Boost your career by developing your communication and leadership skills. Toastmasters International (toastmasters.org), a thriving organization with more than 260,000 members in over 12,500 clubs in 113 countries, can help you develop these skills.
“To get promoted, you may need to become a better presenter and more confident team leader. You may need the ability to talk and answer questions off the cuff,” says Shae McWilliams, president of East Bay Toastmasters. “All these skills can be learned in the supportive setting of a local Toastmasters meeting.”
So, how does it work?
• “Learn-by-doing”. Toastmasters clubs offer a workshop in which participants practice speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere. A typical group has 15 to 30 members who meet regularly to practice public speaking techniques.
• Presenting prepared speeches. Members learn communication skills by following a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking. Participants learn skills related to the use of humor, gestures, eye contact, speech organization and overall delivery. When finished with these first speeches, members can choose from 15 advanced manuals to learn skills related to a specific interest.
• Giving impromptu speeches. Members present one-to-two minute, impromptu speeches on assigned topics.
• Offering constructive evaluation. There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s oral presentations who identify speech strengths and offer suggestions for improvement.
Members conduct meetings, serve as offices in various leadership roles and learn rules related to timing, grammar and parliamentary procedure. Membership is affordable: total annual fees are around $100.
The East Bay Toastmasters club meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at Linn Health Care, 30 Alexander Ave, East Providence. For more information about the club, please visit http://9556.toastmastersclubs.org
About Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Founded in October 1924, the organization currently has more than 270,000 members in 13,000 clubs in 116 countries. Each week, Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million people of every ethnicity, education and profession build their competence in communication so they can gain the confidence to lead others. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org.
