How to help your club thrive.
Melanie Klinghoffer, CC, ALB
Mary Nesfield
From the Toastmaster magazine October 2015.
Melanie Klinghoffer
CC, ALB, J.D., LLM, is founder of Powerful Transformations, a training and development company that helps leaders and organizations achieve excellence. She is also a keynote speaker, corporate trainer and member of the Toastmasters of La Jolla club. Visit her at www.MelanieKlinghoffer.com.
What do you say when someone asks you why you attend Toastmasters meetings? Most likely a few things immediately come to mind, like the public speaking practice that helps you advance in your career, the encouragement you get from fellow members and the camaraderie you experience during each meeting. It’s the quality of the club that keeps you in Toastmasters.
The Moments of Truth is your club’s guide to delivering quality service and outstanding member experiences. It’s available in multiple languages for free as a download in the Toastmasters Online Store. As part of The Successful Club Series, the guide states: A high-quality club encourages and celebrates member achievement, provides a supportive and fun environment and offers a professionally organized meeting with variety. In those clubs, officers are trained in all aspects of club quality to ensure that members have access to a formal mentoring program, are provided evaluations that help them grow and are motivated to achieve their goals.
Members of four clubs—ARBOR Toastmasters in Arlington, Texas; Voorhees club in Voorhees, New Jersey; Toastmasters Club of Fishers in Fishers, Indiana; and the Toastmasters of La Jolla club in San Diego, California— were asked what they value most about their clubs. To better understand the underlying elements that influence club quality, consider the six critical points as outlined in the Moments of Truth, and how four clubs leverage them to keep members engaged.
当有人问你为什么参加演讲会时，你会怎么回答?最有可能的是，一些事情会立即浮现在你的脑海中，比如帮助你在职业生涯中进步的公开演讲练习，你从会员那里得到的鼓励，以及你在每次会议中经历的友情。这是俱乐部的质量，让你留在Toastmasters。
关键时刻是您的俱乐部提供优质服务和杰出会员体验的指南。它有多种语言版本，可以在Toastmasters在线商店免费下载。作为成功俱乐部系列的一部分，指南指出:一个高质量的俱乐部鼓励和庆祝成员的成就，提供支持和有趣的环境，并提供专业组织的会议与多样性。在这些俱乐部中，俱乐部官员接受俱乐部品质各方面的训练，以确保会员有机会参加正式的导师项目，提供帮助他们成长并激励他们实现目标的评估。
四个俱乐部的成员:在阿灵顿，德克萨斯州的arbor Toastmasters;Voorhees俱乐部，Voorhees，新泽西州;印第安那州费舍尔的渔民俱乐部;以及加州圣地亚哥拉霍亚俱乐部的Toastmasters——被问及他们最看重自己俱乐部的什么。为了更好地理解影响俱乐部质量的基本要素，请考虑“关键时刻中列出的六个关键点，以及四个俱乐部如何利用它们来保持会员参与。
1. First Impressions
New members breathe new life into a club. The most important thing you can do to recruit new members is create a good first impression. Visitors are drawn to clubs that generate excitement and enthusiasm. When the room is infused with energy, people are excited about being there, and that’s what keeps members coming back.
- Make the meeting room easy to find and visually appealing n Greet guests warmly with a guest packet and name tag
- Introduce them to club officers and others
- Invite them to sign a guest book, roster or log
When the meeting comes to order, build the energy in the room! Energy is lifted when members know the meeting will be fun, friendly and a safe place to practice building confidence. Veronica Sites, CC, CL, a chaplain, a Ziglar Legacy Certified Trainer and a public speaker from Crowley, Texas, says she initially visited two clubs and decided to join the ARBOR club in Arlington, Texas, because “it showed enthusiasm and support.”
How do you raise the enthusiasm in a club meeting room? Try clapping! When members are recognized in this way when speaking or meeting a goal, others will be encouraged to participate. Include guests by offering them the opportunity to address the club. Treat potential members like they are already valued members. Follow up with everyone by email to keep the communication going, and don’t forget to invite visitors to join.
