Innovations

Recognition and Toastmasters – The Sequel

by Mai Lin C Chua and Noel Bain

In the summer issue of New Directions, we talked about awards, certificates and applause in Recognition and Toastmasters Part I. Here in Part II, our discussion continues, as we examine how other recognition tools also go hand-in-hand with a membership in Toastmasters.

Feedback

When you give a spoken evaluation in a Toastmasters meeting, you provide valuable feedback and then the audience applauds. Everyone learns from and is grateful for your suggestions.

Giving an evaluation is a lesson in recognition. It is important to remember that there is more to recognition than praise. Sometimes it means thinking enough of people to offer suggestions on how they can improve. Evaluating your fellow members means you care about their development. Nowhere is this done as elegantly as in Toastmasters.

With the spoken and written evaluations you give and get in Toastmasters, you focus on what worked well first. You do this because, after a presentation, speakers have a tendency to think about what they did wrong. A little praise puts them in a positive frame of mind. Next, you provide a couple of ways that the speaker can improve. Finally, you end with a little more praise to ensure that the speaker knows the good parts in his or her presentation.

Opportunity

If you attend most meetings, you will soon have an opportunity to participate. Toastmasters are a very inclusive bunch. From the beginning, you will be asked to answer Table Topics questions. For more information on Table Topics and other Toastmasters’ activities, go here. Soon, the Vice President for Education will assign you a variety of meeting roles ranging from Timer to Speaker. Before you know it, someone will ask you to compete in a contest or serve as an officer. All these opportunities to participate offer meaningful recognition and tell you that you are a valuable part of the organization. All the certificates you’ve received and all leadership roles you’ve assumed in a Toastmasters Club are credentials to your resumes.

If you look up the words recognize and recognition in any dictionary, you will find definitions such as identify and acknowledge. It requires practice to recognize and acknowledge others, and I can’t think of any place that provides a better opportunity to learn this than a Toastmasters meeting!

FM Toastmasters Club holds its weekly meetings every Tuesday from 12 noon to 1 pm at Schmitz 170. Please come, explore, and join the fun.