I think you will find this video of a Toastmasters International Speech contestant meaningful on several levels. Consider 'The Empty Chair' as it relates to your life and to your membership in Boca Raton Toastmasters.
John Schneyer
VPE
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Evaluate to Motivate
John Schneyer delivering 'Evaluate to Motivate' from the Successful Club Series
Click the black box to see the video
Click the black box to see the video
Would You Like to Break a World Record?
Fellow Toastmasters, a unique opportunity has come our way. District 47 is organizing an attempt to set the world record for the longest, non-stop speekathon and we have been invited to be a part of the effort! Wouldn’t you like to hold a world record?
This will be a great way to publicize Toastmasters (hint, VPPR), sign-up new members (hint, VPM), gain experience in front of other audiences (hint, all members), etc.
Beginning Thursday 6/10 going through Sunday 6/13, we will be going for a target of 80 hours!
Here are some details:
We need to have someone speaking at all times during the attempt with no more than 30 seconds between speakers
All speeches must be at least 5 minutes long; that includes evaluations. Speeches can be longer than that, way longer if you want an can. This is a great opportunity to give some speeches from advanced manuals but, you don't have to do a manual speech. You could give a training class, seminar, sales pitch, etc.
While you can give the same speech more than once, you can not give it more than once every 4 hours.
All speeches have to be logged in our official log book - speaker name, speech title, time
All speeches will be recorded with video to document the attempt
2 timers with stop watches must be present at all times
We need volunteers - speakers, evaluators, organizers, coordinators, promotion, publicity, etc. We need shifts of independent witnesses who are neither participating in giving speeches at all nor are related to anyone involved.
What I want from you:
Let me know right away how much you will contribute to this effort. How many speeches, how long, how many hours you can sit as an audience member.
If you are going to speak, we ask that you also contribute your time in another capacity. Remember that we need to go round the clock so, expect to be speaking and working sometimes in the wee hours of the night and early morning.
I suggest that we break this down a little and see how many hours we as a club can commit to and then fill them any way we can. We will need to be able to jump in if something happens and a speaker cannot go on (think looong table topics).
I am personally ready to provide several hours of speaking on a range of topics that I teach.
More information will be coming out shortly but, time is short and I need to know who is interested. Get back to me right away.
John Schneyer
VPE
This will be a great way to publicize Toastmasters (hint, VPPR), sign-up new members (hint, VPM), gain experience in front of other audiences (hint, all members), etc.
Beginning Thursday 6/10 going through Sunday 6/13, we will be going for a target of 80 hours!
Here are some details:
We need to have someone speaking at all times during the attempt with no more than 30 seconds between speakers
All speeches must be at least 5 minutes long; that includes evaluations. Speeches can be longer than that, way longer if you want an can. This is a great opportunity to give some speeches from advanced manuals but, you don't have to do a manual speech. You could give a training class, seminar, sales pitch, etc.
While you can give the same speech more than once, you can not give it more than once every 4 hours.
All speeches have to be logged in our official log book - speaker name, speech title, time
All speeches will be recorded with video to document the attempt
2 timers with stop watches must be present at all times
We need volunteers - speakers, evaluators, organizers, coordinators, promotion, publicity, etc. We need shifts of independent witnesses who are neither participating in giving speeches at all nor are related to anyone involved.
What I want from you:
Let me know right away how much you will contribute to this effort. How many speeches, how long, how many hours you can sit as an audience member.
If you are going to speak, we ask that you also contribute your time in another capacity. Remember that we need to go round the clock so, expect to be speaking and working sometimes in the wee hours of the night and early morning.
I suggest that we break this down a little and see how many hours we as a club can commit to and then fill them any way we can. We will need to be able to jump in if something happens and a speaker cannot go on (think looong table topics).
I am personally ready to provide several hours of speaking on a range of topics that I teach.
More information will be coming out shortly but, time is short and I need to know who is interested. Get back to me right away.
John Schneyer
VPE
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Successful Club Series- Setting the Stage for Success: Meeting Roles and Responsibilities
John Schneyer delivering the Successful Club Series- Setting the Stage for Success: Meeting Roles and Responsibilities to the Boca Raton Toastmasters 5/4/2010.
Click the image below to watch the video.
Click the image below to watch the video.
 |
| From Toastmasters 5-4-2010 |
Filling Meeting Roles
This is my weekly Vice President, Education post. You can find information on filling meetng roles on the Toastmasters International site here.
You are the Toastmaster for an upcoming meeting, how do you get the meeting roles filled? You expect everyone has joined because they buy into Toastmasters. They want to speak and lead and learn how to do both better. But does that mean they will volunteer? Does it mean they are available? Does it mean they communicate the same way you like to?