- 第一印象
新会员给俱乐部注入了新的活力。在招募新会员时，最重要的是给他们留下良好的第一印象。宾客被吸引到能产生兴奋和热情的俱乐部。当房间充满能量时，人们就会对待在那里感到兴奋，这也是吸引会员回来的原因。
让会议室容易被发现，并在视觉上吸引人，用宾客包和姓名标签热情地迎接客人
把他们介绍给俱乐部官员和其他人
邀请他们在留言簿、花名册或日志上签名
当会议开始时，让房间充满活力!当会员们知道会议将是有趣的，友好的，并且是一个练习建立信心的安全的地方时，能量就被提升了。Veronica Sites, CC, CL，一个牧师，一个金克拉遗产认证培训师和一个来自德克萨斯州克劳利的公共演讲者，说她最初拜访了两个俱乐部，然后决定加入位于德克萨斯州阿灵顿的ARBOR俱乐部，因为“它表现出了热情和支持。”
你如何提高俱乐部会议的热情?试着鼓掌!当会员以这种方式发言或达到一个目标时，其他人就会被鼓励参与。为宾客提供向俱乐部发言的机会。对待潜在的会员就像他们已经是有价值的成员一样。通过电子邮件与每个人保持联系，不要忘记邀请宾客入会。
2. Membership Orientation
Congratulations! Your club has a new member. It’s time for a formal introduction. The New Member Orientation Kit for Clubs has materials to orient and induct new members. Welcome ribbons and membership pins are a great way to underscore the value of club membership. Make sure to:
- Explain the education and recognition programs n Involve the member in all aspects of club activities immediately
- Assign every new member a mentor
- Assess new members’ needs and assign them a speaking role
- Direct the new member to https://www.toastmasters.org/
Strong mentoring provides clubs with a vital boost. “Mentoring has great benefits for the new member, the mentor and for the club as a whole,” says Past Area Governor Matthew Goldberg, DTM, a member of the Voorhees club in Voorhees, New Jersey. “It improves the quality of meetings, helps retain members, and intangibly and noticeably contributes to a warm, supportive atmosphere.”
Sites says when she joined the ARBOR club, it was only a couple of weeks before she had a mentor. And it’s because of a mentor’s suggestion that Sites became an award-winning chaplain.
“Toastmasters has helped me to become a more polished speaker and a better evaluator—not only of others but of myself,” she says. “I also believe that my listening skills have increased tremendously, and that is priceless for a chaplain.”
The support she gets at her club helps her speak on topics including goal achievement, self-image, building winning relationships, bully prevention and overcoming tragedy. She has traveled to Bolivia, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria and many states in the U.S. to deliver her messages.
Goldberg, a writer, speaker and coach, recalls one particular member who thrived under the guidance of a mentor. Goldberg had competed against him in a Humorous Speech Contest. “He was compelling, quite witty and did a great job; he appeared to be a natural.” What Goldberg later learned is that this member had a strong, caring mentor who took him under his wing and encouraged him to attend meetings when he wasn’t so self-confident. “Seeing him at the lectern now,” Goldberg says, “it’s hard to believe that was the case.”
Now that same member is a mentor himself, helping other individuals and clubs thrive.
To ensure that new members have a good club experience, it’s important to create “a mentoring mindset where it’s expected that new members will be assigned a mentor shortly after joining, and then mentor others as they get up to speed,” Goldberg says.
The Club Mentor Program Kit has materials to help your club start a mentoring program. As part of the Successful Club Series, the Toastmasters Mentoring module offers tips for training members to become mentors.
