From fear to fluency: Toastmasters Journey

Practice

Is it possible to overcome the fear of public speaking?

Is it possible to deliver presentations that resonate with the audience and persuade them to align with your vision?

Is it possible to inspire a team to embark on an uncharted journey?

I trust your answer would be a resounding yes, yes, and yes.

If so, the next question is how and what goes into the process to achieve this?

Let me share the journey of an athlete representing their country at the Olympics, which happens every four years. Surveys have found that 85% of participants' preparation involves:

• Approximately 10,000 hours of practice (on average, four hours a day for seven continuous years)

• Listening to and implementing positive and supportive feedback from mentors/coaches

• Focusing on physical and mental health for the big day

Medal winners are not born with their talents; they prepare themselves to deliver their true potential. Practice plays a crucial role in expertise across various fields, including music, art, and research. Similarly, practice, mentoring, and feedback can transform ordinary speakers into the most eloquent and inspiring leaders.

With this vision, the late Dr. Ralph Smedley established the non-profit organization Toastmasters International. This platform allows individuals to come together under one umbrella called a club, where they can learn one skill and one technique at a time, cumulatively becoming masters of presentation.

Toastmaster International Pathway

The Toastmasters International Pathways program, with five levels and three to four speech projects per level, elevates confidence, creativity, and courage. A typical Toastmasters club meeting has three segments:

• Prepared speeches by individual club members ( duration 5 to 7 min)

• Table Topics (impromptu speaking – 1 to 2 minutes) for guests and members

• Evaluation Session: Feedback by an evaluator on prepared speeches ( duration 2-3 min)

Additionally, other members contribute by taking on silent roles such as timer, word master, Ah counter, grammarian, general evaluator, trivia master, and joke master.

Find club near you - https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club

Learning from Toastmaster

Expert Voice

Matt Abrahams, Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and host of the top-ranked podcast Think Fast Talk Smart: The Podcast firmly believes that the only true vaccine fear the fear of public speaking is joining a Toastmasters club. Members join to excel at effective communication and, as a valuable byproduct, become expert listeners.

One out of Eleven

Based on their goals and priorities, members choose one of eleven paths designed to help them excel in five core competencies:

• Pubic speaking

• Interpersonal communication

• Strategic leadership

• Management

• Confidence

Explore more about Toastmasters

https://www.toastmasters.org/

https://www.youtube.com/@toastmasters

District 127 Toastmasters

https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/news-and-announcements/podcasts