What does a Region Advisor do and how does your role ultimately benefit club members?
As the current Region 10 Advisor, I am using my experience to guide the leaders of our eight Districts as they navigate their way through this program year. My objective is to encourage them to develop innovative strategies that will ensure that their Districts achieve high member retention and club growth while maintaining high quality clubs that can add value to their members.
How do you recommend that clubs provide an enriching experience for their members?
The objective of a club should always be to find ways to support every single member and allow them to benefit from the best possible experience. I always advise the clubs to apply the moments of truth, they will never go wrong there. A few additional tips are: The club leaders should aim to be very inclusive, always providing a welcoming environment for guests and members alike. All present should be encouraged to speak up and participate during the meeting. There should be plenty of feedback, always delivered in a very supportive manner. It is also vital that a club ensures it is meeting its members’ needs (which could be changing over time). Therefore, I would suggest checking-in with them on a regular basis, to ask: “what is working, what could be done better?”
How did you first join Toastmasters and what has encouraged you to remain an active member after so many years?
Almost 25 years ago, I was invited by a friend to accompany them to a dinner on a Friday night. It seemed like a fairly standard invitation at first but then I realized that we were actually going to a club meeting to listen to people challenge themselves by delivering speeches. I had never heard of the Toastmasters organization before that night and I was very surprised to see so many people from different walks of life giving up their Friday evening to speak in public! I felt quite uncomfortable at first but I ended up being drawn in by the welcoming atmosphere and the multiple opportunities for growth offered. I am still active after so many years because my journey within Toastmasters has been such a rewarding one and I have loved every step of the way. While I did originally join solely to improve my public speaking skills, I have, over the years, also appreciated the leadership roles I have taken on that allowed me to develop further.
What motivates you to keep serving the organization and how do you stay connected to the member experience?
The Toastmasters organization has given me so much over the past years that I am really enjoying the opportunity to offer something back by finding ways to support others in their development. The mentoring experience remains an especially rewarding one for me and nothing makes me happier than seeing my mentees achieve their goals. I now have a number of mentees scattered throughout Europe and, of course, I am also working closely with the District Leaders in Region 10. At the same time, I love getting to know as many members as possible – over the last few months I have been fortunate to find myself spending time with many wonderful people. I am currently sponsoring a prospect club and I belong to two established, successful clubs in different Districts but I also love attending the meetings of other clubs. For example, when I was visiting London last week, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting four very different clubs, discussing with their members and listening to their views.
Leadership is a key aspect of Toastmasters. What advice would you give to members who are hesitant about stepping into leadership roles within their club?
There is so much value to be gained from stepping into such roles as you can apply the leadership lessons learned in Toastmasters to your professional life. Think of it as an opportunity to practice leadership skills in a safe, non-judgmental environment. What could be better? The beauty of it is that you never know where this leadership journey could end up taking you. Therefore, do not overthink it. Just say yes and go for the challenge!
Can you share a success story from a club that overcame challenges and became stronger? What could members learn from this?
I have in mind a certain club that catered mainly to an expatriate community within its country. Therefore, it would experience high turnover as a significant portion of its membership base would leave the country every year. At some point, this club found itself in a very precarious position with the original sponsors also having moved on. There were only 4 members left at that stage and there was very little interest from guests. Even the District leadership team had essentially written off the club but 2 of the remaining members really believed in it and fought to keep it alive. They first worked hard to diversify their membership base, encouraging more locals to join. They then held a number online sessions which allowed them to invite special guests from all over the world. For nine months they worked with dedication to achieve their goal of 20+ active members. Today the club is thriving again thanks to their enthusiasm and determination. The message here is that you do not need to have an army of people to save a club but you do have to have at least one person who genuinely cares and will fight for it.
Do you have any final words to share with members who are just starting out on their Toastmasters journey?
Dear new members, I envy you as you start out – you have such a great journey ahead of you, please do not waste one second of it. Do take on as many different roles as possible within the organization and ensure that you always have an experienced mentor by your side to support you. Just don’t give up and you will be amazed by what you will end up accomplishing. Trust me on this – during my twenty-five years as a member, I have seen the Toastmasters organization work its magic on so many people all over the world.
The photo shows Andy receiving his award from former Toastmasters International President Richard. E. Peck at the Toastmasters International Convention in Nashville, Tennessee last month. Andy shared about his interaction with TMI who had written the following: