Mentoring

      In Toastmasters, most of the mentors are mentees or protégés themselves. A mentor is a member who provides guidance and support to protégé to reach his or her goals. They are positive, supportive, dependable, and caring.  Coaching is different from mentoring. Protégé in mentoring determines the tasks and steps of accomplishment. Coaching has more skill-specific involvement.

      Now, who is a protégé? A protégé is a member who seeks guidance and support from a mentor to reach his or her goals. Members with years of experience can benefit from a mentor's support as much as a new member working toward his or her first speech. Having a mentor benefits me a lot.

     In Pathways, members learn about mentorship in the “Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring” project at Level 2. There is also the Pathways Mentor Program. After completing a short-term mentorship, the skills are applied to commit to a longer, six-month mentorship. After completion of the Pathways Mentor Program, the member receives a certificate. In addition, Toastmasters and Base Camp profiles will show that the member is a designated Pathways Mentor.

Icebreaker

My intention of joining Toastmasters was to improve upon my public speaking skills.

I am a great listener, but when it comes to speaking, I have great fear. Also, when I am

in any social gathering, I have a hard time talking to people. 

In Toastmasters, we learn to become better communicators through public speaking practice and taking different leadership roles. It is a very supportive environment to practice speaking and leadership skills.

The icebreaker speech is a very memorable speech for the speaker as this is the first speech in Toastmasters. This may sometimes be very nerve-racking. In the icebreaker speech, the speaker introduces himself or herself.

I remember my icebreaker speech. I was very nervous standing behind the lectern with both hands tightly holding the table. I chose the title ‘ Close to my Heart’. I talked about my mother and how I am feeling her presence throughout my journey of life. I lost my mother when I was three, how I carry her memories through others' experiences. After my speech, I received many encouraging comments from fellow members for the delivery of my speech.

 I have given many speeches after my icebreaker speech, and I know I have a lot to improve, but my icebreaker speech is still special. 

What was your icebreaker speech like?

- Nidhi

Goals to Think

 

Many of us have felt uncertainty in the year 2020. At the end of the year we thought, were we able to achieve the goals we made at the beginning of the year? It is ok to feel this way as last year many goals were changed or not achieved, then there were goals which we achieved too! Some situations are still uncertain in this year, but the new year brings new beginnings and new enthusiasm to set new goals or complete the old ones. No matter what, 2020 gave us enough time for self reflection and growth. 

Now, the first step in making goals is to think about what to achieve and write it down. If it seems bigger, break it down into smaller goals. Plan how you will achieve your goal/goals. Then start making efforts to achieve. Once the goal is accomplished, celebrate!

What do you think, how are your goals different in 2021 or are they the same?

- Nidhi

Perseverance to Accomplish

 

In the past meeting, which was the first meeting of the new year, I shared a speech about my project in Pathways. 

Pathways is a program offered by Toastmasters International for a person to enhance their public speaking skills. There are eleven paths offered and to learn more about Pathways, enter the link, www.Toastmasters.org. Each path has five levels and each level has few projects. To choose a path a member takes an online assessment.

I am at level 4 in the Visionary Communication Path. In my speech, I shared that I have resumed writing in the blog to complete my project. I started this project in the middle of 2019 and by the end of 2020, I thought that either I have to leave it or complete it. I decided to continue and soon I will accomplish the goal of completing this project.

How do you persevere for the incomplete task that you think you have to do to feel contentment, satisfaction, and accomplishment for that goal?

- Nidhi

Magical Snow

One winter afternoon I went shopping at the mall. After shopping I walked back to my car and suddenly it started snowing. I stopped and watched the magical snow. The tiny flakes of snow looked very beautiful when they were falling from the sky. Some of them became crystal clear on my black coat. I tried catching them and watched the snowflakes quickly melt in my hands. The snow reminded me of one of my childhood memory. 

Once, I saw a painting made by my sister. In the painting there were houses with slanting roofs and snow falling in the night sky.  As a little girl, the snow in the painting seemed magical to me. I would ask myself, will I ever see snowfall?

Now, here I am standing outside the mall looking at the magical snowflakes and remembering my childhood memory. I quickly went inside my car to go home.

What is your childhood memory?

