Gurney-Hydro Toastmasters Club

There is a tradition in every Toastmasters club to have mentors for new members. Mentors are usually senior members who will help show the ropes to new members or member show need extra help in their Toastmasters journey.   At times, not so senior members can also become mentors if they are keen.   All they have to do is volunteer. There are a number of benefits mentors have to the new member (mentee), club and mentor themselves. For the Mentee 1) Mentees have someone to guide them.   Every new Toastmaster can tell you that the first few times they walk into a meeting, they have no idea what is going in.   They don’t know how far they can go, the many terms that are used and they don’t know the hierarchy of clubs, area, division and district.   The mentor’s role is to explain to them the big world that is Toastmasters. 2) Mentees have someone to help them prepare for their assignments.   New members may take forever to do their f...

We're days to the end of the year and it's time to take stock of the year so far. We all know that most people don't keep the resolutions they set for themselves anyway - but if you do, good for you! - nevertheless, it's still good to take a look at how this year has shaped your life and led you to where you are right now. So rather than look at goals and the percentage of what you have achieved (your boss makes you do enough of that already), let's take a look at things from another angle. 1) What Are You Grateful For? Counting your blessings is always a good way to start the process.  It will put you in a positive frame of mind.  Make a list and don't just limit yourself to the big things.  Small things can have a big impact as well. Here are some examples: - the lessons (both good and bad) that this year had taught you - the new people (both good and bad) that have come in and out of your life - the people who gave you the opportunity to touch...

People have many misconceptions when it comes to working in a team. First of all, is that the onus of whether the team achieves its objectives or not lies solely with the leader.   Not so.   The team leader steers the direction of the team, but ultimately, everyone in the team needs to play their role so that they can achieve success. The second misconception is that each individual is only responsible for their own little part of the team.   Again, this couldn’t be further from the truth and a very myopic view of the big picture. Your job may only encompass a very small part in the team, but nevertheless it is still crucial and at the end of the day, will affect the team’s performance. Think of it like a clock and each individual person in the team is a part of the clock.   Even if a tiny screw is missing, it will make the entire clock stop working. So definitely, when your team doesn’t perform it is your fault. It’s your fault because...

If you study any great leader, you will find they have many characteristics that contribute to their success.  Below are four that are the most fundamental.  Start with these first and build upon them. Leadership Characteristic #1: Compelling Desire When you take on a leadership role in any project or organization, you must have a goal, a vision of the end game that you want to achieve.  That goal must be driven by a compelling desire for it to happen.  Why do you want to achieve this?  For everyone, it’s the pain/pleasure factor – to get away from a pain or to gain pleasure.  Simple as that.  What is yours? For example, you take on a leadership role in your Toastmasters club because you want to see the club membership grow.  Why?  So that it will be easier to fill roles?  So that your club can achieve the DCP goals? Ask yourself the reason until it becomes so compelling that nothing will stop you from achieving it. Leadersh...

"Greatness is never achieved alone, or too many cooks spoil the soup?" That was the question that was asked to contestants during the recent District Level Table Topics Contest.. While the contestants have their own ideas about it, here's our take on this leadership topic. You have probably heard the quote that, "If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together." Certainly, if you want to achieve something fast, get things done quickly, it is easier to do it alone.  After all, you don't have to put up with other people's opinion and ways of doing things that may not jive with the way you do things. You get to do things the way you want them. But bear in mind, you are only one and there is only so much that you can do with the limited time that you have in a day. That's why so many sole proprietary businesses plateau after a while.  The only way that they can expand is by bringing in investors and hiring peop...