Abbreviation: TI, TM
Motto: "Become The Speaker & Leader You Want To Be"
Formation: October 22, 1924/Incorporated December 19, 1932
Legal Status: Non-Profit Organization
Purpose/Focus: Educational
Headquarters: Rancho Santa Margarita, California, USA
Region Served: Worldwide
Membership: Over 260,000 members/Over 12,800 clubs
Objective: Help members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills through a program of communication and leadership projects designed to help men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking.
HOW?
Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere. A typical group has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly, biweekly or monthly. A typical meeting lasts 60 – 90 minutes.
Members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success. Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings and develop skills related to timekeeping, grammar and parliamentary procedure.
Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communication manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking.
Normally, meetings are conducted in the following order: Impromptu speech first, followed by prepared speeches, followed by Table Topics and finally, evaluations.
Meeting roles: General Evaluator, Evaluator, Grammarian, Ah-Counter and Timer.
WHY?
Terrific opportunity to improve “quick thinking”, speaking skills and confidence in dealing with a variety of situation.
Build leadership skills by organizing and conducting meetings and motivating others to help.
Learn to give constructive evaluation by being an evaluator.
Align with our business needs of being a global services company. Employees face an endless exchange of ideas, messages, and information as they deal with one another and with customers day after day.
Improve networking opportunities.
