District Conferences & You

I was a brand new Toastmaster when I was approached by Jodie Kay about attending my first District Conference.  Without knowing what I was getting into I said, “Sure, I’ll go.”  I have not missed very many since, including one where I served as a committee chair while 7 months pregnant.

Here are a few reasons I’d like you to consider attending this year’s District 3 Fall Conference in Prescott.

• Networking. Meet other Toastmasters from across the state of Arizona who are looking for the answers to the same questions you are.  However, I prefer to think of it this way…
• Friendships. I have made so many new friends at District Conferences over the years.  Friends have turned into mentors and confidants.
• Fun. The finals of the Humorous Speech Contest.  Need I say more?  The funniest speeches from throughout the state will be featured Saturday night.
• Inspiration. Liz has been making a beeline to Distinguished Toastmaster since seeing the DTM ceremony at a past conference.  It truly is inspiring to hear the success stories from those receiving their DTM medallions from their mentors in such a beautiful and honorable ceremony.
• Education. Educational sessions challenge Toastmasters to grow as leaders and communicators.  Also, this conference will feature the finals of the Evaluation Contest where the best evaluators in the state will show off their analytical skills and presentation styles.
• Growth opportunity. Conferences have provided me opportunities to further my conversational skills and other social skills beyond what the club is able to offer.  The Sunday Leadership Breakfast offers the opportunity to pick the brains of seasoned leaders to further your own leadership skills.
• Receive that pat on the back. Gilbert always receives some award or another at each conference and this one will be no exception.  I enjoy hearing our club’s name called and being able to receive the award on behalf of our club.  Additionally, there is the Hall of Fame luncheon where educational milestones are acknowledged.  If you have earned a CC, CL, etc. during the past several months, your name will be called and you may go up to receive the applause you are due, as well as a pin from District 3.  The occasional pat on the back just feels good.

I hope you’ll consider attending the District 3 Fall Conference.  For more information, visit the District 3 website at www.aztoastmasters.org.

Five Presentation Techniques Taught by Randy Pausch

The following is an excerpt from Andrew Dlugan’s review of “The Last Lecture” video.  To read the full article, visithttp://sixminutes.dlugan.com/randy-pausch-last-lecture/.

1. Introduce the Elephant in the Room

Randy Pausch opens his lecture in the best way possible for this lecture, this audience, and this venue — by relieving stress.

Following an easy joke about the title of the lecture series, he introduces the elephant in the room; that is, he spends a minute discussing his pancreatic cancer. Then, he raises the emotion in the room by doing a series of pushups. If he had not opened this way, the audience would have been distracted for the entire lecture, and unable to fully immerse themselves in the powerful lessons to come.

Key Lesson: If there are issues distracting your audience, address them sooner rather than later.

2. Define the Scope

Pausch then proceeds to define the scope of his lecture. He outlines what he will talk about and, more importantly, what he will not talk about.

Declaring the scope is important because it establishes the starting point and the boundaries for your presentation. It brings your audience to the starting point with you, and ensures they are in the right frame of mind to receive the message you are about to deliver.

Ideally, the scope for your presentation will be conveyed to the audience via pre-talk advertising or by your introduction. If this isn’t the case, however, it is worth addressing early in your presentation.

Key Lesson: Before you get into the heart of your talk, frame your speech for the audience.

3. Conclude Strong

As strong as the opening was, I suspect that the conclusion is far more memorable for most people who view this lecture.

Pausch follows conventional advice for a conclusion by summarizing his key points.  He actually provides several “recaps” throughout the speech.

Key Lesson: Finish strong. Leave your audience thinking.

4. Show Enthusiasm. Immerse Yourself.

Randy Pausch smiles and laughs many times in this lecture. Okay, fair enough. That’s not too unusual. However, he also wears an Alice in Wonderland hat, dons a football jacket, does pushups, and gives away stuffed animals.

He could have assumed a very reserved, somber tone for this speech. He could have treated every word as if it were a matter of life or death. But that would have drawn more attention to his condition instead of his core message.

Key Lesson: The audience is more apt to have fun and cherish life if they see you doing so in your speeches.

