Communicate98_Jun22

COMMUNICATE 98 Communicate. Collaborate. Celebrate.

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DISTRICT 98

Change MAY & JUNE 2022

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INDEX

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District Director's Address District Public Relations Manager's Address Incoming District Teams District Speech Contest Winners

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Champion's Perspective

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Contest & Trivia Winners

16

Member Achievements

DISTRICT 98

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

DISTRICT 98

Winds of Change

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.

- Charles Darwin As much as we avoid, change is inevitable. In a VUCA world, which is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous - we are seeing unprecedented changes. Our organization, Toastmasters International, is not an exception for the same. At the midnight ot June 30, 2022, we will have 2 new districts (D126, D125) and a bifurcated district (D98) emerge with a lot of changes. A new leadership team, new energy, new culture will be set, a lot of changes.

But, as we go through these changes, remember that as club members your experience, as with any change, will become better. More focus and attention will be given for your growth. The key foundational values of Toastmasters - Integrity, Respect, Service, Excellence - will be the same.

Everything else will be built at the heart of these values. Let us embrace the new beginnings in these winds of change.

COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2021

Dr. Nishant S Mehta, DTM Chief Editor, Communicate 98

DISTRICT DIRECTOR'S ADDRESS DISTRICT 98

Build Windmills ……..

We often hear the age old adage, “Change is the only constant’. This is a reality. But the way we accept ‘change’ depends on our perspective and attitude. Do we look at it as a good thing, a challenge, something that will help us grow and get better? Or do we see ‘change’ as a hindrance, an impediment, something to be afraid of and avoid?

When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills - Chinese Proverb

What do you do?

Remember, the winds of change blow continuously. Sometimes we aren’t even aware of it because the changes are so gentle, so minute. But when changes are big enough to disturb us, make us uncomfortable, we resist change. We don’t know how to deal with the uncertainly and ask ourselves, ‘How will I cope with it? Will I fail, succeed, will I be able to adapt?

So many questions, so many doubts! Don’t build walls …… instead, build windmills!

‘Change’ has never ruffled me. I accept it as a part of life, as an experience which I can embrace or let go. Sometimes I have had no choice….. like during the 17 times I’ve had to change houses or cities. Every time I moved, it gave me an opportunity to explore a new world, enjoy new people, taste new cuisines, learn new skills and even get creative.

If at times, the change made me uncomfortable, like when I moved to Saudi Arabia for the first time, I worked even harder to adjust to the change, till I could accept it and learn to enjoy and love it. I chose to build windmills instead of walls. This attitude has always held me in good stead.

So next week, when we as a large District 98, split into 3 Districts, there will be change. We will have new leaders, new visions and new goals. We will need to build a new momentum and motivate ourselves to achieve bigger and better things. So let’s embrace and celebrate the change.

As we end the 2021-2022 Toastmasters year, I wish you all an exciting and enriching journey ahead. As Abraham Maslow said, 'In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety'. The choice is yours. What will you do?

Mukta Nadkar, DTM District Director

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COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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DISTRICT PUBLIC RELATION MANAGER'S ADDRESS

DISTRICT 98

Moving ahead with passion and pride Change is the only constant, and the only way forward is to make peace with what’s left behind.

As we come to an end to our respective terms as district officers, this gives me a unique perspective to look back on the year that was, the support we provided, and the impact we could create. Even though our term was entirely online (with a few opportunities to network in person during the District Officers Training Programs), I’ve never felt closer to the Toastmasters community.

This year taught me the importance of human relationships and the power of collaboration. I can’t take sole credit for any of the accomplishments, because they were not my own, but of the team. And I feel grateful to have had the support of our fantastic Creative Managers Abilash and Rupali, our brilliant Social Media Managers Furqan and Muskan, our very able Chief Editor Nishant and all the Communicate98 designers and content managers. The success of the DPRM office in 2021-22 is all because of your selfless, untiring and dedicated service.