2. 会员入会
恭喜你!你们的俱乐部有了一位新会员。是时候做个正式的介绍了。俱乐部的新会员辅导手册中有指导及吸纳新会员的资料。欢迎丝带和会员徽章是强调俱乐部会员价值的好方法。确保:
解释教育和表彰计划，让会员立即参与俱乐部活动的各个方面
给每个新成员指派一名导师
评估新成员的需求，并给他们分配一个发言的角色
强有力的导师制度为俱乐部提供了至关重要的推动力。“导师制度对新会员、导师和整个俱乐部都有很大的好处，”前中区总监Matthew Goldberg说，他是新泽西州Voorhees俱乐部的一名会员。“它提高了会议的质量，帮助留住会员，并无形地、显著地营造了温暖、支持性的氛围。”
网站说，当她加入了ARBOR俱乐部，这只是在她有一个导师前几周。正是因为一位导师的建议，Sites才成为了一位获奖的牧师。
她说:“演讲会帮助我成为一个更优雅的演讲者和更好的评估者——不仅是对别人，而且对自己。”“我的听力也有了很大提高，这对一个牧师来说是无价的。”
她在她的俱乐部得到的支持帮助她演讲的主题包括目标成就、自我形象、建立赢得的关系、防止欺负和克服悲剧。她曾前往玻利维亚、牙买加、墨西哥、尼日利亚和美国的许多州传递她的信息。
戈德堡是一位作家、演说家和教练，他回忆了一位在导师的指导下成长起来的会员。戈德堡曾在一次幽默演讲比赛中与他竞争。“他很有说服力，很机智，做得很好;他似乎是天生的。”戈德堡后来了解到的是，这个成员有一个强大的、关心他的导师，在他的保护下，鼓励他在他不那么自信的时候参加会议。“现在看到他站在讲台上，”Goldberg说，“很难相信会是这样。”
现在，同一名会员自己就是一名导师，帮助其他个人和俱乐部茁壮成长。
戈德堡说，为了确保新成员有一个良好的俱乐部体验，重要的是要建立“一种指导的心态，即希望新会员在加入后不久被分配一个导师，然后在其他人了解情况时指导他们。”
俱乐部导师计划工具包有帮助您的俱乐部开始导师计划的材料。作为成功俱乐部系列的一部分，Toastmasters导师模块提供了训练会员成为导师的技巧。
3. Fellowship, Variety and Communication
Goldberg says the most important component of club quality is open-mindedness. He says clubs should be open in a variety of ways: to new members, different points of view and innovative approaches that make meetings fresh and vibrant.
“Toastmasters provides a lot of great resources for clubs to use and also add to. That same open attitude facilitates member growth,” he says. “Members learn and grow when they are open to new experiences, new ideas, and to being inspired as well as providing inspiration.”
Strong bonds are forged within a club when members share a range of experiences. Members of the Toastmasters of La Jolla club are tightly connected through social events, themed meetings and achieving success together. The bonding started when a few members gave speeches that were highly personal.
When speeches reveal personal information that resonates with the audience, connections are built that help lay the foundation for acceptance and belonging, as well as for forging strong friendships. Members who speak authentically and reveal vulnerability motivate, inspire and excite guests and other members.
La Jolla club members enjoy Halloween costume meetings, improv workshops, line-dancing socials and pot-lucks. They make Table Topics fun, like the time they practiced around a bonfire at the beach.
Think of ways you can add fun into the mix. The words of our founder, Ralph C. Smedley, ring true to this day: “We learn in moments of enjoyment.” It’s important to focus on education, and to help members meet their goals, but be adventurous—there’s room to explore new ways of learning while having fun in a supportive environment.
3.会员友谊、多样性与沟通
戈德堡说，俱乐部质量最重要的组成部分是开放的思想。他说，俱乐部应该以多种方式开放:接纳新社员，接纳不同的观点，接纳创新的方法，这些都能使会议新鲜而充满活力。
演讲会为俱乐部提供了许多宝贵的资源。同样的开放态度促进了会员的增长。“成员们在接受新体验、新想法、接受激励和提供激励的过程中学习和成长。”
当一个俱乐部的会员分享一系列的经验时，就会形成牢固的联系。拉霍亚俱乐部的会员通过社交活动、主题会议和共同取得成功紧密联系在一起。这种联系始于一些会员发表了非常个人化的演讲。
当演讲揭示出与听众产生共鸣的个人信息时，听众之间的联系就会建立起来，这有助于为接受和归属感奠定基础，也有助于建立牢固的友谊。那些真诚地说出自己的弱点的成员能够激励、鼓舞和触动客人和其他成员。
拉霍亚俱乐部的会员享受万圣节服装会议，即兴工作坊，排舞社交和聚餐。他们让“餐桌话题”变得有趣，比如他们在海滩上围着篝火练习。
想想你可以在其中添加乐趣的方法。我们的创始人拉尔夫·史沫特莱(Ralph C. Smedley)的话至今仍然适用:“我们在快乐的时刻学习。”关注教育是很重要的，帮助成员实现他们的目标，但要有冒险精神——在一个支持性的环境中，有探索新的学习方法的空间，同时也有乐趣。
4. Program Planning and Meeting Organization
Everyone wins when meetings are organized and skillfully conducted. Club officers show respect for members’ time when meetings start and end on schedule.
