Chadstone Oaks Toastmasters

Initially, I joined Toastmasters for work purposes.  At the time, I needed to chair a meeting for senior management.  It was very intimidating because I lacked the experience of speaking in front of group of people.  I was also a junior team leader at the time and I felt I lacked the connection with the team.  So I had two big questions; 1. Can I be a good leader? 2. How do I communicate effectively with the company’s executives?  I came to Toastmasters seeking for solutions.

I initially joined two clubs, Monash Toastmasters and Chadstone Oaks Toastmasters.  They are both great clubs. However, due to time constraints, I could only remain in Chadstone Oaks. You see, despite being a new member at the time, I was given the chance to be a part of Chadstone Oak’s executive committee and I took it with both hands! This shows you that in Chadstone Oaks, anyone can take up leadership positions, regardless of experience.

What I have learnt so far?

Confidence to talk in front of people. It applies to both work and personal life.

Connections with the audience. They say that to be a good speaker, you also need to be a good listener. I started to notice that since joining Toastmasters, I have become a good listener.  I give credit to the Hark master and Evaluator roles that I have been participating.  Being a good listener also makes conversations with friends/colleagues more enjoyable!

Good with time in all occasions.  I started to be better at estimating time when approaching someone for a conversation; it is not hard to estimate how the long conversations have gone on for when I have prepared so many speeches!

Read more/gain knowledge since I have to collect topics for the next speech. I noticed that I started to collect news items and things that happens to me on a day-to-day basis. I then try to compose them into little stories in a structured way. In addition to that, I tend to read more these days as I need more materials for my speeches.  When reading, I started to pay attention to how the writer picked the title for the article in order to grab the reader’s attention.

Improved management/organizational skills.  As one of the committee members, I have improved so much in my management skills. It is down on me that if I attend an event these days, I will start to notice things like: do they have people there to greet the guests, is the MC doing a good job, do they have good presentations on display etc.  In addition to that, by participating as one of the committee members, it empowers you to be the best of what you can be without the stress of being judged by your peers (which is what I feel all the time at my workplace!). You cannot find anywhere else that will provide you with a stress-free environment for you to practice your management skills.

Self-awareness Start to be more aware of my own behaviors.  It really helps to learn how you behave when you are in a certain mood (e.g. Happy, excited, upset, and angry).  That is because previously, when I was stressed, I tend to make others feel like they have become my personal punching bag, even when I don’t intend to make them feel that way. However, now that I’m more self-aware, I don’t do that anymore. Toastmasters has helped stop me unintentionally passing on misleading messages to others.

In summary, Toastmaster is a great place for you to unlock your speaking potential and to improve your management/organizing skills, with positive support.  I have never looked back since I joined Toastmasters nearly 3 years ago.