When we asked Toastmasters about the most vital competency while leading in any domain. They gave first priority to decision making then Problem Solving and Planning.
According to a survey, most of the Toastmasters check their phones to fill the uncomfortable silence during gatherings while some of them prefer to engage themselves in small talk. Only a few Toastmasters prefer to move out of the room.
According to most of the Toastmasters general purpose for giving speeches was to persuade your audience rather than To entertain your audience or To inform your audience
District 98, operating clubs in the western part of India, organized their very first physical District Officer Training Program (DOTP) for 2022 23, called Tabula Rasa in Mumbai between 1st and 3rd July 2022.
Over these three days, 46 officers from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan attended sessions focused on different competencies including growth, building one ’ s leadership style, how to develop successful strategies and doing effective Public Relations
The event was a combination of activity and case study format to give a practical approach to leadership Knowing one ’ s team better, what it takes to be a better leader and how to lead in challenging situations were a few activities that were covered throughout this three day workshop
As we complete three months in the current program year, I am happy to state that we have made a good start but have a lot of ground to cover We started the year with initiatives like Level Up (train the trainer) and a revamped Power Up to focus on building more trainers within the community This month we have the Evaluation Playground which allowed members to get feedback from experienced Toastmasters just before the commencement of the contest season We also have kick started the third edition of Gurukul. And we still have 9 months to go. Please do look forward to a revitalized Area Conference and some new initiatives lined up for the later part of the program year.
Toastmasters Leadership Training Program (TLTP) is an important part of the Toastmasters calendar, held first at the beginning of the Toastmasters academic year and again after 6 months. The fact that it is held at the beginning of the term itself speaks about the importance given to it For the beneficiaries who are club officers, it throws up the role perspectives in ways they would not have thought of, being new to the role On the other hand, it offers the trainers, who are experienced, another opportunity for a new training & in the process a fresh learning experience with a new bunch of leaders. This year TLTP offered insights to executive committee & non executive committee on leadership roles, Club Success Plan (CSP), Distinguished Club Program (DCP), Hall of Fame (HoF) and GEMS all of which emphasized the importance Toastmasters gives to leadership, apart from communication.
We are happy to inform you that we have chartered 4 new clubs and have submitted Charter papers of 2 more clubs. We have held 5 physical demo meetings and have had 10 initial discussion meetings WITE, YOHT TMC, ZCP MCTC, and APA TMC are newly formed clubs
The Offline demo meeting with 40+ people (in each location) was conducted in parallel across the Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore locations of Johnson Control The organization intends to have a club in each of the 3 cities.
Division C (Rajasthan) conducted a day’s marketing event during their in person Toastmasters Leadership Training Program. Many guests attended and were inspired to be part of the Toastmasters Community. The event was covered by First India News, one of the prominent news media channels of Rajasthan. Click the link to know more shorturl.at/alFJV
When I was asked to design a poster for the theme of "Back to Basics," I thought it would be easy After all, I'm good at graphic design and have been doing it for years. But, I realised it was pretty tricky.
I decided to use minimalism to create an image that would be legible and meaningful. I am delighted I came up with something chosen as the Poster of the Month!
A picture is worth a thousand words, and when I got the theme "Filmy Management", I was perplexed
A great poster is one that the viewer can instantly relate to So I began my hunt to look for things that are relatable to filmy management. A clicker that shouts action and the REC notification is what came to mind, and that is what I tried to implement in the poster.
Suspense always creates excitement and brings additional members to the meeting I thought of using a postcard for this exciting theme Love Letter to AR Rahman. To create more suspense in our poster, I used ARR instead of Rahman's full name.
As a stamp for a postcard I chose the TMOD photo that made the postcard colourful, and the Toastmasters logo gave the postcard touch I am glad my poster was selected as the Design of the month for District 98
''Toastmasters club is a sandbox environment for all. A positive and supportive place to make mistakes and learn from them. It has helped our people to be more confident''.