Goldberg says, “Accountability leads to learning, growth and success in various ways. Staying on schedule with respect to meeting agendas allows more members to participate. It also helps members stay on target with reaching their own goals.” Smart planning makes it happen.
Sites, of the ARBOR club in Texas, says, “It makes growth possible for each person within the club, ranging from beginners to professional speakers.”
In your club, ensure that members know their responsibilities and are prepared to follow through with their assigned roles. Distribute sign-up sheets to keep everyone on track. Help members plan by publicizing programs and agendas in advance, or send all-member emails announcing the next meeting theme, and a complete list of filled roles and speaking spots. Include open roles and speaker spots to encourage volunteers.
To ensure that members with all levels of experience get the chance to participate, the La Jolla club schedules a novice, an intermediate and an advanced member to deliver manual speeches at each meeting.
If your role is evaluator, offer praise along with constructive criticism to help others grow. Past District Governor Walter A. Wolfe, DTM, a member of the Toastmasters Club of Fishers in Fishers, Indiana, says, “A club with a strong evaluation program is a club that is successful in its growth and membership retention.” He says the evaluation process is “the most productive learning tool our members can use to reach a desired level of competency within Toastmasters. The feedback received launches each of us on a journey of speaking and communication we never thought possible.”
"A club with a strong evaluation program is a club that is successful in its growth and membership retention."
Walter A. Wolfe, DTM
- 项目策划及会议组织
当会议被组织和巧妙地进行时，每个人都是赢家。俱乐部官员尊重会员的时间，会议准时开始和结束。
戈德堡说:“责任感以多种方式带来学习、成长和成功。保持会议议程的时间表可以让更多的成员参与进来。它还能帮助会员锁定目标，实现自己的目标。”聪明的计划能让它发生。
位于德克萨斯州的ARBOR俱乐部的网站说:“它使俱乐部里的每个人都有可能成长，从初学者到专业演讲者。”
在俱乐部中，确保会员们知道他们的责任，并准备好履行他们所分配的角色。分发报名表，让每个人都跟上进度。通过提前宣传项目和议程来帮助会员计划，或向所有会员发送电子邮件宣布下一次会议的主题，以及一份完整的角色和发言者的列表。包括开放的角色和演讲者的空缺来鼓励志愿者。
为了确保所有经验水平的会员都有机会参加，拉霍亚俱乐部安排了一名新手、一名中级和一名高级会员在每次会议上按手册项目发表演讲。
如果你的角色是评估员，那么在给予赞扬的同时提出建设性的批评，以帮助他人成长。前大区总监Walter a . Wolfe DTM是印地安那州费舍尔费舍尔国际演讲会的会员，他说:“一个俱乐部如果有一个强有力的评估计划，俱乐部的发展和会员保留率都是成功的。”他说，评估过程是“头马中我们的会员达到理想的能力水平可以使用的最有效的学习工具。接收到的反馈让我们每个人都踏上了从未想过的演讲和交流之旅。”
“一个拥有强大的评估计划的俱乐部，在成长和会员保留方面是成功的。”
——Walter A. Wolfe, DTM
5. Membership Strength
Maintaining a minimum of 20 or more members ensures a better learning environment, as it gives the club enough members to provide leadership and fill meeting and committee assignments.
For the last three program years, the Toastmasters of La Jolla club set and achieved its membership goals. The club attributes its success to ramping up the club’s public relations efforts with “open houses” and community-related events. During the renewals period, members received email reminders six weeks before the deadline. Two weeks before the renewals deadline, the club president sent emails to those who had not yet renewed, asking how they felt about the club and what could be done to turn their experience around. In March, the club had achieved an 84 percent renewal rate, with 48 out of 57 members paying on time.
Goldberg believes that 20 or more active, motivated members is a good starting point. “My club fluctuates between 30 and 40 members,” he says, “and the more who participate enthusiastically at meetings, the more effective and dynamic the learning environment.”
Recognize those who sponsor new members and work toward member retention by keeping the club experience lively and varied.
6. Achievement Recognition
A common trait among successful clubs is that their officers tune in to the members’ goals, help them achieve those goals and celebrate their successes formally. Club officers and mentors at the La Jolla club not only help members build their communication and leadership skills, but also help them leverage their skills to achieve success outside the club.
For example, the club celebrated when past Vice President Membership Josh Rutherford’s first book was published. Rutherford, CC, the current club president, practiced reading from his book before his club, and when a local art gallery hosted his first reading, many of Rutherford’s fellow club members went to support him.
