The Toast October 2010 by Simone Petersib

Manatee County County Administrator’s Office

The Toast

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Lights, Camera, Action! Toastmasters Fashion Show @ Chef Sean’s Toastmasters District 47, Division F, Area 61 Club #1197988 Power Speakers of MCG 1

October 2010 Letter from Message from the the VP of PR Vice President of Public Relations September ReDistrict Events wind Confessions of a AndPublic muchSpeaker more,.. A Question of Manners September Rewind And much more...

Manatee County County Administrator’s Office

Letter from the Vice President of Public Relations Have you visited us on the web lately? We have made updates to our website. Check out videos to see how Toastmasters have helped others and how it could help you. Minutes, club membership and other info has been updated as well. We also have a club e-mail address, toastmasters@ mymanatee.org.

Setting and Achieving Your Goals

Members, we have 8 months before the deadline to reach the club’s goal of being a President’s Distinguished Club. Although this is a club goal, we all need to have a personal goal in mind. Take a moment to think about what you would like to accomplish between now and June 30, 2011. Do you want to complete your Competent Communicator (CC) and Competent Leadership (CL) manuals? Or do you just want to move, one manual at a time? Have you completed your CC and looking to challenge your speaking skills by aiming for the Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS) , Bronze (ACB) or even Gold (ACG)? Or perhaps you’re trying to work on your Advanced Leadership Bronze (ALB) or Silver (ALS)? For those who stick with Toastmasters long enough, perhaps you’re looking to become a Distinguished Toastmaster. Whatever your goal, you need to plan and prepare if you want to reach your goal by June 30, 2011. If you are still in need of manuals, talk to the Vice President of Membership (Rossina Leider) and/or the Treasurer (Deborah Carey-Reed) to verify your mailing information is correct. Although there are 8 months in between the deadline, begin aggressively tackling your goal now. There are only 40 Fridays left to complete speeches and roles. That’s not counting holidays. Vacations, sick days, etc. always creep up on us when we don’t expect it. So plan accordingly. It’s our mission to have everyone reach their goals. If you haven’t done so already, let the Vice President of Education (Mary Moeller) know of your goal. That way she can keep you in mind when developing the schedule. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, visit us on the web or email us at toastmasters@mymanatee.org.

Simone Pet erson

CC= Competiet Communicator Have any questions about Toastmasters? E-mail us: toastmasters@ mymanatee.org

Power Speakers of Manatee County Government Toastmasters application

Remember if it’s not fun, it’s not Toastmasters!

Simone Peterson, CC 1112 Manatee Avenue West Bradenton, Florida 34205 941.749.3029 x6929

October 2010 Issue

Manatee County County Administrator’s Office

Toastmasters Mission Statement

The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.

Member Profile Phyllis Strong 1. How long have you worked for Manatee County Government? Since January 30, 1989

2. Title and department?

Development Services Supervisor, Planning Department

3. How long have you been a member of Toastmasters? Since June 2010

4. How did you find out about Toastmasters?

Stephanie Moreland, Club President, who told me about it every time she saw me.

5. Why did you join Toastmasters?

Stephanie Moreland finally convinced me that I’d have a lot of fun and she was right.

6. What do you like about the Club?

Finding out everyone has an interesting story to tell, the icebreaker speeches are wonderful, I also love the table topics portion of the meeting it makes you think on your feet.

7. What is your Toastmasters goal?

To challenge myself to become a better speaker, lose the “you knows” and become more comfortable when speaking to an audience.

8. Any awards received or working on?

I’m working toward my competent communicator certification, I’ve given three speeches so far and won best speaker ribbon for two, I’ve also been awarded the best evaluator ribbon twice. (thanks fellow Toastmasters)

9. Why should employees join the Toastmasters?

I feel that everyone can benefit from Toastmasters, if you are required to speak before a crowd or just want to feel comfortable in social situations when meeting new people, Toastmasters can give you the skills.

10. What tip would you give regarding public speaking?

Find your comfort zone, don’t let nerves defeat you make them work to your advantage.

11. What do you do in your leisure time?

Reading and spending time with my two grandsons, Christopher and Christian.

