Manatee County County Administrator’s Office
The Toast
Power Speakers of Manatee County Government News Mag
May 2010 First round of Award Recipients Power Speakers of MCG new “Distinguished” status Don’t Get Comfotable April Rewind Toastmasters International Convention And much more...
Toastmasters District 47, Division F, Area 61 Club #1197988
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Toastmasters Office Positions President Vice President of Education Vice President of Membership Vice President of Public Relations Treasurer Secretary Sergeant of Arms
Letter from the Vice President of Education Frequently Asked Questions about Toastmasters As the Vice President of Education, I would like to educate you about Toastmasters with some general questions that you may have. 1. What is Toastmasters? It is defined by the organization as, “Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality.” Manatee County Government has the Power Speaker of MCG that meets every Friday from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm usually at the Public Works Facility on 26th Avenue East. Several county employees have requested that the club move around to the various facilities so that they can see what Toastmasters is about. So please check the iNet headlines or iNet website to see where the meeting is being held. 2. Did you know that Toastmasters includes leadership training? I used to think Toastmasters was going to help me develop speeches, public presentations and get over my fear of speaking in front of the Board of County Commissioners or others. But I learned as an officer of Toastmasters you learn how to lead a group, organize a meeting, and support others. Each office has its specific duties which build and support the other officers and members. 3. Does Toastmasters have a 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 fosters self-confidence and personal growth.” I can assure you that Toastmasters has improved my oral communication, leadership skills as well as boosted my self-confidence and personal growth. Also, it has been a fun process. 4. What do I get when I join? You will receive two books which are the Competent Communication and Competent Leadership. These are the workbooks that help you develop your speeches and your leadership skills. They can be worked on simultaneously. Also, you will be assigned a mentor. This person is an existing Toastmaster that will help you and encourage you in the process of becoming a Competent Communicator and a Competent Leader. I would like to invite each employee to come and see what Toastmasters is about and how much fun we have.
Sharon Tarman
If it’s not fun, it’s not Toastmasters!
Sharon Tarman Vice President of Education 2
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April Rewind April 2
Best Speaker- Rossina Leider Best Evaluator- Jane Casey
April 9
Best Table Topics- Olga Wolanin Best Speaker- Renee Isom Best Evaluator- Stephanie Moreland
April 16
Best Table Topics- Mary Moeller Best Speaker- Allen Bentley Best Evaluator- Mary Moeller
Liz Jones
Olga Wolanin
April 23
Best Table Topics- Stacey Haag Best Speaker- Liz Jones Best Evaluator- Mary Moeller
April 30
Best Table Topics- Jane Casey Best Speaker- Becky Cresswell Best Evaluator- Liz Jones Renee Isom
Mary Moeller Becky Cresswell
Stacey Haag Stephanie Moreland
Allen Bentley
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Jane Casey
Rossina Leider
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Member Profile Jane Casey How long have you worked for Manatee County Sheriff’s Office? For 12 years – 8 ½ as certified deputy; 3 ½ civilian position Title and department? Deputy Sheriff, Telephone Report Unit, Enforcement Bureau How long have you been a member of Toastmasters? I have been attending meetings since February 2010. How did you find out about Toastmasters? I read an article by Paul on the MCG iNet. Why did you join Toastmasters? It has been something I have been thinking about for a long time. I wanted to improve my communication skills. What do you like about the Club? The people are friendly, smart, helpful, great speakers! What is your Toastmasters goal? To improve my ability to formulate my thoughts and communicate them; improve my listening skills; improve my ability to give quality, helpful feedback; and build my confidence. Any awards received or working on? To my surprise, I have received 3 ribbons! Why should employees join Toastmasters? The club offers a healthy, fun place to grow and develop communication skills which we all need in life! What tip would you give regarding public speaking? It gets easier with experience and honest feedback. What do you do in your leisure time? Exercise, date my husband and spend time with my parents and family (including grandchildren!), go to church services and dance! Favorite type of music? Christian music like the JOY FM 88.1 – right now Chris Tomlin! What would you like for everyone to know? If this is something you have been thinking about doing, don’t wait as long as I did! Come to a meeting and see what it’s like. Having a meeting over the lunch hour is a terrific way for me because I have a full schedule after work. I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this club! It’s the best!