5. Get Personal

This may seem obvious, but the last lesson I’d like to highlight is to get personal with your audience. Or, phrased in the opposite way, don’t hide your personal side from the audience.

Still, there is a way to tell personal stories while still remaining distant and somewhat clinical. You can tell a story about visiting Disneyland, but if you don’t show a glint in your eye, you’re holding something back.

Key Lesson: Let your guard down. Showing emotion is one of the best ways to connect with an audience.

Public Speaking Trap – Speech Bloat

How Bloated Speeches Are Like Software

When writing a speech, we often try to cram as much information into the speech as possible. This is like computer software companies trying to cram as many features into a program as possible. Like a bloated piece of software that needs a new computer to run correctly, information packed speeches need audiences with the exact same experiences as you to understand what you are trying to tell them. Let me let you in on something, no audience is ever going to have the exact same experiences as you, so your information packed speech is going to fall flat.

Why Bloated Speeches Happen

Your speeches get bloated when you try to make more points then you can appropriately fit into your allotted time. For example, if you have a five to seven minute speech in a Toastmasters club and you try to explain ten major points, you are going to give a bloated speech. Delivering ten major points in a five to seven minute speech is not going to make you look any smarter; on the contrary, it might make you look confused as you rush to fit all of your points into your speech.

How Many Points to Make

Depending on the complexity of the points you are trying to make, you should only attempt to make one point every five to seven minutes. That means in a standard Toastmasters speech, you should make one major point. In a 45 minute keynote, you can raise the number of points to five or seven, but too many more than that and you will be getting into the information bloat.

How to Prevent Speech Bloat

Speech bloat is preventable. In order to make sure you are not trying to cram in too much information, you should attempt to tell one story and make one point in a five to seven minute speech. Please make sure you find a story that is relevant to your point, and then fill it with as much graphic detail that also reinforces your point. Successful speakers do this very well and the results come from the awards they win and the checks they receive for being engaging and entertaining speakers that are remembered and repeated.

When All Else Fails

When all else fails and you have a 5 to 7 minute speech that is filled with “useful” information, cut it in half. Then add supporting detailed stories to get it back to 5 to 7 minutes. Then cut it in half again and go back and add more detail. Doing this simple process will add vivid, memorable stories to your speeches and allow you to be a successful speaker.
About the Author: My Toastmasters Blog is written and edited by Chris Elliott,

http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/12/12/public-speaking-trap-%E2%80%93-speech-bloat/

Evolving Goals & Your Opportunities

My goals were fairly unique when I started seeking out a Toastmasters club.  More than just simple shyness, agoraphobia was on track to ruin my life and I needed a safe, nurturing environment to help me battle it.  I started out with a goal of simply getting out of the house, working on overcome my social handicap, and building my self-confidence.

Over the years, however, my goals have evolved, especially since I have achieved those first two goals and the third is an ongoing process.  My current goals are to continuously challenge myself to grow not only as a speaker, but especially as a leader, and to focus on improving my critical thinking skills.

Think back to the goals you had set for yourself when you first joined.  Have you met any of them?  Have you challenged yourself with a new set of goals?  My tip for you this week is to do just that:  evaluate your originals goals, and set new ones.

You have two great opportunities to create a new set of goals for yourself this time of year – don’t wait till New Years to get started on this.  First, now is the time to submit your check for your dues renewals, if you haven’t already done so, and start another six month term with the club.  Challenge yourself to meet an educational goal (whether it is a communication or leadership goal) over the next six months.

Secondly, officer elections are coming up in just 5 weeks.  Think about what skills and interests you have or that you would like to develop and which office they might align with the most.  Consider challenging yourself in the area of leadership, and serving your club at the same time.

I’ll be sending out descriptions of the various club officer positions soon, but here are the different offices we have to get you thinking now:  President, Vice President Education, Vice President Membership, Vice President Public Relations, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant at Arms.  Be thinking about these opportunities and about your next set of goals!