12. Favorite type of music?

I have three, Classic R&B, Gospel and Classic Rock 3

Manatee County County Administrator’s Office

Power Speakers of MCG News Member Corner Confessions of a Public Speaker Meeting Dates

For convenience of members and guests, by scott berkun Power Speakers of Manatee County Govern- In giving hundreds of lectures over the years, and ment will be holding meetings at Public Works reading books about other speakers who have Scott Berkun and the downtown Administration Building. done many more, it’s become clear to me that is a freelance everyone has things go wrong. All public speaking writer, author of Generally, the first and second Fridays of the is a kind of performance, and no matter how well three books and month meeting will be held at Public Works at you’ve prepared your material, you must expect public speaker 1022 26th Street East and meetings on the 3rd there will be unique challenges every time you for Fortune 500 or 4th Friday will be held in the Manatee Room or speak. The best attitude is to go in prepared for companies and Osprey Room on the 4th floor of the Administration the most common challenges. To help, here’s my universities on Building. Everyone is invited to attend. All meetings list of situations that I know speakers fear, with topics related take place from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. advice on how to prepare and respond: to creativity and management. October 22 Meeting- County Admin. Bldg., You’re being heckled 1112 Manatee Ave. W. Bradenton Manatee Room Hecklers are rare. When it happens, the audience October 29 Member Open House- Public Works is as frustrated with them as you are. Use this to your advantage. If you take a heckler on directly 1022 26th Ave. E. Bradenton you’ll look mean, but if you get the audience on your side, things end quickly. Hecklers are people Fashion Show @ Chef Sean’s who either: wish they were on stage, are drunk or Come see the Power Speakers of Manatee think they are helping you by contributing. County Government strut their stuff at Chef Sean’s luncheon Oct. 28 at 11:30 a.m. How to prevent: Toastmasters members will model various out- • Set the rules for people to interact with you. If fits ranging from business wear to evening wear you want questions held until the end, say so. Providing your e-mail address early gives everyone a all while practicing their public speaking skills. way to contact you without taking the floor. Although Boss’s Day has come and gone, How to respond: why not treat your boss and invite fellow co• Ask the audience to hold their comments unworkers to a delicious meal and for a small til the end. Done politely and calmly, this often $2 fee, some grand entertainment as well? Everyone involved will surely be in for a treat! works. It keeps you in control. Even if someone makes a joke at your expense, don’t turn it into an Door prizes will also be available. Tickets will argument; politely ask the person to wait until the end to comment. sell for $1 each or 6 for $5. • If you are confident you can dispatch a heckler with a joke or funny comment, do it – but be careful. It’s safer to defuse them by saying, “That’s Welcome New Members interesting” – to acknowledge they were heard Nick Azzara, County Administrator’s Office – and continuing with your point. This gives them Toastmasters Open House for Members some respect, since you’re acknowledging their On October 29 an open house for Toastmas- voice, but you keep control. ters members will be held at Public Works in • If someone is truly disruptive, ask the host of the lieu of our regular meeting. event to help. They invited you, and they should take responsibility. In addition to any questions members may have, the two educational tracks, officer positions, district information as well as men- Everyone in the room hates you tors, helpful hints and tip for completing your There are days when the vibe in the room is all wrong, and it feels like they either hate you or just manuals and other materials. We look forward to seeing you there!

October 2010 Issue

Manatee County County Administrator’s Office

want you to shut up. Speaking in foreign countries or at corporations that have just announced major layoffs (but no one has told you this) can feel this way. Or sometimes, you actually did something stupid that they rightfully hate you for. How to prevent: • Your host is your guide. They should tell you if there is something you need to know, like recent pay cuts or other bad news. If you’re paranoid, you can ask, “Is there anything that’s happened recently I should know about?” • Arrive early. If you are early you can introduce yourself to people who will be in your audience, giving you a sense for the larger group. How to respond: • Sometimes you have to go into robotic mode, and give your presentation as if you are speaking to a crowd you think likes you. If they hate you they hate you, but don’t fall into the trap of trying to change your presentation on the fly out of fear that they don’t like you. • Cut material to get to your Q&A quickly. If you have optional stories, drop them. The sooner you get to Q&A the faster you can diagnose what’s going on. And at worst, the sooner your talk will be over.

