President's Tip of the Week

Club Standards - Your Opportunity for Leadership
(4/3/08)

Toastmasters International (TI) has researched the ingredients that make the difference between a good club and a great club, and they have identified 10 key factors. I am going to share these with you in a series of Tips of the Week, with a particular focus on how every member contributes to Gilbert Toastmasters success.

Standard 1: Meetings are showcase events.

Admit it. You hate most meetings at work. They are boring, people come unprepared, and worst of all, most meetings are a waste of time. Toastmasters meetings strive to be an exception to the rule. Here are the ingredients that transform meetings into showcase events.

• Meetings start and end on time. They are fast-paced. Although the President, Sergeant-at-Arms, Toastmaster, Topicmaster and General Evaluator are the major players here, every member plays a role. People reporting on Toastmaster Moments should hold themselves to about a minute so as to allow others the opportunity to share. Functionaries should introduce their function and give their reports in an interesting yet concise manner. Speakers, evaluators, and table topic speakers should follow their time guidelines. It takes everyone working as a team to create this ingredient.
• Meetings flow smoothly with no awkward transitions. Thanks to our VPE, we have an agenda that does most of the work toward this ingredient. If you are a functionary, however, you should check the agenda before the meeting. We have made a lot of changes recently in an effort to improve our club standards. If you have questions, ask the VPE or President before the meeting for clarification.
• Participants are prepared. If you are going to speak at a meeting, whether you are serving as a functionary or reporting on a Toastmasters Moment, you should be preparing in advance. If you don't have a function, then be prepared to be called on for Table Topics. You may not know the question in advance, but you can do some mental preparation so that you are ready to be an enthusiastic contributor to the meeting.