This year also taught me the importance of service to the end member in the simplest of ways which creates the most impact. Be it the design starter kit for new VP PRs, or the contest and event calendars, or the PR Masterclass aimed to encourage continuous learning, or the reels competition on Instagram, and the handy tips shared on LinkedIn – we hope these ideas helped the end members.

Lastly, I marvel at the openness and flexibility of our clubs and leaders who embraced and complied with the branding guidelines all through the year. It was a pleasure to see continuous refinement all through the year, and some fantastic new and confident designers, social media managers, and newsletter editors coming to the forefront, ensuring the upcoming District teams would have no dearth in finding talented Toastmasters for their teams.

Our vision this year was to empower members, expand awareness, and enable the marketing ambition of our District. We hope that we did justice to it and to you. We wish you all a very successful upcoming Toastmasters year.

Signing off,

Smita Mishra, DTM DPRM, District 98

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COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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06 DISTRICT DIRECTOR, DISTRICT 98 DISTRICT 98

A Tale of an Elliptical Machine Unless you don’t face an obstacle in life, you will never know what you are capable of.

Exercise and eating healthy is a way to keep your physical and emotional health in check. Weight training has helped me to increase my stamina and mobility. It has made me disciplined and helps me to push myself everyday. The small changes and victories boosted my confidence many folds. It helped me to gain confidence and become more conscious of my health.

A month back, I went to an orthopaedic surgeon as my right knee was paining and my foot, swelling. The doctor told me to rest for a few days and advised not to use the stairs. I was scared that I will be asked to quit gym and probably just walk on grass for the rest of my life. To my surprise, he told me to quit the treadmill and squats as it puts more pressure on the knee. He suggested that I can cycle, do the rest of the exercises, and use 'Elliptical Machine' as a replacement. Elliptical Machine? I hate that thing!! I have never been a fan of Elliptical machine as I always found it tough.

I went to the gym after resting for a few days and spoke to my trainer. He was all cool about the whole thing and sounded as if nothing had happened. I couldn’t believe that instead of empathising with me and my situation, he was focused on my workout. He asked me to use Elliptical machine for 20 minutes.

Imagine my state of mind. First, I hate this machine and literally don’t want to use it and then no empathy from my trainer. I kept thinking that my trainer could have been nice to me and asked me use the machine for just 10 minutes instead of 20. Well, I used the machine for 15 minutes and I was out of breath.

Then the next day when I went to the gym, the target was again 20 minutes. This time I was able to complete 20 minutes. It’s been 3 weeks now and I have been using the Elliptical machine every day for 20 minutes and I have now started enjoying it. Is it easy everyday – No, but its not as tough as it was on Day 1.

What changed in 3 weeks that something that I despised the most, is now my most enjoyable activity before I get into my weight training?

In the last 1.5 years, I have realised that I have a lot of mental blocks. These blocks don’t let me move ahead and see my full potential. I hated gym, I hated treadmill, I feared running on a treadmill as I feared I will fall. One day, without any mental preparation, I just started doing these things which I feared or hated.

When I realised that nothing wrong has happened to me, I started enjoying these activities. This is exactly how I have lived my life as a child – be it swimming, cycling, skating – I just tried, and I got better at it. I got hurt, but the victory was let me forget all that.

Forget what the world will say about us, we ourselves say so much to us, which blocks our creativity and the zeal to push ourselves forward. We tell ourselves - this thing is tough, I won’t be able to do it. I can’t be a leader; I don’t know how to work with people. I am scared to talk in front of people, they will make fun of me. This is all true. But if we will keep looking at what we cannot do, then, when will we start looking at what we can actually do, learn and grow in our lives.

In a firm that I worked a few years ago, I learned that one must focus on their strengths. When you strengthen your strengths, your weaknesses don’t have a place in your life. I have faced my roadblocks in my life and every one of them has helped me to build myself into a person that I am today. Am I proud of myself - OFCOURSE! I love this Sapna who is challenging herself every day and celebrating her small wins.

Then what is stopping you from spreading your wings?

I am glad my trainer didn’t give me an empathy shoulder, because he knew that I could make it happen. He is still my trainer and gives me targets which help me to push myself every day. I make it worth my time. Are you making it worth it, for yourself?