Let’s first know about talented DTM Nilesh Karande: Nilesh Karande, DTM is working as Business Relations Manager, Global Digital Vertical, additionally handling communications, marketing, UI/UX of Digital applications, serving as Global Membership chair and regional lead of Careers Network at Worley India. Nilesh has won several award including the prestigious outstanding toastmaster of District 98, the year 2020 21
Now it's time to listen from another experienced Toastmaster Chitra R. Shetty:
Chitra R. Shetty, currently heading Talent Acquisition and Management for the Corporate Team at Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited (Andheri) I carry an experience of more than 22 years in the HR domain, majoring in the pharmaceutical industry
This is the time to explore more about the success stories of different clubs:
Nilesh Karande: The story behind starting Toastmasters Clubs in Worley?
Worley values people’s learning and continuous development. Communication and leadership are indispensable skills for consulting firms. Worley had been aspiring to open a toastmaster’s club since 2015 A few of our colleagues also attended meetings at nearby clubs and Mumbai Toastmasters. However, earlier the attempts faded due to a lack of proper support and guidance. In March 2020, Worley formulated Careers Network, an initiative to help people upskill and move up in their Careers One day, my pathway completion email went to my boss, and he forwarded that to L&D, who used to run the network back then They saw a ray of hope and requested me to lead the efforts for Worley’s own Toastmasters club in Oct 2020 Today, I am leading that network globally along with fellow leaders across the world
Head, Talent Acquisition and Management Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Worley today has two successful clubs Worley India Toastmasters Synergy and Worley India Toastmasters Harmony After consistent evaluation and open dialogue by senior leaders with toastmasters for assessing the potential of the toastmasters club, Worley management has now got best in class enrollment and reimbursement program for Toastmasters In pursuit of this excellence and to accommodate more toastmasters, last week, we chartered our third club in the Andheri office, Worley India Toastmasters Energy Toastmasters in eight locations in India join in meeting in hybrid mode. We are WITS
Chitra R. Shetty: The story behind starting Toastmasters Club in Alembic?
Alembic has always believed in nurturing and developing its young talent A good part of our workforce is millennials and Generation Z who are constantly looking at how they can be better versions of themselves
Our philosophy at Alembic has been, “Stay with Alembic, Grow with Alembic” which translates into various means and ways to develop Alembians so that they can contribute better and grow along with the organization. Toastmasters was recommended and initiated by our President Human Resources & Business Support, Mr Chandrahas I Shetty He believed that Toastmasters could be a wonderful way to not just help its members enhance their communication and leadership skills but also to bring members from different functions together and help them know each other better, especially during the pandemic when social interaction was at its all time low. And that’s how the beautiful journey of the Alembic Toastmasters Club began
How do you think Toastmasters club helps employees in developing communication and leadership Skills? Do you observe any leadership quality enhancement in employees due to Toastmasters Club? How is Worley benefiting from these Toastmasters clubs all over India?
''Toastmasters a wonderful way to help its members and enhance their communication and leadership skills.''
Nilesh Karande: Toastmasters club is a sandbox environment for all. A positive and supportive place to make mistakes and learn from them. It has helped our people to be more confident Before joining if they were struggling to put words together in proper syntax, today they are leading the club as President and articulating their deliveries very well. The confidence gained in the club has helped them stand tall and debate well, respectfully, and reasonably.
There are few bosses in our club like office leaders, they share those effective evaluations that have helped them tremendously. He is reaping the benefit of a team that hears and implements his suggestion from him His persuasive skills have improved, and his shyness and presumptions have reduced Some take inspiration from fellow members, and few see it as a place for great cross functional and cross location networking. Someone who never received a trophy in life got motivated to scale newer heights in toastmasters as well as profession. Top leaders praise the positive effect of toastmasters on crucial resources. While operating as club leaders, members learn fine details of leadership and are ready for the next challenge Consistent, practical group learning is the best and unique feature of toastmasters, which is crucial to nurture the skills of communication and leadership.
Chitra R. Shetty: I can vouch for the effectiveness of the club in helping members develop their communication skills. The club has different ways to help even the shyest members to come and speak in a public forum without feeling intimidated. The environment is so created that there is a lot of positive reinforcement and encouragement, which helps them return to the stage for the second and third time. We got to know so many members who we never thought could articulate so well or had such a wonderful sense of humor or a great sense of creativity or whose life journeys we were unaware of Be it the ice breaker speech which helps you break down the barriers or the table topics which help you develop your thinking on the feet ability, the club does wonders for members who show the passion and will to push themselves out of their comfort zones. When you are a part of the executive committee of the Toastmasters Club, you are selected on your ability to push through and get things done rather than just your official role and designation. Our first executive committee was made up of a good mix of members who were at junior, middle, and mid senior levels
Nilesh Karande: I am myself a distinguished toastmaster. I always request members to be consistent in attending meetings
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the organization and at a junior level, but she coordinated and led the group so beautifully and was hugely instrumental in making our Club, a distinguished club within four months of its charter. So, a resounding yes to that question I would like to reiterate that Toastmasters is a wonderful platform for all those who want to push out of their comfort zone and better themselves.
