Ideas Forum th Saturday November 5 2005
Session Chaired by Sheila Lee ATMb Sgt at Arms – Phil Fetzer Sheila Lee opened the Forum by explaining that this was a session designed to exchange ideas, and that each of the invited presenters had 15 minutes to engage with the audience. Joe Gibbs CL Quality Club Meetings Joe introduced himself and suggested that the reason why meetings were successful was that because successful clubs offer an environment that is enjoyable and they are encouraged to return. The QUESTION “What makes a good quality Meeting?” was given the audience and the following responses were recorded and discussed: Timekeeping Full Participation
Avoid MultiTasking
Pot Luck
Agreed known structure
Structure Take another person’s time Everyone given the opportunity to participate Good meetings were those where there were enough people so that there wasn’t too much multitasking It was agreed that it was appropriate to apportion tasks amongst the audience so that everyone had an equal opportunity to participate and take part A sign of a poorly organised meeting was one where there was evidence of a lack of preparation Evaluations Toastmaster All need President preparation Topics Master As their General performance will Evaluator set the tone of the meeting Standard format Or any changes to be agreed with members and have buyin from all parties i.e. if the Toastmaster wants to try a
Creativity and Variety in the Programme Fun and Enjoyable
Hospitality Plan VPE Programme Good Evaluations Sharing Educational Materials New club/sponsorship Inter Club Experiences Reporting
difference format then the members need notice in advance Perhaps trying different meeting formats to prevent it becoming stale People attend night classes to learn and enjoy themselves Not just some chore to do but fun brings them back in for more Guest welcoming rota and assigning a “buddy” to visitors for the evening i.e. aware of the problems of length of ATM speeches so can prepare programme That meet members needs There were some questions raised as to what materials were available to precharter organisations Dual members Club meetings Shared meetings Meeting papers, reports and meeting summaries to be made available
In Summary Joe offered his own experiences at running successful clubs Appendix 1. Slide presentation by Joe Gibbs AVRIL MCNEIL CTM CL “Meeting Members Needs” Avril offered the forum a starting point of “What are my needs as a Toastmaster?” and how this could be addressed in the Club environment. Avril asked the audience whether they actively asked new members what they were hoping to achieve, and from that point also whether this fundamental requirement was asked of longer standing members. Avril recommended that Success Clubs offered a structured approach to finding out their members’ ambitions – and motivations and then concentrated on meeting those needs (not just in new members but in all members) 1/ New Members Plan Avril suggested that successful clubs offered a structured mentoring process to those members who wanted one. The audience responded that approx 80% of successful clubs had a mentoring system in place in their clubs. 2/ Due renewals
It was suggested that by looking at the membership at renewals it was possible to see stable membership and turn over (of both existing or new members). The question was asked – is there anything to stop them leaving? Does the club follow up reasons why people have left? – Do clubs carry out “exit” interviews and ask members why they are not coming? Were clubs putting too much burden on a few senior members, leaving new people in the cold and older members feeling exhausted? VPE/VPM may be able to spot early signs and track attrition Standing Orders for payments was recommended to ease the burden on the Treasurer 3/ Email was cited as an impersonal method of communication – and whilst a tool to help should not be seen as the main method of communicating between members. 4/. Were members’ needs being addressed? A members’ questionnaire was suggested – and a number of such questionnaires are already being used by clubs. These asked three simple questions about members wants, motivations and ambitions and helped the VPE to plan the schedule for the Club. 5/. A question was asked from the forum about the access to information for members in that time between joining and receiving their membership pack from TM HQ. GARY SANDER – “Publicity” Gary recommended to the audience that the best thing that a Toastmaster could do was BE HEARD. Show enthusiasm and getting back what you put into an organisation. Gary recommended to the audience that they use the invaluable tools available from the District web site and the “Top 100 Tips”. Gary asked for the blanks to be filled in and tasked every member of the audience to go back to their Clubs and fill in the gaps and forward any tips back to District to share as examples of good practice. The following were listed as good sources of publicity to reach future members: Parish Newsletters Visitors’ nights – local press coverage Wedding fayres/fairs Breakfast business meetings Interviews on local radio Speech craft courses
Inviting local dignitaries as guest for the evening Web site Posters in shops, local sports centres, libraries with tear off contact details Club business cards (which can be downloaded from the WHQ site) Laminated year planners Web site – electronic “What’s on “ pages Communication – Gary asked who was responsible for PR in the Club? And the audience unanimously agreed – everyone. It was also asked whether the Toastmaster name was seen as a barrier and that there was still a misconception as to what the organisation was about. It was suggested that this was easily enough got around by using the words Speakers or Speakers Club in the Club name.
Appendix 1. Workshop November 2005 J Gibbs (text only) Slide 1 Club Mission Statement Club Mission: To provide a mutually supportive and positive Learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop Communication and leadership skills, which in turn, fosters self confidence and personal growth. Slide 2. Quality Meetings Welcoming Atmosphere Positive, Encouraging, Educational. Appropriate adherence to Meeting Procedures and Practices Variety – Speeches, Topics, Agenda. Good mix of Experienced & New Members Enjoyable Meetings where People feel they can learn and return to again and again. Slide 3. “What Makes a “Quality Club” Strong Leadership Regular Club Officer Meetings Club Success Plan – DCP Education Plan for Members Communications and PR Plan Recognition of Achievement Commitment from Club Members A positive supportive fun learning environment All Speeches form the Basic or Advanced Manuals Good Evaluations Good Quality Meetings