The Toastmasters Gym

“Often we can achieve an even better result when we stumble yet are willing to start over, when we don’t give up after a mistake, when something doesn’t come easily but we throw ourselves into trying, when we’re not afraid to appear less than perfectly polished. “

— Sharon Salzberg, The O Magazine, The Power of Intention 2004

When I attended Dobson Ranch’s evaluation contest, contestant Paul Brunoforte was asked how long he’d been a Toastmaster.  “Twenty-five years,” Paul responded.  The obvious question followed.  “You’re a fantastic speaker; why do you still come after twenty-five years?”  Paul’s response was something to this effect:

Maybe we aren’t as fit as we’d like to be, or maybe we’d like to lose a few pounds.  So what do we do?  We join a gym.  After we work hard for days, weeks, months, and years, we finally reach our target weight; we are finally able to lift a certain amount in weights; we can finally run as far as we’d like.  What do we do then?  Do we stop going to the gym?  No, because if we do, we’ll lose that fitness level we’ve worked so hard to achieve.  We keep going, to maintain our level of fitness.

Toastmasters works the same way.  We visit and join a club hoping to gain a certain level of communication and leadership fitness.  If we should ever achieve our target fitness level, we stick with it knowing that if we quit, we’ll start to lose it.  We continue to attend Toastmasters to maintain our communication and leadership fitness.

That’s why Paul continues to be a Toastmaster after 25 years.  That’s why Nancy Starr-Cassidy is working on her 5th DTM.  That’s why I will be a Toastmaster for the rest of my life, though I would add to help others achieve their fitness goals.  How about you?

Don’t forget to renew your dues!

President: A Weekly Speaking Opportunity

About six months ago, I did a Tip of the Week about the Sergeant at Arms office and how it offered a weekly speaking opportunity. The only other office with such an offer is the President.

Elections are scheduled for the first week of November, so I’d like you all to start thinking about how you’re going to serve your club in the next term (which runs January 1 through June 30).

The term limit for the President ensures we will have a new president next term. Will that be you? Here’re the benefits I’ve enjoyed during my two terms as President:

• I know ALL our club members’ names and faces and can actually match them up correctly! I’ve always been bad about that, so this is huge for me.
• I feel very comfortable up in front of our club.
• I’ve developed a healthy sense of humor about myself and my shortcomings.
• I’ve been challenged with a few difficult leadership issues I’ve had to deal with, and have had the chance to grow through these issues.
• I’ve learned a little bit about parliamentary procedure (though there’s still room for me to grow in this area).
• I’ve been privileged to work with the best team of Toastmasters and have gotten to know them a whole lot better. It’s been a riot!

I’m sure there are other benefits, but overcoming procrastination is not one of them and I have run out of time to think of them. If you’re interested in the President’s office, let me know and I’ll be happy to talk with you about it.

Toastmasters Moments

I have some over due Toastmasters Moments to share with you from our past few meetings!

Jeremy Vandenbark’s company finally released a product they were developing and since it’s origin,  he’s been designated as the spokesperson for it. In making the video for the product, he was asked to do the voice over. After making the video, one guy asked Jeremy how he was able to express himself so clearly, and he answered, because of Toastmasters! Great job, Jeremy!

Christi Garner got to speak at the SE Valley Toastmasters and now has 9/10 speeches done! She’s also been on several interviews and one went really well! She attributes her great interviewing to Toastmasters.

Liz Shaw was excited to share that her company’s office phones were upgraded, and while no one took the initiative to assign the new phone extensions, Liz did by stepping up to assign them, even while the phones were ringing off the hook.  She  ceased the chaos, and made sure everyone had the right labels for their extensions.

More timelier Toastmasters Moments to come!

Top 10 ways you can help prevent your club President and VPE, and the week’s Toastmaster and General Evaluator from developing a complex

10.  Have spare jokes and words of wisdom on hand.

9.  Have a hip-pocket speech ready.

8.  Be ready to take over any role on a moment’s notice.

7.  When your employer threatens to send you on a trip, let the VPE know when you “may” be out of town.

6.  When you make your vacation plans, let the VPE know when you’ll be out of town.

5.  Expeditiously confirm to the GE or Toastmaster you will be there to fill your role when the confirmation has been requested.