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Following are the goals a club should strive to achieve during the year: 1. Two CCs 2. Two more CCs 3. One ACB, ACS or ACG 4. One more ACB, ACS or ACG 5. One CL, ALB, ALS or DTM 6. One more CL, ALB, ALS or DTM 7. Four new members 8. Four more new members 9. Minimum of four club officers trained during each of two training periods 10. One membership dues renewal report and one club officer list submitted on time
Power Speakers of MCG News Welcome to the Club! New member Stacey Haag from Natural Resources has joined the club! Welcome Stacey!
First round of Award Recipients! The 10 speech projects in the Competent Communicator (CC) manual will help develop speaking skills one step at a time. When you finish all of the projects, you are eligible for CC recognition. Congrats to our CC recipients: Becky Cresswell, Public Works John Frohmander, Public Works Lana Gostkowski, Public Works Ron Kennedy, Public Works Sharon Tarman, Planning The Competent Leadership (CL) manual is the core of the leadership track. It features 10 projects, which you complete while serving in various club meeting roles. An evaluator will give you feedback on each project, helping you to improve. Upon completion of the manual, you are eligible for CL recognition. CL recipients include: Allen Bentley, Public Works Becky Cresswell, Public Works Mary Moeller, Public Works Stephanice Moreland, Planning After receiving CC recognition, you can work in the Advanced Communication Series manuals, where you’ll refine and enhance your speaking skills and become eligible for Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB), Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS) and Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) recognition. There are 15 manuals, each containing five speech projects. Many of the manuals are career-oriented. You choose the manuals you want to complete and the skills you want to learn. Allen Bentley, Public Works Mary Moeller, Public Works
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After earning the CL award you can further refine and develop your leadership skills by working in the advanced leader program. Members working in this program are eligible for Advanced Leader Bronze (ALB) and Advanced Leader Silver (ALS) recognition. Our ALB recipient is: Mary Moeller, Public Works This is just the first round of award recipients. There will be many more members who will reach their CC, CL and other awards. So stay tuned!
President’s Distinguished Club Status
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 Congratulations Power Speakers and keep up the great work!
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Member Corner Don’t Get Comfortable “Get motivated, get moving and stretch your limits.” by linda allen, cc
could help him. He joined Pacesetters, and as he stretched himself by taking on meeting roles, Ye’s confidence grew. In just one year, he advanced from a novice speaker to club president, he is currently working on the Advanced Communicator Bronze and the Competent Leader awards.
CC=Competent Communicator
To challenge yourself as a Toastmaster, Ye advises taking on all meeting roles and participating in district speech contests. “Encourage new members to reach beyond their limits,” he adds.