Alembic Toastmasters Club is a great platform for Alembians to meet and know each other better. It offers great visibility to all the members across different functions and levels. It is constantly helping the members think on their feet, think differently, and enhance their communication and leadership skills To summarize, it has been a great addition to our development journey.
Nilesh Karande: We have seen people thanking us for operating a club in house. Whenever we visit the clan, we get energized and motivated to support these ignited minds more and more We have witnessed how professionally the meetings are organized and even in that setting how warm is the environment, necessary for being comfortable and learning We have got an excellent support system in place for Toastmasters club operation
While attending keep stock of your learnings, one should benefit from each meeting. Keep writing speeches and deliver them periodically. Leverage the mentorship available to you We are here to pursue educational excellence. Here are a few tips:
Read more, read frequently, consistently Toastmaster magazine is a great resource
Look at all your project in a pathway and plan your projects in parallel. Plan well for your upskilling Be ready for the next challenge.
Do smart multitasking Always keep acquiring new skills.
Chitra R. Shetty: “Come, and be a part of this beautiful journey which will bring out the best in you, something you may yourselves be unaware of”. Alembic has facilitated such a wonderful platform to help you hone your communication and leadership skills, many Alembians are already making the best use of it. Time for you to assess the current 'you' and make it better!
Have you ever believed that you cannot achieve something but somehow pushed yourself to the extent that you started to believe in yourself?
In the year 2017, as a young single, I landed at Agnel Toastmasters Club in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. The idea was to work on my communication and leadership skills while socializing and making new friends in the new city I was in But soon I found myself in contests I loved being there, competing and experiencing the excitement.
Contests are a way to fail faster and learn better.
I competed for a whole season and lost miserably in the division contest On reflection, I realized, contests are a way to fail faster and learn better I then landed in the blind loop of contest after contest I never believed in myself. But, a couple of seasons later, I made a surprising observation, a realization. With every contest season, I was getting better And slowly, I started believing in myself.
Eventually, I happened to win the District 98 International Speech Contest in May 2022, in addition to being placed second in District 98 Humorous Speech Contest and winning third place in the District 98 Evaluation Speech Contest. Taking inspiration from Peter Theil, the coauthor of the book “Zero to One”, I wish to list down seven things that worked for me. These are not those typical opening, body, conclusion type recommendations or trade secrets These are some long term actions you could take to become a better communicator and trust me winning a contest will be a by product for you
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underplay your strengths and never shy away from accepting your weaknesses. For instance, I know that I have a knack for selecting good stories and the area I need to improve is my pronunciation and language So, I maximized my strengths and optimized my weak areas.
Maximize your strengths and optimize your weak areas.
2 RWLS: Read, Write, Listen, Speak Never underestimate the power of attending club meetings. This is where you do these activities Attend meetings regularly, write your speeches, take up roles like Timer, Ah Counter, and Grammarian and give speeches and evaluations. The amount of learning that happens in a club is insane
Never underestimate the power of club meetings
3 Start recording yourself: I started making YouTube videos and podcasts in 2018 This allowed me to observe my recordings and understand my gaps. For instance,
That way I was focusing more on others This year, I decided I will focus on my performance and give my best Thankfully, that worked.
Focus on your performance
I was taking unnecessary pauses when I was speaking in 2018 I could find this improvement area only from my recordings and I worked on it
4 Learn to filter feedback: Take feedback and then go back to the basics of speech writing. If you feel that it makes sense, apply it, otherwise, ignore it When you are confused about the feedback, experiment in a couple of clubs and take a second opinion Remember, Toastmasters is a laboratory for communication and leadership
Toastmasters is like a laboratory for communication and leadership
5 Prepare – Prepare – Prepare: This is quite obvious. Preparation is the key to success Rehearse your speech well and in real time. Preparation also includes Pathways speeches I have delivered more than 70 prepared speeches under the Toastmasters program and that gave me automaticity in terms of stage presence.
