So yes, today marks the final speech for my Competent Communicator Series by Toastmasters International. The Competent Communicator is the most basic manual of the Toastmaster series which goes through 10 speeches covering a range of Public Speaking criteria as seen from my list of speeches below. It takes us from the beginning of getting on stage and being comfortable speaking in front of others, to further developing our ability to explore our vocal range, postures on stage and in engaging with the audience through eye contact. It also touches on the quintessential aspect of crafting the speech; how do we get our message across and to tell a compelling story. And to finally discover what type of speaker you are, be it the lively jester that can rile up the audience, or the orator that can inspire a revolution.
What have I learnt from my time at Toastmasters?
I guess it all started with why I wanted to join Toastmasters in the first place. From the beginning, I understood that unanimously our society does not enjoy public speaking, as a culture or maybe more specifically an Asian culture, we shun the spotlight and the responsibility that comes with it as well. But coming from an Architectural background myself, I understood that presentations and speeches are a compelling way for us to convey our ideas and to tell a story that can change perceptions. So yes pushing myself to grow and to get comfortable with being uncomfortable seems to be the only way we grow and better ourselves.
Well the first thing is that Toastmasters are a community of people that are passionate about pushing themselves and stepping out of their comfort zone to learn and grow. And it is inspiring to be within this bunch of people from all walks of life that have the same drive to go further. There are also two main categories of people that join Toastmasters. The first are the native English speakers that want to hone their skills and learn to present on stage, these people are generally the ones that have an intention to shine and want to become public presenters or motivational speakers. The other are the non-English speakers that come and want to learn English through presenting to an audience. These people come with more humility and are very open to learn and redevelop themselves from feedback, the courage and trust for people to this is truly remarkable.
So what did I take out of Toastmasters?
Mainly it is taking in the small piece meal lessons of what it takes in crafting a speech. There is a very vigorous process to it. First you need to have a topic or a reason that you want to deliver the speech, be it a problem to address in society or something that people need to be aware of, something relevant to latch on to their attention. Next is on structuring the speech into specific sections that have your own stories that people can relate to, or evidence that will back up your arguments, this is to keep pace with the audiences attention and to also convince them of your argument. And finally I guess it is about the hours of practice, practice, practice. In having the structure of your speech flowing through your head, the culmination of gestures, postures, pauses and tones that all makeup how the speech is delivered. And finally it is about the confidence and the passion that you present to the audience and how you bring them on this journey with you.
But also another side note lesson learnt from being a Committee member of the club is the realities of a Volunteer organisation with adult members. The levels of commitments are a sharp contrast with University times where people are young and free. Now people are constantly juggling between work, family, travel and the club. And there is a need to bring in young blood into the club while still keeping the seniors there to pass their wisdom. But Toastmasters in Singapore suffers from over saturation of clubs. With 249 clubs on this very island, new blood and retaining talent are a struggle in itself. When monetary measures are taken out of the agenda, these clubs heavily rely on passion and drive their members, but is also where selflessness and compassion comes in, to strive for something you believe in that is above just monetary gain. I think a driven club with a leader that has the time to commit and ability motivate and inspire a team to commit is the key to the success of many organisations.
Toastmasters is always sold as a place to grow, to find yourself and who you are as a speaker. But being up there on stage and delivering a speech to an audience, it is a very vulnerable experience, and it is important in the community you find that would help you grow and get better as time continues on. For me it has given me the platform to learn about crafting a speech and presenting it to a live audience. It has also given me the ability to maintain my composure under pressure, to be able to clear my mind and multitask even with my mind of flight mode. But in the end, I find that with the bright lights of the boardroom glaring down and the audience’s full attention on you, it doesn’t get any less nerve wracking for me to speak in public and to once again face down my fear of the spotlight.
The list of 10 speeches and topics below are somewhat a reflection of interest and experiences in my life over the past year. There are some of which touch on my curiosities of are we currently lacking in society. And others of which I use to reflect on my journeys of discovery in learning a new craft or a platform for sustainability. But are in their own way, the culmination of who I am and what I believe in.
- P10 — Inspire Your Audience
A Life of Mindfulness - P9 — Persuade with Power
The Legacy of a Leader - P8 — Comfort with Visual Aids
Welcome to Plastic Island - P7 — Research your Topic
Diving into the Unknown - P6 — Vocal Variety
Words to my Sister - P5 — Your Body Speaks
The Repair Kopitiam Movement - P4 — How to Say It
Blacksmithing - P3 — Get to the Point
Introducing Zaha Hadid - P2 — Organizers Your Speech
How to Find Fulfilling Work - P1 — Ice Breaker
Reflections
Originally published at qpskpii.wordpress.com on November 9, 2017.