Sapna Ohri, DTM District Director, District 98

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COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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DISTRICT DIRECTOR, DISTRICT 125 DISTRICT 98

Learn, Share & Grow Together Firstly, I would like to thank each member to keep their trust in me and electing me as District Director for our new District D125. It is an honour and privilege to serve the district.

As I mentioned in my election speech, a voluntary organization succeeds when its members create stronger bonds, they impact and motivate each other, and they work on the goals together.

For creating stronger bonds, we need open and inclusive culture which is going to be District’s prime goal this year. To lead with transparency and respect is the first step.

To impact and motivate each other - I would request each member to help your fellow TM by taking mentor, ExCom or other role and opportunity where you can contribute and share what you have learnt about public speaking & Leadership. It will only help you learn faster and become better at it.

Which leads to the final point to working on goals together. As you know in Toastmasters there is no concept of ‘Teacher-student’ so all learning happens with practise along with other fellow TMs. So being regular in your meetings, taking different roles and sharing what we learn – we all can grow together. If we make goals at club, area, Division and District together and ensure they all are tied in single thread, we can do wonders.

To put all of this in one line - ‘Learn, Share & Grow Together’.

Seema Rani, DTM District Director, District 125

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COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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DISTRICT DIRECTOR, DISTRICT 126 DISTRICT 98

The vision of 126 ...

Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end.

- Seneca Every new beginning gives us an opportunity to write a new story but before one begins to write the story, it is important to begin with a clear intent and vision.

The vision on which we are laying the foundation of D126 has three foundational principles to accelerate, to build and to cultivate, each one of these principles align with the vision, mission and values of Toastmasters International.

To accelerate the growth of the district this year, we want to reach out to every major city and town and have digital footprints to create awareness and reach out to as many people as possible, so they too can benefit from the Toastmasters program. There are many unexplored regions in the new district which we intend to explore in order to accelerate with growth in the coming years and we want to do this up systematically.

Bonding within the clubs and members is one of the key success factors for membership experience and district success. This year we intend to lay special emphases to build fellowship within clubs so that members can get the best possible learning experience by interacting and engaging with peer clubs.

This will also help the new and struggling clubs to learn from the rich experience of the senior members and experienced clubs leading to organic knowledge sharing and standardization of club operations across the district.

We have always had a culture of respect and family in our cluster and as a new district we want to cultivate this culture of harmony and oneness.

Giving speeches, completing levels, wining awards and taking leadership roles are the basics; real learning happens when we learn, how to deal with different people, inspire and lead them; when we begin to respect others the way they are. We want to create a District where leaders believe in respect and service and not show-off.

We want to build a district where members believe in having Integrity and personal excellence, where we see individuals as people and not positions.

Joy B Hans, DTM District Director, District 126

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COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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CHAMPION'S PERSPECTIVES A Tete a tete with the District 98 International Speech Contest First Place Winner, TM Santosh Akella.

How does it feel to be the district Champion of the International Speech Contest and represent D98 at the Regional Semi-finals?

I would say it is a great feeling. All the learning that I accumulated in my 4-5 years of Toastmasters journey, has come to fruition. But the best is yet to come.

Who inspired you to participate in speech contests?

DISTRICT 98

- Covered By Madhuri Vadari

Coming to the style, pathway speeches are very helpful in learning to control your nerves and make your delivery look more natural. The bottom line is to strike a balance between preparedness and instantaneousness.

When you are writing a Speech what comes first, the message you want to convey or the stories you want to tell?

When I Joined Toastmasters I thought contests are not for me. My focus was more on completing projects. In August of 2017, I got an opportunity to interview Mr. Aditya Maheshwaran, one of the finalists at the World championship of Public Speaking. The way he spoke, the way he curated everything and shared his journey was so inspiring that I went ahead to contest and reached upto the area level. And from then on, I have contested every year.

Sometimes it is both. There were times when I wrote the story first because I had an experience and then there were times when I had the topic or the message and I thought let me reflect on it and write a speech.