Preparation also includes Pathways speeches
6 Mindset matters: I cannot emphasise this anymore As simple as this may look, truth to be told, mindset is what changed the game for me this year Every year, I usually follow contests from other areas and divisions.
7 Visualize: As philosophical as it may look, visualization helps Visualize performance and not the result Close your eyes and think about how you would dress on the day, what would you speak, and how would you act in those seven minutes As Gandhi says, “Thoughts become actions.” And you will hit the bullseye on stage
Visualize performance and not the result
Rome was not built in a day. No change can happen overnight You must work to get there. I hope these simple steps will help you do great things
Santosh Akella, DTM
Agnel Toastmasters Club
District International Speech Contest Winner (2022)
2nd Place in District Humorous Speech Contest (2022)
3rd Place in District Evaluation Speech Contest (2022)
3rd Place in District International Speech Contest ( 2021)
The most significant challenge that most people confront when developing to train the brain while having a sustainable mindset is that being unethical is the norm. It begins with developing sustainable products, then manufacturing them, instilling in employees the value of sustainability, and ultimately marketing and selling them through sustainable practices. Everywhere they cut costs and have the phrase “Business as Usual” ingrained in their heads. Despite widespread awareness, individuals are hesitant to accept new ways and developments that will lead to a better life and a brighter future tomorrow Here are some starting points.
1. Resolve: Conflicts of interest can develop from anyone and in any environment But when, where, and who is the crucial question for resolving an action? Open communication is required to establish the foundation for a long term strategy To determine one requires a high level of emotional intelligence. A superficial observation and judgement can cause more tension than it solves Individually catering to each issue is the best solution Both individuals or groups must listen and learn to appreciate each other’s points of view to reach a definitive answer that benefits both and, most importantly, the larger good of the planet
2. Practice: Managing the stress of sustainability is difficult, but one learns to handle it with practice and various tries and errors with better results When pressured, one can transform pressure into a passion for the planet (P2P)
Stress is terrible, but passion can help one perform better. When stressed, one can figure out what’s causing it and whether it can be handled or resolved by implementing various approaches Most of the time, guilt is the source of stress. The idea is to decide that executing a few solutions is more valuable than not developing any sustainable solutions. Every drop of water in the river creates a unique ocean.
3. Balance: Balance is a vital success factor for sustainability Trust and control are two sides of a balance for a #Sustainable Mindset. For a proper function, it must be in equal parts Even if you apply subjective measurements to sustainability, it is either teamwork or solutions for client's projects One must trust them to allow them freedom and independence while maintaining control and not lose sight of the ultimate objective. Control does not have to be complicated or punishable but can be employed with genuine effort and commitment
4. Prioritizes: Prioritizing is complex; each agenda for sustainability is unique. A solution or plan of action that is critical for one person is not necessary for another When considering many goals, such as the SDGs, we must develop a list using the SWOT analysis chart, where the different columns highlight the priorities necessary Using a combination of options and assessing the advantages and drawbacks can frequently result in a flow of action and solutions that will be beneficial.
Lessons learned from failure are what make a person or project resilient Resilience is essential to a successful person, team, or enterprise We must learn from nature, and #biomimicry is a fantastic example of building resilience toward a sustainable mindset. Resilience gives you the grit and mindset to accept defeat and keep going forward If nature can build a sustainable mindset, why can’t we humans develop a sustainable mindset?
5. Failure: Failure is always viewed negatively and as a setback. However, if one examines many success stories in sustainability, one will see that these triumphs were not reached on the first try but after multiple attempts It is up to the individual to decide how to take the many shots; some take it as their final step and let go to find something new. On the other hand, others take it in stride, viewing each failure as a new learning curve or experience that propels them toward better options Setbacks are excellent because they provide various options for getting us back on track. In addition, setbacks can assist you in resolving your priorities and vowing to balance by practising (Passion2Planet) to accomplish your ultimate goal of a sustainability mindset.
Multifaceted,awardwinningEcodesigner Designentrepreneur@AkilgeethEcoInnovation.
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