Mr. Moulitsas Zúniga, Fellow Kossaks and Honored Guests:
It's time for you to consider attending and joining a Toastmasters Club in your area. To paraphrase Arlo Guthrie (who was paraphrasing Pete Seeger):
It's ok to improve the world by starting with yourself.
I'll go Pete one better.
It's more than ok to start with yourself - it's imperative. Join me over the jump to learn more about Toastmasters, International.
Toastmasters was founded in the basement of a YMCA in Santa Ana, California in 1924 by Dr. Ralph Smedley. Its stated purpose was
to afford practice and training in the art of public speaking and in presiding over meetings, and to promote sociability and good fellowship among its members
But this - and more like it - is the kind of stuff you can learn at the Toastmasters website. But the important matters are
- how Toastmasters can help you
- how you can use that improvement to change the world
Why do most people need Toastmasters? Simple. Go to the Google type in "fear of public speaking" and watch more than 2,500,000 entries scroll up. The medical term for the condition is Glossophobia.
Per Wikipedia, it's thought to affect as much as 75% of all people - I've seen numbers up to 85%. It's often stated that a fear of public speaking outranks a fear of death.
But how many times have you heard a speech - whether it was Barack Obama's Keynote at the DNC or a recording of Dr. Martin Luther King saying "I have a dream today!" or watching Melissa Etheridge off-the-cuff "What happened, America?" at Live Earth last Saturday - how many times have spoken words reached into your heart and planted themselves there?
Anyone can learn to speak publicly. Many more people than ever take the chance can be tremendous public speakers. You, fellow Kossak, can become an effective public speaker, and you can change the world. All it takes is practice.
Toastmasters gives you practice. Let me tell you about a typical Toastmaster's meeting. I've belonged to several clubs over a dozen or so years - there were a couple of years that I belonged to multiple clubs. That is not a requirement, but I had goals I wanted to achieve, and I was willing to put in the time to reach them quickly.
This is what held true for all of my clubs:
- The meetings started and ended on time
- The leadership of each meeting was passed between the club's membership, and that leader was the Toastmaster of the meeting
- Each meeting had an agenda
- Each planned speaker received feedback
- Most meetings allowed time for practice of impromptu speaking
- We avoided 'taboo' subjects like religion and politics
Hmmmm. Avoid politics. If we want to improve ourself to be able to affect people politically, why attend meetings where you can't discuss politics?
Well - that was the rule in my clubs - it doesn't necessarily mean it's the rule in every club. But even so, you can improve your public speaking with a myriad of subjects - and hold the political speaking for political rallies.
Or - there are some subjects that are political, but don't have to be handled that way.
Topics I would not speak on
Does Mormonism even make sense?
Get us out of Iraq NOW!
How George Bush is destroying the environment
Topics I would speak on
The history of Joseph Smith
Supporting the troops with TroopCarePackage.com
But I want my kids to see a Bald Eagle, one day!
But you don't even have to worry about the topic for your first speech - it's about you! The Icebreaker gives you 3-5 minutes to tell your new Toastmaster Club-mates about yourself. You can give it at your second meeting (always a good option!) or wait until you feel a little more comfortable.
The Basic Toastmaster Manual (The Competent Speaker) follows a tried and true method to help you improve your public speaking. Most people don't get too scared speaking about themselves - and 3-5 minutes isn't that long, so there's not enough time to become really scared.
For the second speech, you're directed to prepare a speech on a topic that you feel strongly about (Save the Wolves!). While the speech length is now 5-7 minutes, you're talking about something IMPORTANT, and it's important to keep the audience focused on the topic, so you forget to be scared.
Each of the eight remaining speeches in the Basic Manual focus on one thing - the speech outline, vocal variety, working with props. This allows you to build on what you learned from previous speeches, and yet to focus on an important aspect of public speaking.
How do you learn from the speeches? Through feedback - and you can get all kinds of that!
First, (if there are enough club members in attendence) most clubs appoint an "ah" and "um" counter, and a grammarian. At the end of the meeting, the "Ah" counter will usually give a count of non-words that each speaker used (although some judiciously "lose count" when things get out of hand). The Grammarian might listen for a word of the day (I sucked at using the word of the day!) and would also report on serious grammar errors.
Each speaker is given a prepared evaluation by one club member. That member listens to the speech and gives their impressions on its effectiveness and suggestions for improvement. I learned a very effective evaluation tool that I often use here - some members call it "the Oreo" - that is: tell the speaker something they did well, tell the speaker something that, if changed, would make them more effective, and tell the speaker one more thing they do well.
If you get them nodding their head with the first comment, they are more inclined to listen to the second (you should change this) comment. The job of the evaluator can be demanding. You only have minutes to prepare your 2-3 minute presentation - it's important, because you want to help your fellow club member - and sometimes it's hard to find two things nice to say! "Nice shoes!" is not a great lead!!
Some clubs also pass out small bits of paper for members to write notes to speakers. I loved going home and pulling out a fist full of notes and reading what everyone there had to say. And, if there's a break (for refreshments), or a bit of time when the meeting is being "torn down", many times a member who didn't evaluate you - but was moved by your speech - will walk up and give you personal feedback.
After finishing 10 speeches in the Basic Manual, you earn your CC. (this is new - glad I checked Wikipedia!) The "Competent Communicator" replaces the old CTM (Competent Toastmaster) that I earned. There is also the AC or "Advanced Communicator" which is suffixed with B, S or G for Bronze, Silver or Gold - and which replaced ATM (Able Toastmaster) with the same color breakdowns. There is a leadership track as well, to encourage members to work as club and district officers.
Once the top Educational and Leadership awards are earned, the Toastmaster may apply to be a DTM (not a Dump Terry MacAuliffe, no...) - the Distinguished Toastmaster is the highest award given by Toastmasters. It is an award that you earn with the support and assistance of other members through many years, and I will always be greatful to some members who went above and beyond to help me achieve my DTM.
Beside participating in & learning how to lead meetings in a variety of roles, including giving prepared speeches and evaluating others, there is Impromptu Speaking. This is usually called "Table Topics."
I hated table topics
When table topics were announced, my hands turned to ice. Boy, did they SCARE me! I could practice my prepared speeches so much that I would forget to be scared. I could focus on the person I was evaluating so intensely that I forgot others were there. But... Table Topics.
Table Topics were one of the best things - though one of the most difficult - I ever got through. And once I got through one, and then another, and then... Well, I have never liked table topics - but I can do them. And I entirely credit those hateful old Table Topics for compliments I received after a two-managers-on-one job interview that lasted over an hour.
And I realized - conversation is Table Topics. Table Topics completely prepared me for that long interview.
Fellow Kossaks - if you have ever avoided speaking publicly - if you have ever wished that you could speak publicly - if you want to actively improve the world, move people to act, and put your words deep into their hearts, consider Toastmasters.
Most clubs in this area meet 2 times a month - some at businesses and others at a variety of meeting halls from churches to park district buildings. Dues vary greatly depending on rent paid by that club - but I've never heard of an unreasonable amount charged for dues.
As you consider, I'd like to present something a dear past club member (Hugh - my political opposite, who I call "Mr. Republican") says about Toastmasters:
Where else can you get applause, just for standing up and speaking?
You will never find a more supportive group than a Toastmasters club. They want you to succeed, and they will help you achieve your goals. You may never get rid of those pre-presentation butterflies, but Toastmasters can help you get those butterflies to fly in formation. Check the Toastmasters website for meeting locations and times in your area.