Has your comfort zone become a rut so deep that you need a ladder just to peek out? Do creature comforts and distractions keep you from moving forward? Then it’s time to get moti- When Huiju Park came to the United States from Korea, he practiced English by listening vated, get moving and stretch your limits to CNN and ABC News, but he decided that his speech sounded Chang Ming Ye, Huiji Park and unnatural and rehearsed. “It was Gustavo Duarte stretch their like I was reading the news when I limits every day. Simply talking talked,” he notes. He credits Toaston the phone is a leap out of masters with helping him become their comfort zones. While that more comfortable in front of an may not seem like a big deal audience and is pursuing his goal for many of us, it is for them or becoming a professor and using because English is not their his speaking skills to inspire students. native language. For these three Toastmasters, phone conversations can be frustrating. UnderGustavo Duarte, a native of Mexico, pushes standing the message is only the first challenge. But each day, they push themselves and expand beyond his comfort zone with the help of curiosity and a sense of humor. “I choose speech topics their skills and experiences. that I’m not an expert on so I will have to research and organize the information,” he says. “I also Ye, Park and Duarte are international memtalk to people with different backgrounds, careers, bers of the Pacesetters Toastmasters club in religions and politics so I can improve my English, Stillwater, Oklahoma. They regularly take on satisfy my curiosity and make new friends. leadership roles and present speeches. Each joined Toastmasters to improve his English and Conquer your fears achieve his professional goals.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” –Neale Donald Walsch
A natural adventurer, Chang Ming Ye left his home country of China nine years ago as a successful professor. He wanted to explore the world and start a new career in the United States, but language and financial challenges proved more than he expected. His confidence sank. A friend encouraged him to join Toastmasters. “I thought she wanted me to sell toasters,” Ye recalls with a laugh, When he learned what Toastmasters was about, he realized the organization
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All three Toastmasters agree that fear traps many people into a rut. Fear can intimidate you; it allows your imagination to run wild with a list of “what-ifs” that control your emotions and actions if you allow it. Escaping your comfort zone is a mental game, one that challenges the self-created barriers that hold you down. Here’s a suggestion: Think of fear as an acronym for “False Expectations Appearing Real.” Or make a list of positive “what-if” outcomes instead of focusing on negative possibilities. It’s not so much the fear of failure or even success that traps us – it’s a fear of change. Although, often uncomfortable, change is inevitable and necessary. Stepping out of your comfort zone can cause discomfort and even panic, but the payoff is rich: new experiences, adventures and understanding. Here are some tips for
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bringing about change in your life: Get comfortable with change. Try something simple, like taking a new way to work, re-arranging you r routing or learning and using a new word every day. Seek advice. Find a mentor or someone who has done what you want to do. Benefit from his or her experience and knowledge. As you grow and develop your new skills, return the favor- be a mentor to someone else. Celebrate and share your victories and successes. They will encourage others. Visualize the results you want. Visualization is a mental exercise that can take you from where you are to where you want to be. Ease into change. Take baby steps – start small. Remember: If you don’t try, the answer is automatically “no.” Excuses prevent change. They rationalize procrastination and reluctance to trade our comfort for the challenges of growth. In his new book Excuses Be Gone, Wayne Dyer lists 18 reasons that people give for postponing decisions. The excuses are typical ones we have all thought or said: “I can’t afford it”; “It will be difficult”; “It will take a long time”; “I’m too old” and “I’m too tired.”Dyer analyzes each excuse and offers suggestions, visualization and affirmation to move beyond indecision and out of your comfort zone.
Guest Corner What is Pecha Kucha? A new presentation style captures the imagination. by sunny marie hackman, acb, cl
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Mesmerized, I wondered, “Is it the speaker, the unusual format he’s using...or both?” The speaker’s presentation consisted of 20 slides, and each slide lasted exactly 20 seconds. Something about this innovative presentation