However, what will take you far in your ISC journey are real stories spoken with conviction

Every year you take part in all the four Contests, does it not affect your focus and preparation for each contest?

There is no fixed formula as such. Writing a single story is difficult for me. So typically, I have been using 2 to 3 stories to convey my message. I would definitely like to experiment with a single story like World Champion Aaron Beverly has done.

I would say it would take a toll depending on what kind of a learner you are. I make it a point to take part in all the four contests, every year. And this has worked well for me. For instance, even in an International speech, you would require some humorous elements and a humorous speech, requires a message. And as you prepare for the evaluation contest your analytical skills will help you write a better speech.

And irrespective of whether it is a Humorous speech, Table topics, Evaluation speech or an international speech, the opening, the body and the conclusion is going to stay the same at the foundational level. So, my idea is always to focus on these foundational elements.

What do you think is more important while preparing for International Speech Contest, the style or the content?

The most important thing is the content or the story.

You may not have a life changing story but simple incidents such as a minor mispronunciation of a word or being empathetic when you get a call for a credit card salesman, when projected with the right emotions become powerful as they connect with the audience.

Is there any fixed formula while writing your speech or do you try to experiment?

Who has mentored you in your ISC journey?

There is something to learn from everyone. So I have multiple mentors, each for a specific area, one for content, one for delivery, one for structuring the speech and so on. For the Regional Semi-finals I need to dust out the old speech and ensure that the message, the story and the choice of words is global.

How did participating in contests help you in your work and life?

Participating in contests has helped me become more vulnerable, in the sense that, I openly admit to my shortcomings and acknowledge that I am working on them. Secondly, I have also developed a healthy sense of humour. And finally, after being judged so many contests, I no longer fear being judged.

Santosh Akella, DTM

Winner, International Speech Contest

COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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CHAMPION'S PERSPECTIVES In Conversation with D98 Table Topics Champion DTM Avinash Singh.

DISTRICT 98

- Covered By Madhuri Vadari

D98 Humorous Speech Champion, 2020 and now the Table topics champion in 2022 was your focus solely on the Table Topics Contest?

No, I participated in all 4 contests, but unfortunately, the contests were online and I was struggling with my connection at home. What I did differently for the ISC and Table Topics Contest was I got a good internet connection. That was the game-changer for me.

Though I came 2nd at ISC, in the Table topics contest I was able to go all the way to be the winner.

Do you have a technique for table topics, especially when you are preparing for a contest?

I watched a lot of people speak and derived my own technique which is – listen to the topic, cite your opinion on it, and derive a message from it so that the audience has a takeway from your speech. I had the privilege of listening to TM Subramaniam who had won the Table Topics Contest in 2018. I learnt from him that embellishing the speech by adding stories, incidents or anecdotes from your life and connecting those moments to different emotions like love and courage creates great impact on the audience.

So create a repository of such stories and incidents and when you listen to the topic, one incident stands out and all you have to do is share that. This technique has helped me a lot.

How did your Mentors support you in your journey?

My preparation began right back in 2020 when the pandemic struck. I connected on zoom with four of my mentees , where we used to give table topics to each other followed by feedback. This reverse mentoring went on for a span of 6 months in which I conducted 60 zoom meetings for practice. I participated in the impromptu leagues that were conducted by many clubs and also found mentors in friends like Sanish, Ramanand and Ashwin whose feedback helped me reach the Division level in 2020, District Semifinals in 2021 and finally got the coveted Table topics trophy.

How has the preparation and your contest journey impacted your work and life?

As a learning and development professional, coaching people on capability building and skill development I used to take workshops. What changed was that the impromptu part of my job became much more sharper and impactful I m now able to convey the gist of the whole session or a message in 2 minutes. I have so many stories right now that If I m given 20- 30 minutes to deliver a particular message in a keynote speech, I can give it off the cuff because of all practice that I have had.

After HSC and TTC, what are you aiming at next?