The answer to all three of these questions is often, No! As a Toastmaster, we all have to stretch from our comfort zones every once in a while. That applies to how we fill meeting roles as well.
Last night, Karen Novek approached everyone as they came into the meeting. She had a clipboard and roster for next week's meeting. She asked everyone to fill a role, gave choices, and information about the roles. Well done Karen! If you have ever felt overwhelmed by the number of e-mails you get looking to fill meeting roles, you will probably appreciate what Karen did last night. I expect I will get fewer e-mails this week as a result.
We seem sometimes to fall into the expectation that sending out an e-mail and having the roster available online should work all the time for everyone. We are a very diverse group in many ways. We come from different countries, speak different languages, and have different social norms. That's one of the big advantages I see from our club. It also means, we have to s-t-r-e-t-c-h sometimes in order to be effective.
If you send an e-mail and don't get a response, how about making a phone call? How about starting your planning early enough that you can get members to volunteer face-to-face at a meeting like Karen did last night?
When you take a little time, it's not hard to get the responses you want. Our club always comes through one way or another.
Knowing how many roles available each week makes it easy to find one that fits your needs. Don't wait for an e-mail, phone call, or personal visit, sign-up today using our online roster. Click here to reserve your place for future meetings:
Online Roster
Have a great week!
John Schneyer
Vice President, Education
You are the Toastmaster for an upcoming meeting, how do you get the meeting roles filled? You expect everyone has joined because they buy into Toastmasters. They want to speak and lead and learn how to do both better. But does that mean they will volunteer? Does it mean they are available? Does it mean they communicate the same way you like to?
The answer to all three of these questions is often, No! As a Toastmaster, we all have to stretch from our comfort zones every once in a while. That applies to how we fill meeting roles as well.
Last night, Karen Novek approached everyone as they came into the meeting. She had a clipboard and roster for next week's meeting. She asked everyone to fill a role, gave choices, and information about the roles. Well done Karen! If you have ever felt overwhelmed by the number of e-mails you get looking to fill meeting roles, you will probably appreciate what Karen did last night. I expect I will get fewer e-mails this week as a result.
We seem sometimes to fall into the expectation that sending out an e-mail and having the roster available online should work all the time for everyone. We are a very diverse group in many ways. We come from different countries, speak different languages, and have different social norms. That's one of the big advantages I see from our club. It also means, we have to s-t-r-e-t-c-h sometimes in order to be effective.
If you send an e-mail and don't get a response, how about making a phone call? How about starting your planning early enough that you can get members to volunteer face-to-face at a meeting like Karen did last night?
When you take a little time, it's not hard to get the responses you want. Our club always comes through one way or another.
Knowing how many roles available each week makes it easy to find one that fits your needs. Don't wait for an e-mail, phone call, or personal visit, sign-up today using our online roster. Click here to reserve your place for future meetings:
Online Roster
Have a great week!
John Schneyer
Vice President, Education
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
10 Tips on Using the Competent Leadership Program
Fellow Toastmasters, this is my weekly Vice President of Education post.
We tend to focus on our prepared speeches and, sometimes, that means we neglect the value of working through the Competent Leadership (CL) manual.
By working through the CL projects, we have opportunities to learn and stretch our comfort zones. Each project focuses on different leadership aspects primarily through meeting roles but also some more involved work such as being a Contest Chair or running a Membership Drive.
Make no mistake about it though, this is not just a "checklist" of tasks to be crossed off in a race to complete the manual. It is a learning and development tool requiring careful consideration of each project.
Please see me or your mentor if you have any questions on using these projects to further your goals both within and outside Toastmasters.
You can find more information on the Competent Leadership program on the Toastmasters.org site by clicking here. I have copied the article below for your convenience.
John Schneyer, VPE
10 Tips on Using the CL Program
“My club found every part of the CL manual very useful. There's no doubt that it really serves its purpose of developing new leaders.”
-Voltaire R. Victoria, DTM
So, what’s the deal with the CL program?
The Competent Leadership (CL) manual gives you an opportunity to learn and practice leadership skills by serving in club roles. It will help you gain self-confidence and skills that will help you in many ways: academically, professionally and personally. The CL manual offers training in time management, organization, planning and critical thinking – all of which can be applied to everyday life.
Consider this: If the CL manual can help a club run more efficiently and successfully, and it can also help club members to improve their lives, why wouldn’t your club leaders pursue it? Sometimes, a little promotion from a fellow Toastmaster can help smooth the way. In case you’re finding it a little difficult to get the ball rolling with your VPE or other officers, here are ten quick tips from Toastmasters members that you can use to help promote the Competent Leadership manual:
1. At each club meeting, have one member assigned as the CL evaluator. By having an assigned evaluator, you ensure member progress in the CL manual.