enthralled me. And I wasn’t the only one. The speech – with Twitter as the topic – drew a lot of attention at a speaker’s conference I was attending in Nashville, Tennessee. I learned later what I had experienced was a presentation style, called Pecha Kucha. The name is difficult to pronounce, as attested to by the number of YouTube videos devoted entirely to its correct pronunciation. Phonetically, you should say: Paw-Chalk‘-Ahh-Cha.’ Say it quickly and confidently and chances are you’ll be almost right – though not quite. Writer John Gendall calls Pecha Kucha “PowerPoint’s hip, younger cousin” and communication coach Andrew Thorp (Manchester, United Kingdom) says, “Pecha Kucha is a great antidote to bad PowerPoint.” Some call it “Death by PowerPoint,” while others think of it as the death of PowerPoint. Yet Gendall says, “Few things – except, perhaps, Apple computer products and Moleskine notebooks – have been embraced by designers of all stripes so quickly and universally as Pecha Kucha has.” There are only two rules for Pecha Kucha: An entire show consists of precisely 20 slides, and each slide is allotted exactly 20 seconds. The form is often referred to as 20x20. Pecha Kucha originates from the word “chitchat,” a Japanese term describing the sound of conversation. The birth of this presentation style was as informal as its name implies. Yet despite a casual start, it has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. Two European architects, Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein, devised Pecha Kucha as a way to use multiple attention-grabbing presentations at their Tokyo architectural business to foster social networking and education, or in the words of Dytham, “a physical social network” – an adult show and tell. They didn’t expect it to expand beyond their initial plan. What
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began in 2003 as a happy accident in Tokyo has morphed exponentially into organized Pecha Kucha events now held in 251 cities across the globe. Growing in Global Popularity Pecha Kucha migrated from Tokyo in 2004 to its first European locale in Bern, Switzerland, and then surfaced in London in the summer of 2005. It crossed the ocean in 2006 and turned up in San Francisco. Now it has seized the imagination of speakers around the globe, and some corporations, like Autodesk, the world’s largest 2D and 3D design software company with more than 9 million users worldwide, are adopting Pecha Kucha as their preferred method for presenting oral reports. Back home in Denver, Colorado, I noticed a Pecha Kucha advertisement in the local newspaper and, of course, attended the event. It was held at a community theater and was packed to capacity. Many attendees sat on the floor or stood in the back to enjoy the variety of presentations. The 10 presenters spanned a range of professions: landscape designer, architect, world traveler, photographer, bicyclist, writer, sustainable-living enthusiast, fashion designer, foodie and urban chicken farmer. It was a fascinating evening. The Pecha Kucha format worked for every topic and every presenter. The fast-paced, timed format prevented the speakers from hiding behind their slides, and any extemporaneous material had to be edited mercilessly. Because the format was so tightly structured, it required extensive preparation and practice. The audience was focused and engaged throughout. We all left wanting more. Pecha Kucha looked challenging but resonated with the mission and values I embrace as a Toastmaster: effective public speaking, global communication and social networking. The length of a Pecha Kucha presentation is six minutes and 40 seconds – the perfect length for many 5-7-minute Toastmasters manual and contest speeches. I decided I would develop a Pecha Kucha for my Toastmasters club, the Thunderbolt Orators. Trying It Out For The Club In addition to improving my speaking, presentation, editing and computer skills, I discovered
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the benefits of belonging to a Toastmasters club when experimenting with a new speaking technique. My fellow Toastmasters embraced the project and learned along with me. As I exchanged one slide for another, coordinating speech and slides, members guided me to a polished presentation through round robin and individual evaluations. One member lent me an LCD projector to help me practice. “The Hazard of Harvest,” my Pecha Kucha presentation, was a team effort, and it became a winning humorous speech at the club and area level last fall. After the division contest, I delivered “The Hazard of Harvest” at a Pecha Kucha event in Denver. Drew Bixby, author of Denver’s Best Dive Bars and fellow Pecha Kucha presenter, says, “Dynamic is the absolute best way to describe the type of communication that happens via Pecha Kucha.” The best compliment I received was from a fellow Toastmaster who said, “You transcended the technique and used it to transport the message of your speech.” That comment reminded me that communicating a message, effectively and with skill, is the goal for every Toastmaster. Techniques and technology will always offer new tools for the speaker to use, but they should never overshadow the speaker or their message.
Check out the official Toastmasters video.
Sunny Marie Hackman, ACB, CL, is a member of the Thunderbolt Orators club in Lakewood, Colorado. To learn more about Pecha Kucha, visit http://www. pecha-kucha. org/.
Pecha Kucha is a fun and engaging way to present ideas and interact with an audience. I will use it again. My experience with the form put me on a path of continued growth as a speaker, because it taught me that experimenting with different techniques and technologies increases my skill and enlarges my territory as an effective oral communicator.