I stood 2nd at the division level ISC for the third time. I would like to Break that barrier. I joined Toastmasters after watching Dhananjaya Hietterachi delivering his speech at the World championship of public speaking and I thought that is where I have to be. It is taking time but I believe in competition, not just in terms of competing with others but in terms of challenging myself to be better than what I was last year.

What message would you like to give to new Aspirants?

Aim to give your best. At any stage in a competition, either you lose or you are beaten. You lose when you have not prepared enough but you are beaten by someone who is better than you. And when you are beaten you are internally a winner.

Avinash Singh, DTM

Winner, Table Topics Contest

COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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CHAMPION'S PERSPECTIVES An insightful chat with the TM Garvit Sharma, the District 98 Humorous Speech Champion.

DISTRICT 98

- Covered By Madhuri Vadari

How does it feel to be the Humorous Speech Contest Champion?

What motivated you to keep pushing yourself and participate in the contest, year after year?

Its Absolutely unreal. I am still pinching myself to believe it. Its beyond what I dreamt in this journey.

Pathway speeches are very different form contest speeches. I love the competition. I really enjoy delivering the message in my speech. I love the butterflies in my stomach just before I deliver my speech. I compete for that feeling. I was actually so nervous at the district finals that I was glad I was the first speaker. They say if you practice a lot there would be no nervousness, but its not so in my case. No matter how much I practice I feel the butterflies, but the nervousness vanishes in the first 15 seconds into my speech.

Your Speech at the contest had all the elements of an ISC speech with added humour, was it a deliberate move?

In Toastmasters, one thing I learnt is, it doesn’t matter which contest you are participating in, what matters is the Speech value. When you look at the Humorous speech contest ballot, humour constitutes only 20 marks, the remaining 80 marks is about the structure and the delivery. The funniest speeches sometimes do not win. So, when I started writing the speech the focus was more on structuring the speech and delivering speech value.

My basic style is humorous, light at heart and strong at message. Humour is as natural to me as Rafael Nadal on a clay court. So, I deliberately focussed on the message “competition is the killer of joy” and then thought of stories to bring in the humour element.

Do you write your story first and then add humour?

Though I have always looked at things in a lighter vein, I believe in having a purpose in my speech. Then I think whether a funny story fits into this purpose and once it starts to fit in, I see if I can make it funnier.

But again, no compromising the speech value. My mantra is Purpose, story and then fun.

For those who do not have a humorous vein, how do you suggest they inject humour into their speech?

My first suggestion is starting your preparation well in advance. If you want to give a humorous speech and you are not comfortable in it, search for a good mentor. You may not be funny in delivery but you can try to be funny when you are writing a speech.

Remember, people are not going to laugh for the whole of seven minutes. There are going to be only some instances where they are going to laugh. So, work on those instances when you are structuring your speech. Then get your speech reviewed. A good mentor would give you honest opinion and act as a director with you as the actor. And lastly, Practice, Practice and Practice.

Was there a reason behind delivering your speech sitting down?

The main reason was that I do not trust the Bluetooth technology so much. If I stand up and move around the wire might get disconnected from my system. My mentor and others told me I should stand up and deliver, but I insisted on sitting down because I wanted to show people my facial expressions, my hand gestures and that was safer using my headset.

What are your contest goals for 2022 – 23?

I want to participate in all the contests, even in Humorous Speech Contest. As the contest was online, I missed the audience reactions, the feeling of performing on stage and the atmosphere around you when you win. I want to compete not for trophies or recognition but because I like to do it and I want to beat the Garvit of last year.

TM Garvit Sharma

Winner, Humorous Speech Contest

COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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CHAMPION'S PERSPECTIVES Meet the District 98 Evaluation speech Contest

DISTRICT 98

Champion, TM Sharon What motivated you to participate in ESC? One of my core purposes in life is to add value to people around me. This can be done only if I have the skill to critically analyse their life situation or work, and if I am able to share sound actional feedback to them. More importantly, it should encourage and inspire them, and not dissuade them. Toastmasters evaluation, I believe, is a brilliant way to learn and practice this skill. I signed up for ESC to understand if I am applying what I have learned. While I won at the District level, I do believe I have a lot more to learn.

