Hobbs Toastmasters is officially recognized by the National TM Association, and our little Island town of Hobbs, New Mexico is officially ON THE MAP!!
We will now be able to design a website (TBA), Join the Chamber of Commerce, open an account at the bank, and perform the usual business of running a community club. I'm looking forward to our officers achieving successful organization of their respective positions without the barrier of waiting for the necessary paperwork.
Speaking of getting ourselves out there, the Saturday edition of the Hobbs News Sun has Distinguished Toastmaster Jan Crumpton extending the warm hand of friendship and brotherhood to Dennis Barcuch, President of the L. I. L. (Lambs Into Lions)local chapter! I hope we recieve many inquiries regarding this exposure, and many more are able to assert their desire and ambition in improving their speech, composure, and bravery in the face of a judgemental audience...
good idea for the day...
It seems like every business expert that also has speaking experience likes to throw in a line about joining Toastmasters International to become a better speaker. Some of these people joined a club and it helped them become better speakers while others simply regurgitate this advice from other sources. Although Toastmasters has worked for a lot of folks (myself included), simply joining won’t necessarily make you a better speaker. Should I explain my simple advice?
I have friends who credit a lot of their speaking success to Toastmasters (as well as the Dale Carnegie Course) and they have also seen several people grow from nervous folks that clutch the lectern to confident speakers and leaders. However, they’ve seen just as many folks sign up and never come back – and even worse, some people finding a comfort level and sticking to it. From their experiences, I’d say that less than half of the people who join Toastmasters end up getting significant results.
The reason why I boldly called the generic advice of “you should join Toastmasters” a myth is because the advice is often stated unqualified. A more accurate statement would be “You can become a better speaker by taking an active role in the right Toastmasters club.” I know it sounds a bit nitpicky but I have met a significant number of folks that had joined Toastmasters and didn’t get any benefit from it.
In order for you to succeed in Toastmasters, you need three things. First, you need a club that has a helpful atmosphere and encourages growth. Second, you need to be committed to becoming an active member of that club. And finally, you need to commit to grow beyond Toastmasters.
So you’ve found a good club, now what? The first thing you want to do is attend as many meetings as possible and sign up for roles. I recommend giving a speech at least once every two months (one per month if possible) and taking a smaller role at meetings that you’re not giving speeches at.
You want to avoid being a lurker – someone that attends but doesn’t participate. As I mentioned, I have seen a lot of folks come to a meeting as a guest, sign up that night and never return. The next step up from that are folks that attend, but don’t participate. Even if you’re not comfortable taking on a role, show up early or stick around late to talk to other members. At the very least, talk to the officers – ask them about their roles, they’d be glad to tell you more. But get involved, even it means helping create a club newsletter or working on the website. If a spot is open, become an officer.
So as you can see, there’s a lot more than simply joining Toastmasters to help you become a better speaker!
More tomorrow...now go and do something Brave!