4.  If you don’t already have a role for the week, volunteer for requests for substitutions.

3.  Recruit your own replacement.  Simply sending out a request for a replacement is not where your responsibility ends.  Make sure someone actually responds, and confirm with that person, letting the GE, Toastmasters, and VPE know of the change.

2.  Plan to attend Gilbert Toastmasters each week.

1.  Communicate.  After all, this is a communication and leadership organization.

Know Your Resources

We’re all learning as we go here – from the newest member to the most seasoned Toastmaster – and we could all use a hand every now and then.  As you progress through the Toastmasters program, don’t forget that there are many resources available to you:

• Your mentor. If you don’t have one and would like one, let Liz or I know and we’ll get you one; or if you’ve been around for a little while and you feel you are ready to become a mentor, let Liz or I know.
• Club website. Don’t forget about the club website that I strive to keep relevant, helpful, and up to date, and it is available for in the middle of the night when your mentor is sleeping.  Visit anytime atwww.gilberttm.com.
• Toastmasters International’s website. There is an immense wealth of information on TI’s website.  If you need speech topic ideas, need to choose your next manuals, want to find a way to thank your mentor for his/her service, this is the site for you.  Visit anytime atwww.toastmasters.org.
• Your officers. As Area Governor I’ve been a guest at a lot of other club meetings recently and it really surprises me that so many Toastmasters do not know who their club officers are.  I’m going to randomly quiz people over the next few weeks, just to see if our members follow the same pattern or not, and there may or may not be prizes involved for correct answers.  Don’t forget that we are here to serve you – the members.  Here we are, for your information:
  • President: Emi Bauer
  • VP Education: Liz Shaw
  • VP Membership: Christi Garner
  • VP Public Relations: Cheryl Johannes
  • Secretary: Barbara Harrington
  • Treasurer: Wayne Ottesen
  • Sergeant At Arms: Larry Koehn
• The Toastmaster next to you. If you are at a meeting and are confused about something and your mentor is not available and all the officers are busy, grab the Toastmaster next to you and ask for help.  Chances are they’ve been there before and can help you out.

Together we form a mutually supportive environment with lots of resources around us.  Take the time to get to know your resources – both web resources and your fellow Toastmasters.

Critical Thinking Techniques, Part 5

Here is the final installment in our series on critical thinking techniques. If you would like to read the complete article, visit the author’s site at http://lukeprog.com/science/16_techniques_of_critical_thinking.html. I encourage you to add in your own questions and discover your own applications to improving evaluations.

14. Consider the opposition. Listen to other viewpoints in their own words. Seriously consider their most persuasive arguments. Don’t dismiss them.
Obviously this technique has lots of value when exploring ideas on your own, but most speeches do have some kind of point to make, whether it is controversial or not. Did the speaker’s stories and statements have an impact on you? Which thought or story did you find the most convincing? Did any not add value to the speech? Did the speaker go off on tangents or say things contradictory to the speech point?

15. Recognize cultural assumptions. People from different times and cultures thought much differently than you.
There are obviously many considerations to take with this technique, but I am going to spin this into a more broad Toastmasters application. Speakers should not forget who their audience is. If a speaker chooses a topic that is wholly inappropriate for a mixed audience, such as ours, it would behoove us as evaluators to let him or her know. If you are uncomfortable with the topic and others around you seem to be as well, go ahead and mention that in your evaluation, but be sure to briefly justify your statement, then move on. “I don’t believe this was the most appropriate topic for this audience because… Rather than commenting further about that, I’m going to provide some feedback on your presentation in general.”

16. Be fair, not selfish. Each person’s most basic bias is for themselves.
Once again, I’d like to encourage you to use your evaluation time to provide feedback on the speech, rather than taking time to talk about yourself. The time you spend talking about yourself during an evaluation is time taken away from the speaker’s experience.

There are a lot of techniques to work with here. The goal is to make using them a habit. Incorporate them one or two at a time, focus on them for a while, then add in more. Together we can strive to be like the first-time evaluator Liz mentioned and give the best evaluations someone else has ever seen.