Meeting with each member or distributing a Member Interest Survey will help you, as a club officer or men-tor, gain an understanding of members’ support and encouragement, and point out members’ progress as they achieve their goals. This is why evaluations and awards are such an important part of the Toastmasters program. Goldberg says, “There have to be many challenging opportunities for members to learn and grow, and all of us value being recognized in some way for our efforts.”
If your club doesn’t maintain and display a member progress chart, make it a goal to do so. You’ll find the Toastmasters Wall Chart helpful in showing members’ progress.
Make it your club’s priority to always acknowledge and applaud member and club accomplishments. Remember to submit award applications immediately to World Headquarters. Members of Toastmasters of La Jolla say they feel special when they receive emails from the club president acknowledging their successes as well as their contributions. Continue to spread the word of success through social media and press releases.
Clubs that embrace and follow the Moments of Truth achieve their goals. Set, evaluate and review goals to stay on track. The Distinguished Club Program will help you with planning and recognition.
In addition to recognizing members’ goals, remember to reward yourself and all club members when your club becomes Distinguished. Make it a celebration! Cheer, clap and make it exciting.
“You can have everything you want in life if you help other people get what they want,” says Sites.
5. 会员实力
保持最少20名或20名以上的会员可以确保一个更好的学习环境，因为这样可以让俱乐部有足够的会员来担任领导职务，并完成会议和委员会的任务。
在过去的三年中，拉霍亚俱乐部的演讲会设定并实现了其会员目标。该俱乐部将其成功归因于俱乐部通过开放参观和社区相关活动加强了公共关系。在续费期间，会员在截止日期前六周收到电子邮件提醒。在续费截止日期的前两周，该俱乐部官员发电子邮件给那些尚未续费的会员，询问他们对俱乐部有何感想，以及可以做些什么来扭转他们的经历。今年3月，该俱乐部的续期率达到了84%，57个会员中有48个按时付款。
Goldberg认为，20个或更多积极主动的成员是一个很好的起点。“我的俱乐部的成员在30到40人之间，”他说，“越热情地参加会议，学习环境就越有效、越有活力。”
表彰那些赞助新会员的人，并通过保持俱乐部体验的活力和多样化来努力留住会员。
6. 成就的认可
成功的俱乐部有一个共同的特点，就是他们的官员会留意会员的目标，帮助他们达成这些目标，并正式庆祝他们的成功。拉霍亚俱乐部的俱乐部官员和导师不仅帮助会员建立他们的沟通和领导技能，而且帮助他们利用他们的技能在俱乐部之外取得成功。
例如，当前会员副主席乔希·卢瑟福(Josh Rutherford)的第一本书出版时，该俱乐部举行了庆祝活动。卢瑟福，CC，现任俱乐部主席，在他的俱乐部面前试着朗读他的书中章节，当地的一个艺术画廊举办他的第一次朗读时，许多卢瑟福的俱乐部会员都去支持他。
与每位会员见面或分发一份会员兴趣调查报告将有助于你，作为俱乐部的官员或导师，了解会员的支持与鼓励，并指出会员在达成目标时所取得的进步。这就是为什么评奖和颁奖是演讲会计划中如此重要的一部分。戈德堡说:“必须有许多具有挑战性的机会让会员学习和成长，我们所有人都重视在某种程度上通过我们的努力得到认可。”
如果你的俱乐部没有维护和显示会员进度表，那就把它作为这样做的目标。你会发现Toastmasters挂图有助于显示会员的进步。
让你的俱乐部优先经常承认并赞扬会员及俱乐部的成就。记得立即向世界总部提交奖项申请。拉霍亚国际演讲会的会员们说，当他们收到俱乐部主席的电子邮件，承认他们的成功和他们的贡献时，他们感到很特别。继续通过社交媒体和新闻稿传播成功的消息。
拥抱并追随关键时刻的俱乐部实现他们的目标。设定、评估和回顾目标以保持正轨。杰出俱乐部计划将帮助你计划和认可。
除了认可会员的目标外，当你的俱乐部变得卓越时，记得奖励你自己和所有的俱乐部会员。庆祝一下吧!欢呼，鼓掌，让它兴奋起来。
“如果你帮助别人得到他们想要的，你就能拥有生活中你想要的一切，”Sites说。