Could you explain the techniques that you used to prepare for your evaluation speech contest?

I will be honest – I did not practice too much during the contest season. I did not evaluate too many speeches in many clubs. What I did do first, is spend time reflecting on each of my past speech evaluations. I have a habit of going back and listening to recordings of speeches I evaluated, and seeing if I missed a highlight or gap somewhere in the speech or if I could have presented my points in better fashion.

Secondly, over the past two years, I have built a personal practice of actively listening to what other evaluators are recommending. Each time a recommendation stands out to me, I make a mental note about it and reflect on it even after the meeting is over. Both these practices have helped me in my victory, but they were not done with the specific intention of winning contests; they were so that I could be a better speech evaluator in Toastmasters and a solid feedback- giver in general.

Many speakers fall into a trap called ‘nervousness’.

How did you manage that obstacle?”

- Covered By Madhuri Vadari How different is evaluating a pathway project from an evaluation contest speech?

I honestly don’t differentiate. I try to give my best irrespective of who or where I am evaluating. The goal is always to add value to my speaker.

What are your quick three tips for our fellow toastmasters to master their skills as an evaluator ?

1. Always focus on the speaker and on how to help THEM do a better job the next time. Don’t focus on sounding smart and sophisticated to the audience or judges listening to you.

2. Do not over-compliment the speech or go on a mistake-finding mission in the speech. Find a balance!

3. If you observe an area of improvement, make sure to add how you think they can make that improvement the next time they speak.

Any insights you would like to share about selfimprovement and achieving success?

I will just quote from the Hindi movie 3 Idiots – Don’t run behind success. Run behind excellence. Then success will come running to you.

I am learning to apply this in all spheres of my life. I hope it helps the readers of Communicate too

TM Sharon Rachel Manu

Winner, Evaluation Speech Contest

Let me break it into two.

Nervousness to evaluate: I have been there – evaluation used to make me shiver initially. Haha! But my mentor helped me understand that the speech evaluation is between the speaker and me, and not for anyone else. I should not worry about anybody else. Also, a speech evaluation is just sharing my personal opinion about another person’s speech.

There is no right or wrong evaluation – it’s just your perspective! Once these two points became clear to me, my nervousness began slipping away.

Nervousness to present the evaluation to an audience: Only practice can help. Just show up each time and keep at it!

COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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Contest & Trivia Winners

DISTRICT 98

Contest Winners Trivia Winners Mayuri Assudani Akshay Singh Jyoti Bhat Bhumi Panjwani

Akshay Singh Mayuri Assudani Jyoti Bhat

Design of the Month

COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS

DISTRICT 98

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTERS Congratulations on your persistent and tenacious efforts to achieve the highest accomplishment in Toastmasters!

Shweta Saraf

RISE Toastmasters Club

TRIPLE CROWN AWARDEES Congratulations on achieving three (or more) educational levels in the year.

Ankit Satanekar Arshad K A Aruna Vasudeo Balbir Singh Maan Chakradhar Dixit Deeksha khurana Gouri Dixit Jamie Suresh Kumar Jayanti Shah Jayesh Kaushik Juhi Sinha Kailas Thakare Krishnaprasad Lohitha Nimma Mitali Kolhe Nisha Bhojwani Noshi Tiwari

Omkara G. Cheetrala Peethambaran Nair Prabhakar Mendhe Prasanta K. Giri Pushkar Inamdar Ravinder Kumar Renu Mittal Roma Tripathi Shalini Singh Sheshang Ajwalia Sivasankara Syam Smitha Shivakumar Sudarshan Seshadri Surabhi Talwad Venkat Sai Venkata Harish Kashibolta

COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

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MEET THE TEAM PR MANAGER

Smita Mishra, DTM

DISTRICT 98

CHIEF EDITOR

Nishant Mehta, DTM

CONTENT MANAGERS

Meenal Bale

Madhuri Vadari Venkatraman B

Vinod Basalalli

DESIGNER

Khushi Nigam

Tanisha Singh COMMUNICATE 98 | MAY & JUNE 2022

Neha Verma