There is a rambling question that makes no sense and takes three minutes to ask

A good warning sign is when a question has a 60-second preamble. Whoever is asking a question this long hasn’t thought hard enough yet to even form a question. How to respond: • Ask a clarifying question: “Do you mean X or Y?” Interrupt the person if necessary. If they seem lost, ask them to focus their question while you answer the next question. Then go back to them later. This is pushy, but if you do it with charm the audience appreciates it. 5

• Realize the audience hates these people. They didn’t come to the session to hear someone’s rambling, poorly formed, pseudo-question. You are the only person who can do anything to stop the rambling. • If you do cut them off, remind them of your e-mail address, and mention longer questions are fine, just not in real time.

Everyone is staring at their laptops

Sometimes people are just taking notes or sharing what you say with other people online, which is good for you, but they might also be playing solitaire. People in the audience should be free to choose how they want to listen. But you are also free to influence them in that choice.

How to prevent: • Sometimes I say this: “Here’s a deal. I’d like your undivided attention for five minutes. If after five minutes you’re bored, you are free to do something else. In fact, I won’t mind if you get up and leave after five minutes. But for the first 300 seconds give me your undivided attention.” Most people close their laptops. At that point, I hit them with an irresistible hook in my opening. How to respond: • There isn’t much you can do. Focus on the people who are fully engaged and in the room. Ignore the rest. It’s their loss. • Ask the host to monitor Twitter, or the event chat room, and use her as a way to get the best questions and comments from the back channel into your presentation.

You are asked an impossible question

There is nothing wrong with a tough question you can’t answer. There is no law that says you as the speaker must know everything. How to prevent: • The only way to prevent it is to have a talk so boring, or so obscure, that tough questions are impossible, since the audience doesn’t know what your point was. Don’t do this. How to respond: • Learn to say three words: “I don’t know.” They are easy to say.

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• Write down the question, or ask someone to e-mail it to you, and promise you’ll respond. • Offer the question to the audience. Maybe you’re not the only one who can’t answer the question. If no one in the audience knows, they seem at least as clueless as you. And if there is an answer, you’ve at least helped the person who asked the tough question to get an answer, even if it’s not yours.

The microphone breaks

Often microphones only partially break. They have feedback, or flitter in and out. This is distracting for an audience and they will blame you for it. If after a couple of minutes the problem doesn’t resolve itself, assume the microphone is broken.

How to prevent: • Pray to the gods of AV equipment. • Demand a sound check before your talk. • Ask the AV people where there are sound problems in the room. How to respond: • Confirm with the audience they are hearing the same problems you are. Sometimes the problems are only heard at the front of the stage. • Get the tech crew involved. This is why they are paid. As embarrassing as it is for you, if you get them involved the audience will know it’s not entirely your fault. • In moderately sized rooms, 100 people or less, the acoustics are often good enough for people to hear you if you project well. Step forward and you might be able to get started while the tech crew fixes things.

Your laptop explodes

At every conference there is always at least one person who has technical problems

with their computers. Some events force you to use their podium computers to help minimize problems, but with video codecs and font issues, this sometimes makes it worse. Macs and PCs have problems and every projector and video system has charming idiosyncrasies that the tech people who manage them will absolutely deny. How to prevent: • Use your own gear. • PC laptops are more popular and I’m convinced have fewer issues with projector compatibility. Problem is, they’re PCs. • Demand a video check before your talk. How to respond: • The big question is when to abandon your laptop. Ten minutes is the cutoff point. If after 10 minutes you’re still not sure how to fix it, I’d go with Plan B. • Plan B: Know your main points. Be able to write them down as a short bulleted list. Do a shorter, less formal version of your talk. Do not constantly say “If I had my slides” or “In my real presentation…” The audience doesn’t care about what they might have seen. • Have a printout of your slides with you. Worst case, you can use this as your notes.