2. Increase member awareness by requiring that members bring their Competent Leadership manuals to every club meeting.
3. Does your club have a sample copy of the Competent Leadership manual on display at every meeting? Keeping an extra copy on hand means you’ll have one available for guests to peruse or for new members to borrow.
4. Make sure that you recognize your members when they participate in the CL manual. Award a member with a ribbon when she’s halfway through and make an announcement when that person completes the manual. Let her know you appreciate the special care and preparation that she took with each meeting role.
5. Encourage the president and VPE of your club to promote the CL manual at each club meeting. Emphasize how the manual functions as a valuable learning tool – training each member on the different roles of the meeting and helping them build beneficial skills for the working world and daily life.
6. Place equal importance on the leadership and communication tracks in your club by including accreditations for both tracks in all correspondence, agendas and programs for your club.
7. Use the Competent Leadership Achievement Chart! Post it on the wall during meetings and keep it up-to-date. Draw attention to the successes listed on the chart.
8. For every speech a member gives, your club can request that he perform and receive evaluations on at least three meeting roles.
9. Does your club have a newsletter or Web site? Post a reminder to members to bring their manuals. Also, your club can post a congratulatory list of those who have completed the manual.
10. Ask each member who achieves the CL award to mentor a new member in the manual.
These tips will help make the CL manual a natural and easy part of your club’s meetings. When the CL manual is second nature to the members of your club, you’ll be pleasantly and easily learning leadership skills that help you everyday.
We tend to focus on our prepared speeches and, sometimes, that means we neglect the value of working through the Competent Leadership (CL) manual.
By working through the CL projects, we have opportunities to learn and stretch our comfort zones. Each project focuses on different leadership aspects primarily through meeting roles but also some more involved work such as being a Contest Chair or running a Membership Drive.
Make no mistake about it though, this is not just a "checklist" of tasks to be crossed off in a race to complete the manual. It is a learning and development tool requiring careful consideration of each project.
Please see me or your mentor if you have any questions on using these projects to further your goals both within and outside Toastmasters.
You can find more information on the Competent Leadership program on the Toastmasters.org site by clicking here. I have copied the article below for your convenience.
John Schneyer, VPE
10 Tips on Using the CL Program
“My club found every part of the CL manual very useful. There's no doubt that it really serves its purpose of developing new leaders.”
-Voltaire R. Victoria, DTM
So, what’s the deal with the CL program?
The Competent Leadership (CL) manual gives you an opportunity to learn and practice leadership skills by serving in club roles. It will help you gain self-confidence and skills that will help you in many ways: academically, professionally and personally. The CL manual offers training in time management, organization, planning and critical thinking – all of which can be applied to everyday life.
Consider this: If the CL manual can help a club run more efficiently and successfully, and it can also help club members to improve their lives, why wouldn’t your club leaders pursue it? Sometimes, a little promotion from a fellow Toastmaster can help smooth the way. In case you’re finding it a little difficult to get the ball rolling with your VPE or other officers, here are ten quick tips from Toastmasters members that you can use to help promote the Competent Leadership manual:
1. At each club meeting, have one member assigned as the CL evaluator. By having an assigned evaluator, you ensure member progress in the CL manual.
2. Increase member awareness by requiring that members bring their Competent Leadership manuals to every club meeting.
3. Does your club have a sample copy of the Competent Leadership manual on display at every meeting? Keeping an extra copy on hand means you’ll have one available for guests to peruse or for new members to borrow.
4. Make sure that you recognize your members when they participate in the CL manual. Award a member with a ribbon when she’s halfway through and make an announcement when that person completes the manual. Let her know you appreciate the special care and preparation that she took with each meeting role.
5. Encourage the president and VPE of your club to promote the CL manual at each club meeting. Emphasize how the manual functions as a valuable learning tool – training each member on the different roles of the meeting and helping them build beneficial skills for the working world and daily life.
6. Place equal importance on the leadership and communication tracks in your club by including accreditations for both tracks in all correspondence, agendas and programs for your club.
7. Use the Competent Leadership Achievement Chart! Post it on the wall during meetings and keep it up-to-date. Draw attention to the successes listed on the chart.
8. For every speech a member gives, your club can request that he perform and receive evaluations on at least three meeting roles.
9. Does your club have a newsletter or Web site? Post a reminder to members to bring their manuals. Also, your club can post a congratulatory list of those who have completed the manual.
10. Ask each member who achieves the CL award to mentor a new member in the manual.
These tips will help make the CL manual a natural and easy part of your club’s meetings. When the CL manual is second nature to the members of your club, you’ll be pleasantly and easily learning leadership skills that help you everyday.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Successful Club Series - Mentoring
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