Random Observation/Comment #533: Behind a well-organized event is a whole team volunteering hours of hard work and attention to detail. Kudos. The backbone of “ideas worth sharing” is finding the right speakers and topics that share your organizations theme and audience interest for the year. The first thing to do is determine a theme. If you’re looking for ideas, I’ve written a...
Random Observation/Comment #528: Public speaking, like any skill, needs a refresher every once and a while. Don’t get cocky or else you’ll show up under prepared. I’m coming up on my Credit Suisse “Speak Up” Toastmasters 6-year member anniversary, and after holding every officer position possible and literally attending close to 100 meetings, I can’t help but think where I’d be without...
Random Observation/Comment 524: A TED Talk a day will help the motivation stay. I just made that up. You’ve definitely seen at least one TED talk; it’s all the rage nowadays. The concept is simple: Experts in their field present to their peers on their passions. The presentations are polished and the ideas are definitely worth sharing. Matt Cutts: Try...
Random Observation/Comment #520: When you’re up there, imagine everyone’s on your side and waiting to be inspired and learn something new. A long speech may be daunting to you, but at one point in your life, you’ll need to stand up there and present your ideas. Whether it’s a technical presentation of your work pr the vows to your significant...
Random Observation/Comment #497: Get better at being a communicator. It’ll help with almost everything. Everyone wants a shortcut solution to everything, but real mastery and improvement takes time. I always suggest taking the smaller steps towards becoming a better communicator and gaining confidence in public speaking by following these key ideas: Know your material. Speak about things you know and...
Random Observation/Comment #485: The process of writing and practicing a speech is more valuable to learning than delivering it. There’s a certain mystical power behind preparing for a speech. All of a sudden, you’re put on the spot knowing your colleagues, friends, and bosses will be listening intently to you for the next 5-7 minutes. All your words will be...
Random Observation/Comment #448: Delegation, Trust, and Growth is key to building a successful program. One person truly can’t do it all and it would be foolish to hold all your knowledge as a security blanket on your leadership role. Within Toastmasters, we’ve found that the mentorship program is the most customized and personable solution. The agenda and reoccurring meetings provide...
Random Observation/Comment #443: Organizing a TEDx (or any event involving a community where you share your passions and ideas) is a very rewarding experience. TED/TEDx talks are kind of a big deal. It’s not just a toastmasters speech in front of your peers or even a speech to your managers – it’s a recorded and mass-distributed video that could potentially...
Random Observation/Comment #442: One should be honored to give a speech. It’s so rare these days to stand up in front of a crowd and address them with your guidance, knowledge, or story. When I completed my CC for Toastmasters, I mostly just reiterated blog posts that I wrote. It was easy for me to speak about them because I...
Random Observation/Comment #415: The reward of educational influence can be obtained without a formal “job” in academics. While I’m growing in my career, I will always find time to be a mentor. In March 2014, I was given the opportunity to speak to 60+ high school students at Baruch HS for an hour session. What did I talk about? Pragmatic...
Random Observation/Comment #414: Toastmasters is an opportunity to take ownership and use your creativity to grow a community focused on self-improvement in communication. We can all be leaders. The opportunity is always there to foster a community and organize events. Toastmasters clubs are self-sustaining groups run by their own members who want to help others improve in communications skills. As...
Random Observation/Comment #402: Even if you have good content, your delivery mechanics and techniques are very important for persuading and inspiring an audience. I recently read “The One Minute Presenter” by Warwick John Fahy and it gave a few great tips for keeping the audience engaged in your speech. The book starts off with talking about how our attention is...
Random Observation/Comment #396: I have a lot of respect for comedians. They stand up on stage with everyone pressuring them to be funny and judging them with false expectations. Based on how well known they are, they have different level of expectations to constantly make people laugh. On the other hand, what other job lets you stand in front of...
Random Observation/Comment #395: I’m not a great public speaker, and I have loads where I can improve, but at least I’m trying to improve it and getting out there to practice. Question: What is the best advice for beginners who are afraid of public speaking? Answer: First and foremost, know your content – know it like you know your deepest...
Random Observation/Comment #330: Effective communication is a key component to a well-rounded individual. Whether you’re a developer or in sales, you need to be able to voice your ideas and opinions in order to take ownership of your contributions. The evaluation portion of the toastmasters agenda provides a unique opportunity for a person to practice giving constructive feedback about the...
Random Observation/Comment #309: I watch a TED talk every day. It’s become a religious habit (probably more frequent of a habit than our generation’s religious views nowadays). TED Talks foster inspiration and make my day that much better. It’s fascinating how science is taking shape and spreading ideas with the same techniques that worked so well 2000 years ago. It...
Random Observation/Comment #279: Being more comfortable with public speaking has made my overall life better because of the extra confidence and effective communication with my peers and managers. I’m glad I’ve faced this fear – best choice ever. If you follow the Toastmasters Competent Communicator speeches, you’ll find that it walks you through 10 specific areas that will make your...
Random Observation/Comment #275: Mentoring >> Networking. I find it rewarding being a mentor and extremely inspiring being a mentee. Networking has become way too artificial of a term anyway. Let’s keep it more personal :). I stood in front of the podium: sweaty, nervous, and a little nauseous. What do I do with my hands? What am I talking about...
Random Observation/Comment #269: Toastmasters is about being an effective communicator and a better leader. Name a profession that these skills do not come in handy. Never stop learning; Smarter every day. Happy New Year and best wishes to continuous health and happiness! With the new year starting, I have a call to action to all those wanting to become a...
Random Observation/Comment #266: If you think of speeches as a series of personal stories to support an inspirational idea, the organization and the delivery becomes much more fluent. In fact, the best way to practice being a good public speaker is to talk more within your groups of friends. Use the Toastmasters techniques of voice inflection, hand gestures, and eye...
Random Observation/Comment #261: Communication is probably the single most important thing in any career. Whether it’s in writing, formally presenting, or generally explaining concepts, your ideas must be easily understood. Keep it simple and make clear statements. Life will be so much easier. How do you practice? Tell stories to people. Reiterate difficult concepts with analogies. Practice elevator speeches. Come...
Random Observation/Comment #251: The number one fear in the US is public speaking. Number two is death. This means that in a funeral, you’d rather be in the casket than performing the eulogy. Ever since that embarrassing speech during high school, I’ve made it my duty to prevent future occasions of embarrassment. I tried my best through public speaking workshops...
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