Meeting Roles

      Sally and Becky the two friends would like to improve upon their public speaking skills. Sally asked Becky, “Do you know a place where we can learn public speaking?” Becky said, “Yes, I have heard of Toastmasters, where we can practice our public speaking.”

They both found a Toastmasters Club nearby and went the next day to attend a meeting. They were welcomed by the member of the leadership team at the front desk. They wrote their names in the guest book with their contact information.

The meeting started promptly on time, and Sally and Becky were given the agenda of the meeting. This is where they became aware of the different roles at the meeting. The Toastmaster of the meeting conducted the meeting with a theme and made sure that the meeting started and ended on time. Since timing is very important in life, to practice this skill, the Timer timed the prepared speeches, evaluations and impromptu speeches. Since, we unknowingly use add-on words in the sentences when we speak, the Ah-counter counted the crutch words used in the meeting. To increase the club member’s vocabulary the Wordmaster introduced the word of the day. Occasionally, there is improper use of grammar and sometimes, the speakers take an extra step and make exemplary use of grammar, the Grammarian makes the notes for those sentences. 

The meeting consisted of a few prepared speeches, table topics, and speech evaluations. After the speeches were done, Sally and Becky listened while members of the club, Evaluators – each assigned to a different Speaker – gave their evaluations of the prepared speeches.  Sally was happy to find that the evaluations were positive, encouraging and designed to make the speaker want to get up and speak again.  The evaluations were not criticism, per se, but constructive opinions that were happily received by the speakers.  It helped not only the speakers alone but the entire group to learn how to provide an effective feedback and what they can improve upon in their next speaking projects.

Table Topics were impromptu speeches. This part of the meeting was run by the Table Topics Master. The Table Topics Master asked questions based on the meeting theme. Sally and Becky got the opportunity to speak. They both were thrilled to be a Table Topics Speaker and at the same time they both found how nervous it could be when you give an impromptu talk. It gave them more confidence to join the club.

Sally and Becky enjoyed the meeting thoroughly. They found that Toastmasters would be a place where they would practice their leadership and communication skills. They departed, waiting eagerly for the next meeting.

An Ant, Me, and a Mango Tree

   My father has a big mango farm in India. When I was a little girl, one day in the summertime, I went with my family to the farm. Everywhere I looked, I saw lots of mango trees. I noticed there were mangoes on the trees, as well as on the ground.  I placed my little chair under a large mango tree and sat down. Curiously, I started counting the mangoes- one, two, three... Suddenly, a colony of ants caught my attention. They were trying to climb up the tree. As I looked closer, they were trying to go into a little hole in the tree trunk. 

   One ant especially caught my attention as she was carrying a piece of leaf much bigger than her size. She was holding a piece of leaf tightly between its antennas and trying to climb up. She was shaking but was making every single effort to climb up. Suddenly the wind blew and the leaf fell down on the ground. With that, the ant fell too. I was so sad. I got up from my chair and followed the ant inquisitively. As I was looking very closely, I saw she was trying to pick herself up, and was trying to hold that piece of leaf. With some effort, she succeeded, and this time held the leaf more firmly and strongly between her antennae, and then resumed her journey up the tree trunk.

   My journey with Toastmasters started in October of 2016 with the intention of improving upon my communication skills, and to be a better speaker. Slowly I started to understand different roles in a meeting. I started the Competent Communication Manual to give speeches. When I gave my speeches, I would feel very nervous. I would shake and tremble.  Regardless, and most importantly, after the speeches I would get constructive feedback, and this motivated me to move on. I also started the Competent Leadership Manual. I started taking the role of the timer and slowly was also getting familiar with the roles of table topic master, speech evaluator and so on. 

   As the next Toastmaster year arrived, 2017-18, I was encouraged by the leadership team to take the role of the Secretary. I completed the Competent Communication Manual. I knew I was doing more than I was used to; however, I had the inspiration from my childhood of that little ant which was carrying the large piece of leaf much bigger than her size. I kept on going with perseverance and determination.  Then I completed the Competent Leadership Manual and subsequently earned Advanced Leadership Bronze.

  Therefore, I was able to earn three educational awards in the same Toastmasters’ year and received the Triple Crown. I was feeling the sense of accomplishment which the ant might have felt after reaching the hole in the tree trunk with the large piece of leaf. This memory keeps me motivated and reminds me to never give up and keep trying! 

- Nidhi