Toastmasters is a "Speaking Mirror"

There are many great qualities about being a member and attending a Toastmasters meeting on a regular basis. Regardless of your speaking skill or experience, Toastmaster has something to learn for everyone and at any level. For me Toastmasters is  a “speaking mirror.”


Often people mention how well I speak. It is a quality I noticed I had since I was in high school. As much as I did not “like” the idea of Speech and Debate classes, I did rather well. Nonetheless, despite how well people think I speak, I still have areas of refinement. And there is no better place to deeply see who and how we are as speakers than Toastmasters.
       
In most cases people enjoy to hear me speak. However, I do not get any usable feedback other than how much they enjoyed the experience. At Toastmasters, the role of listening is also a high end area of refinement. This feedback helps the speaker sharpen skills and “dull” areas alike.


Three areas of speaking where I need a bit of work are my time, my content, and my rehearsal time. I tend to go over time, have too much to say, and do not rehearse enough. These three aspects are interrelated. Working on one helps the others. But where does one really get that chance. And if they find it, how often does that opportunity arise?


Every week if you are a Toastmaster.


I want to speak better. To have the opportunity to speak with active listeners who are present to help and support is priceless. Each week I have the chance to grow as a speaker, a person, and a leader. There are people there who also want to help. They let me see the parts of my speaking I do not see. Maybe I do not want to see and am in denial.


No matter, when at Toastmasters I am “hearing” in my speaking mirror.


And I like what that mirror has to say.
-Alejandro Anastasio

Glossophobia

Does this scare you?

As part of Toastmasters International's re-branding they've acknowledged that leaders are speakers and speakers are leaders.  The two go hand-in-hand.

How many times have you been in a school, work, or social group where the group's leadership defaults to whomever is willing to speak up?  It is only natural to default leadership to those willing to speak.

Leadership by volume really limit's a group's overall success.  In order for a an individual or a group to succeed, it needs to communicate.  Most people are just fine communicating with a very small group, but as a group gets larger, their fear of speaking inhibits their ability to communicate.  We even have a term for this phenomena: Glossophobia.

From wikipedia:

Symptoms include:

• intense anxiety prior to, or simply at the thought of having to verbally communicate with any group,
• avoidance of events which focus the group's attention on individuals in attendance,
• physical distress, nausea, or feelings of panic in such circumstances.

Estimated 75% of all speakers experience some degree of anxiety/nervousness when public speaking.

I hadn't read the glossophobia entry in it's entirety before starting this post, but I wasn't surprised to see that wikipedia had Toastmasters International listed first as an organization offering "training courses in public speaking help reduce the fear to manageable levels."

Think about it.  What is the best way to overcome a fear?  Education and practice.  Toastmasters Club 61 meets every Tuesday giving members and visitors alike a small amount of education and practice in public speaking & other leadership skills.

We aren't the only club in the Treasure Valley.  You can visit the Toastmasters International website to find a club near you.

Toastmasters Helped Me Find My Voice

I joined Toastmasters four years ago after giving a presentation to over 100 people at work. I categorize this presentation as “blacked out speaking”. I can’t remember a word that I said, but can still remember the confused looks on a lot of peoples faces. Last week I had a presentation at work in front of 85 people. This was my first opportunity to speak in front of this group since my “blacked out speaking” presentation four years earlier. I saw this presentation as my chance to redeem myself.

The Director of my department was getting ready to introduce and all I could think about was, “don’t pass out.” As soon as I clicked on my microphone the game was on. All of the speaking skills I’ve learned at Toastmasters the last four years kicked in. I rocked that presentation! Many people came up to me after the presentation and asked, “Did you take a speaking class?” At that point I told them how invaluable I’ve found Toastmasters to be. Not only in speaking, but in building my leadership skillsl. Then I of course told them to come to a meeting sometime.

Thank you, Toastmasters!

Aimee Assendrup

Boise Club 61 President