Productivity in Toastmasters

Taking breaks from purely work-related tasks is a key element to finding satisfaction and productivity in working from home. You probably find yourself with more time on your hands—your commute is cut down, as is the office chatter. Why not reexamine some of your Toastmasters goals and see if you can use this found time to be productive and work toward some goals?

If you’ve been letting your meeting attendance drop because of your new routine, or you’re feeling the isolation of working from home, recommit to attending club meetings. Besides helping you develop skills, meetings are also a good way to socialize with a new group of people. It’s a chance to talk with, network, and get to know people from different backgrounds.

If your company is going through hiring or promotion freezes, or you’re looking for a new job, this is a great time to brush up on your soft skills, which will make you a more appealing worker in the future. Toastmasters specializes in these types of skills—clubs are built around improving and growing public speaking, communication, and leadership skills to build confidence and offer personal insight.

Take some time and think about what your goal was when you joined Toastmasters. What can you
do to make this year more productive in reaching
this goal?

• If you still aren’t comfortable giving speeches, reach out to your Vice President Education and schedule some so you’re committed. Begin developing and practicing your speeches earlier to hone your writing skills and elevate your delivery.
• If you want to expand your leadership skills, start small by taking on more meeting roles, then commit to running for office next term. Consider being a mentor. Opportunities abound for leadership development in Toastmasters!
• If you’re already a club leader, examine your meetings to see if they’re as productive as they could be. Socializing is an important part of a club, but if it’s taking time away from the actual meeting, maybe you need to build that into the agenda by starting earlier or staying later.