The better you write it, the better you say it Continued from the April 2010 issue of The Toast. by philip yaffe, cc
3. Density – Density is a less familiar concept than clarity and conciseness, but it is equally important. According to
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the density principle, your text should follow this formula: D = PL This means dense writing should contain: • Precise information – Using precise information rather than wishy-washy weasel words aids clarity. For example, if you say it is a “hot” day, what do you mean? Mention a temperature and everyone will better understand your meaning. Using precise information also builds the audience’s confidence in your knowledge of the subject. • Logically linked – Precise facts – data – are insufficient alone. To be meaningful, data must be organized to create “information.” Apply these two important tests when converting data into information: Data Test One: Relevance – Is a particular piece of data really needed? Any information that fails to aid understanding or promote audience confidence should be rigorously eliminated. Data Test Two: Misconceptions – The logical link between data must be made explicit to prevent the audience from coming to false conclusions. To ensure that a logical link is clear, place the two pieces of data as close to each other as possible, preferably right next to each other. When data are widely separated, their logical link is masked. The 10 Tips and Techniques Keeping these true principles – clarity, conciseness and density – firmly in mind allows us to re-evaluate the following oft-quoted “10 tips of clear writing,” thereby making them more meaningful and useful.
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• Keep sentences short. This is usually interpreted to mean an average sentence length of 15 to 18 words. Readers and listeners could
handle longer sentences; however, when the length rises above this average, sentences are likely to be poorly constructed, thereby damaging clarity. But remember, an average sentence is 15 to 18 words. Don’t shun longer sentences. A well-constructed long sentence is often clearer than two or more shorter ones. Why? Because the longer sentence might better show the logical linkage among the various elements, which often is lost by splitting it apart. • Prefer the simple to the complex. If the precise word is long, don’t be hesitant to use it, because not using it would damage clarity. On the other hand, if a shorter word would do just as well, choose it. For example, dog is usually better than canine, and change works better than modification. • Write the way you speak. This is a useful technique, but don’t take it literally. When we speak, we generally use simpler vocabulary and sentence structures than when we write. Writing the way you speak is a good way to produce a first draft. However, when we speak, our sentence structures are often confused and our vocabulary imprecise. These faults must be rigorously corrected in the second or third drafts. • Use terms your audience can picture. In other words, follow the density principle. When making a statement, be sure to support it with concrete data. • Prefer the familiar word. This is a variation of the second point. If you have a choice between two words, use the one that most people are likely to recognize. For example, daily is more commonly used than quotidian. • Avoid unnecessary words. Be concise. • Use active verbs. Active verbs tend to enhance clarity; conversely, too many passive verbs tend to damage it. This is even more important for writing a speech than writing a document. In a printed text, if people
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don’t understand something, they have the luxury of reading it again. If you say something they don’t understand, it’s there, and then it’s gone.
Toastmasters International News You’re Invited to the Toastmasters International Convention For four days in August, nearly 2,000 leaders and speakers from around the world will meet in Palm Desert, Calif., to attend the 79th annual Toastmasters International Convention. More than 4 million people have honed their communication and leadership skills with the help of Toastmasters, and attending the Convention will offer you the same opportunity to improve your skills.
Questions? Suggestions? Comments? We want to hear from you! Forward your message to Simone Peterson.
