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The Plan by Edward Babino, VP Membership
How do you figure out how your club is viewed? The best way to know would be to just ask.
We started with a brief survey of questions to understand what our peers think of our club. Or if they even knew about Nationstar Speaks in their building.
The results were very helpful. We identified that employees simply do not have time to attend our meetings or they have no interest. And they have no interest because they do not know what Toastmasters is or what our meetings are about.
Or, they simply do not see the benefit of attending. As communication experts, it was easy to see the best way to get people’s attention: clear up the misunderstanding.
If people cannot or will not attend our meeting, then let’s bring the meeting to them. Let’s give them a glimpse of what they’re missing out on. If they never saw the benefit in what we do, let’s change their minds!
Most departments put on a floor meeting for which all attendance is mandatory. We realized if we could attend as guest speakers, we could simulate our meetings for everyone that way.
We’re confident that once we get our message across on their turf, they will happily walk on ours later.
The Performance by Joyce Trimble
10 minute scripts were written to present a glimpse into a meeting. Roles were limited to the Presiding Officer, Toastmaster, Timer, and one Speaker.
Our first “gig” was organized by the department AVP, Kimberly Milligan. She braved her first speech, “Life/Work Balance” in front of peers. No added pressure there! Joyce Trimble combined the Presiding Officer and Toastmaster role into one; Maria Ortiz was the timer, and Brett Barrow and Aria Graham handed out visitors cards. We feel certain we will have many visitors as a result of this new initiative of the Nationstar Speaks Tours! We already have a request for a second “gig” in February.
Watch for Nationstar Speaks on tour in your area as members earn credits towards their Communication and Competent Leader designations.