Running out of time

This happens much more often than speakers ending their presentations early. Since most people practice to finish exactly on time, with little buffer, it’s not a surprise. How to prevent: • If you build your presentation right, there should be a steady rhythm throughout the talk that informs you about pace every step of the way. This prevents discovering you have one minute left to cover half of your talk. • Practice each speech to use less time than you are given. • Always plan to have at least 10 to 20 percent of your time slot for Q&A. If you run over you can eat some of that Q&A time. How to respond: • If you can’t get through the material, put the ma-

October 2010 Issue

Manatee County County Administrator’s Office

Check out the official Toastmasters video.

Margaret Page is a member of Sunshine Toastmasters in Sechelt, Canada, and a Vancouverbased etiquette and protocol consultant.

DTM= Distinguished Toastmaster

terial aside and focus on your audience. If there are three sections left and only time for one, let the audience vote on which one it should be.

You left your slide deck at home How to prevent: • Put your slides in three places: on a flash drive you bring, on your own laptop and on a Web site you can access from any Web browser. Redundancy wins.

What to do if your situation is not here

Well, my friend, there is only one fail-safe maneuver. You must pay attention to what happens so you can tell your friends about it later. True disasters always make for great tales. By definition, few of us are immune to its power.

Guest Corner A Question of Manners To thank, or not to thank, your audience. by margaret page, dtm

To thank or not to thank – that is the question. When you are finished giving a speech, should you say “thank you” to your audience? Proper etiquette plays a big part in Toastmasters meetings, and the “Do you thank the audience?” question lies at the heart of good “Toastmanners.” The issue sparks spirited debate in the Toastmasters world, as shown by a discussion earlier this year among the Official Toastmasters International Members Group on LinkedIn. Some members said that when you finish a speech with the words “thank you,” your conclusion lacks creativity; end it with more dramatic impact, they urged. “Picture leaving your audience with a ‘Big Bang’

[ending] – a story or thought that will leave them wanting more,” said Sarah Hilton, a member of two clubs in London, Ontario, Canada. “‘Thank you’ does not create this experience for your audience.” But others argued that a thank you at the end is like an unwritten social contract between speaker and audience. “I have tried the most thunderous, rousing endings in the world, and the audience will not clap until I say, ‘Thank you.’... that is their cue to clap,” notes Sue Gaulke, a member of the Hood River club in Hood River, Oregon. Other members said each situation needs to be judged on its own. For example, you might say “thank you” if you’re speaking at a fund raiser but not if you’re giving a speech to inform or convince. As an etiquette professional, I side with those in the pro-thank you camp who advocate thanking one’s audience every time. I believe gratitude on the part of the speaker should be clearly conveyed.

A Little Background…

I first wrote about this subject in the August 2007 issue of the Toastmaster magazine. (That “My Turn” article was referenced in the LinkedIn discussion.) My position is that audience members give speakers something of great value that deserves a thank you: They give their precious time and (presumably) their full attention. Those two things alone allow you to do what you came to the lectern to do – present material of importance to them.

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I once heard Bill Clinton, the former U.S. president, give a speech in Vancouver, Canada, and at the end of the speech he took the time to thank everybody, right down to the lighting technicians. I found this impressive – it demonstrated thoughtfulness and impeccable manners.

However, it’s also true that concluding your speech with a polite “thank you” simply doesn’t produce a Big Bang dramatic ending. If you have not conveyed your gratitude somewhere during the speech (and I don’t condone starting off with a thank you), I suggest ending the speech with that Big Bang, taking a pause, and then ending your time on the podium with a sincere thank you to the audience. As Croix Sather, a member of several clubs in Connecticut, said in the LinkedIn discussion: “If you have to choose between saying thank you or not, always say thank you (after a very long pause) with the sincerest and truest way you can.” In recent years, Toastmasters International’s official stance on the “thank you” issue has shifted a bit. The old Communication and Leadership Program manual (now, called the Competent Communication manual) used to say this about speech conclusions: Don’t end by saying “Thank you.” The audience should thank you for the information you’ve shared. Instead, just close with your prepared ending, nod at the Toastmaster of the meeting, and say, “Mr. (or Madam) Toastmaster” – then enjoy the applause! The current version of the manual is more flexible on the matter, stating: “Some speakers say ‘thank you’ at the very end to signal to the audience

that they are finished, but this is not necessary.” Three years after I first wrote about the issue, my conclusion remains the same: Gratitude and good manners belong wherever people gather, and should especially be on display when you’re on the podium. Isn’t life better for everyone when we grab more – not fewer – opportunities to thank those who give us their valuable time and attention?

