Last week a friend asked for some advice on starting a new Toastmasrer club in her community. I had the following to offer her:
It's a great idea indeed to start a new club. Your leadership skills will be polished while giving you more opportunities to practic public speaking.
There is no minimum requirement to start a new club. This will, however, give you a credit towards AL-Silver even if you haven't completed prior projects yet.
If you already have some connections where you want to host your weekly meetings (as in borough council), it'll make things easier. But if not, you will have to take the following steps that I learned from my experience of trial-and-errors:
1) do a "market research". See if u have a sizable audience.
2) talk to community leaders.
3) decide most accessable place and time.
4) contact TM high-ups (area gov etc. )
5) make a strong PR plan.
6) gather few potential members and take their commitment to join.
7) execute!!
In the end, I recommended that she visit new clubs (like SAP's) and get the real feeling of what environment is needed to get a club up and running.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Reader's Block
Last week I wrote about Writer's Block. A friend left me a comment in Buzz (newest addition to Google's family) and suggested that I write about what he called "Reader's Block". Well, my friend, here you go.
Reader's Block, as he defined for me, is when you have so much to read that you don't know where to start. With a plethora of emails in your personal and work inbox, articles you have bookmarked to read later, books in your to-read list that you are so guilty about, and not to mention friends' facebook updates, blogs (with an exception of this one ;) ... and the list goes on, you don't know what to read first, if at all.
For a Toastmaster, at least, I know how to break this block. Their top priority should the draft of the upcoming speech! After that, read material that pertains to the speech, like what would give stories about the speech subject.
For a non-toastie, I can suggest that you read what would help you in the forthcoming activity of work/life. For example, if you are going to meet a group friends, get a quick glimpse of their facebook (or Buzz) updates. If you have a business meeting coming up, read, by all means, your office emails, and then any other document necessary.
More tips on breaking the Reader's Block in later posts.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Reader's Block, as he defined for me, is when you have so much to read that you don't know where to start. With a plethora of emails in your personal and work inbox, articles you have bookmarked to read later, books in your to-read list that you are so guilty about, and not to mention friends' facebook updates, blogs (with an exception of this one ;) ... and the list goes on, you don't know what to read first, if at all.
For a Toastmaster, at least, I know how to break this block. Their top priority should the draft of the upcoming speech! After that, read material that pertains to the speech, like what would give stories about the speech subject.
For a non-toastie, I can suggest that you read what would help you in the forthcoming activity of work/life. For example, if you are going to meet a group friends, get a quick glimpse of their facebook (or Buzz) updates. If you have a business meeting coming up, read, by all means, your office emails, and then any other document necessary.
More tips on breaking the Reader's Block in later posts.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Writer's Block
Only second post and I m facing this daunting condition all too well known to writers: Writer's Block. So I decided to give Writer's Block a blow in the face and write /about/ it.
Writer's Block is simply(!) when a writer sits down to write a piece but ideas are blocked out and the blank computer screen stares at them.
Soon after I joined Toastmasters, I encountred this situation when I had to write my first Moment of Reflection. Though it's a small speech, a good idea is nevertheless required to have a good form.
And for CC projects... !! You not only have to come up with an initial idea but also to have enough examples and facts to build your speech.
Through time, however, I developed some tricks to avoid this monster in every writer's world. Here is one of those tricks: Start writing whatever! It doesn't matter if it's about a completely bizzarre subject, or even just random words. Once you have your fingers moving, ideas will start flowing in. Before too late you will have a crystal clear idea that you will love to write about...
... and this blog post is a living proof that this trick works! ;-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Writer's Block is simply(!) when a writer sits down to write a piece but ideas are blocked out and the blank computer screen stares at them.
Soon after I joined Toastmasters, I encountred this situation when I had to write my first Moment of Reflection. Though it's a small speech, a good idea is nevertheless required to have a good form.
And for CC projects... !! You not only have to come up with an initial idea but also to have enough examples and facts to build your speech.
Through time, however, I developed some tricks to avoid this monster in every writer's world. Here is one of those tricks: Start writing whatever! It doesn't matter if it's about a completely bizzarre subject, or even just random words. Once you have your fingers moving, ideas will start flowing in. Before too late you will have a crystal clear idea that you will love to write about...
... and this blog post is a living proof that this trick works! ;-)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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