The schedule of activities includes education seminars, keynote speakers, networking opportunities and speech contests that culminate in crowning the Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking. “This is going to be our biggest and best Convention yet,” says Toastmasters International President Gary Schmidt. “We have some really • Make full use of variety. If you conscientiously apply the principles of clarity, conciseness and density, impressive speakers you will almost automatically introduce variety of and presentence length and structure into your presentasenters. tion. Also be wary of words that look familiar but The educhange meaning in the context of your subject. cational Example: Insult is medical jargon for an injury or programs trauma. Talking about an insult to the heart without are a perfirst explaining the medical meaning of the word fect fit with might leave your audience scratching their heads. ToastmasAvoid introducing too much vocabulary, though. ters’ objecConstantly changing terminology for the sake of tive to help variety affects clarity. If several words mean es- people sentially the same thing, pick one or two of them improve both their and forget the others. profes• Write to express, not to impress. The purpose of sional and life skills.” most nonfiction writing and public speaking is to inform or instruct. In fact, the better you write your speech, the less people are likely to notice. Keep Highlights of the weeklong educational exyour audience’s attention by focusing the speech travaganza: on a message rather than a series of facts. Ten education sessions on topics such as So there you have it: a list of 10 writing tips and how brand strategy, speaking persuasively and winning at work they relate to the three fundamental principles of Two keynotes that will enlighten, entertain writing. With these principles – clarity, conciseness and inspire. and density – you can make your speeches shine. Nine semifinal speech contests with competi tors from around the world The World Championship of Public Speaking • Tie in with your readers’ experience. Again, this is about density, about using precise information. The words you choose should be compatible with your readers’ experience. If you need to use a word that’s new to your readers, define it the first time you use it. If it’s really key, define it again later on.
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Additional CL Tips: At each Club meeting, have one member assigned as the CL evaluator. By having an assigned evaluator, you ensure member progress in the CL Manual. • Increase member awareness by requiring that members bring their CL Manuals to every Club meeting. • Ask each member who achieves the CL award to mentor a new member in the Manual. • Use the Competent Leadership Achievement Chart! Post it on the wall during meetings and keep it up-to-date. Draw attention to the successes listed on the chart.
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High-profile experts will lead the education sessions and deliver keynotes. Their programs center on communication and leadership, Toastmasters International’s two signature educational programs. The presenters will offer tips and tools that everyone can benefit from, whether it’s how to market your message more effectively, organize your time or be a better leader in the workplace. The World Championship of Public Speaking is a showcase of dazzling performances, where contestants deliver speeches on wideranging topics and are judged on content, organization, gestures and style. The 2010 Championship boasts more competition than ever: For the first time in the event’s 72-year history, semifinal speech contests will be held during the International Convention. The nine winners face off in the finals two days later. Whether you’re seeking to grow your career or enhance your communication with friends and family, the Toastmasters International Convention can help you get there. Come to Palm Desert this August and find out what everyone’s talking about.
Toastmasters District 47 News Tips To Completing Your CL So, what’s the deal with the CL program? The Competent Leadership (CL) Manual gives you an opportunity to learn and practice leadership skills by serving in Club roles. It will help you gain self-confidence and skills that will help you in many ways: academically, professionally and personally. The CL Manual offers training in time management, organization, planning and critical thinking – all of which can be applied to everyday life. Consider this: If the CL Manual can help a Club run more efficiently and successfully, and it can also help Club members to improve their lives, why wouldn’t your Club leaders pursue it? Sometimes, a little promotion from a fellow Toastmaster can help smooth the way. In case you’re finding it a little difficult to get the ball rolling with your VPE or other Club officers, here are ten quick tips from Toastmasters members that you can use to help promote the Competent Leadership manual:
• Make sure that you recognize your members when they participate in the CL Manual. Award a member with a ribbon or make an announcement when that person completes the CL Manual. Let her know you appreciate the special care and preparation that she took with each meeting role. • Encourage the President and VPE of your Club to promote the CL Manual at each Club meeting. Emphasize how the Manual functions as a valuable learning tool – training each member on the different roles of the meeting and helping them build beneficial skills for the working world and daily life. • Place equal importance on the leadership and communication tracks in your Club by including accreditations for both tracks in all correspondence, agendas and programs for your Club. • Does your Club have a newsletter or Web site? Post a reminder to members to bring their manuals. Also, your Club can post a congratulatory list of those who have completed the CL Manual. These tips will help make the CL Manual a natural and easy part of your Club’s meetings. When the CL Manual is second nature to the members of your Club, you’ll be pleasantly and easily learning leadership skills that help you every day.