Toastmasters District 47 News Meet Rick Furbush, District Governor by rick furbush, dtm

It is an honor and privilege to be your District Governor. I have been blessed to work with our past two District Governors who have done a fantastic job for our District. We have had an extraordinary two years since our District split. The highest award a District can receive is President’s Distinguished, which is reserved for the top 6 Districts (out of 81) in the world. Last year under the guidance of District Governor Antionette Fox, we were number 5 in the world, a feat very rarely achieved. This year, under the guidance or our District Governor, Kristina Kihlberg, we were number 2 in the world, a first for our District. Our goal this year is to complete the “Hat Trick” – three in a row. This year we not only want to be President’s Distinguished again but we want the elusive, never before attained achievement of being # 1.

District 47 Events Saturday October 16 Division B Humorous Speech & Evaluation Contest 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday October 25 Building Your Thinking Power, Part 2 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Friday, November 5 - Sunday, November 7 District 47 Fall Conference Conference Flyer Listing of Workshops

Monday November 15 How to Listen Effectively 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Monday December 13 The Art of Effective Evaluation 6 p.m. – 9 p.m

So … What does it take to be number one? First, it takes having an extraordinary team of hard working, dedicated Toastmasters. Those who also have experienced what it takes to be President’s Distinguished. That we have in flying colors. You will meet them on the following pages.

October 2010 Issue

Manatee County County Administrator’s Office

Questions? Suggestions? Comments? We want to hear from you! E-mail us: toastmasters@ mymanatee.org

Second, it takes a District membership that is excited about Toastmasters, about helping others succeed,and wanting to make a difference in the world. That we have for sure. You are the whole reason our district has been in the top 6 for the past two years. Third, it takes having a BIG GAME and being excited about it. In order to be Number One in the world, the members have to be winning, achieving their goals and having FUN. Our Goals: This year we want to do something that has NEVER been done before in the history of Toastmasters, and that is for: Every club in our district to be at least distinguished. If each member of our district worked at achieving the most out of Toastmasters and helping fellow members aspire to do their best, we can achieve this goal and that would make us number one. I invite you to share your Toastmasters’ skills with the world, which is why our theme this year is: “Find your voice … and Make a Difference.” Finally, I know that the most important part IS the journey. To get the most out of it, it has to be FUN. So, remember … “If it isn’t fun, it isn’t Toastmasters!”

September Rewind September 3

Best Table Topics- Erika Barrett Best Speaker- Tammy Boggs & Chuck Froman Best Evaluator- Sharon Tarman

September 10

Best Table Topics: Rossina Leider Best Speaker: Stacy Haag Best Evaluator: Jerson Lopez

September 24

Best Speaker: Phyllis Strong Best Evaluator: Tammy Boggs

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Toastmasters International On the Road to Becoming a Distinguished Club Where does the Power Speakers of Manatee County Government Stand? Power Speakers of Manatee County Government recently received the “President’s Distinguished Club” status from Toastmasters International. The Distinguished Club Program monitors and measures your club’s achievements in two critical areas. The Distinguished Club Program is an annual program, running from July 1 through June 30. The program consists of 10 goals your club should strive to achieve during this time using the Club Success Plan as a guide. World Headquarters tracks the progress of your club toward these goals throughout the year, sending quarterly progress reminders to your club president. At year-end, World Headquarters calculates the number of goals the club achieved and recognizes it as a Distinguished Club, Select Distinguished Club or President’s Distinguished Club based on the number of goals achieved and the number of members it has. In addition, your club must meet a membership requirement. At year-end (June 30) it must have: -at least 20 members or -a net growth of at least five new members Let’s keep up the good work!

October 2010 Issue