Journey to Effective Coaching

" A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. "   -  Martin Luther King, Jr. The first project in Level 3 of Effective Coaching is a workshop on 'Building Consensus'. This is the first serious project in Pathways from the Effective Coaching Path. Instead of delivering a speech, the project expects the member to choose an idea and work with a group to get their buy-in for the idea. During the process of reaching consensus, group members work together to form an agreement that is supported by all parties. This method of decision making promotes participation and a greater sense of ownership in both the process and the outcome. A member can complete this project using 2 different methods. The choice of method is up to the member. Method 1: Apply the techniques of consensus building by leading a group of people at a club meeting in 20 minutes. Choose a topic that will offer you and the group a challenge but avoid

" A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you. "   -  Bob Proctor The third project in Level 2 of Effective Coaching is an Introduction to Toastmasters mentoring. Mentoring is an integral part of a Toastmaster journey. In the traditional Toastmaster program, mentoring is a key role to build confidence and ensure projects are delivered as defined in the objectives. The Pathways program refines the mentoring process further, by making a clear distinction between 'coaching' and 'mentoring'. Coaching focuses on short-term accomplishments of a single goal or the development of a single skill (for example vocal variety). Mentoring focuses on long-term multiple-goals. The project also introduces the new terminology ' protégé' in place of 'mentee'.  The objectives of this project are simple.  Write and present a 5- to 7-minute speech about a time wh

" The art of communication is the language of leadership."   -  James Humes The second project in Level 2 of Effective Coaching is "Understanding your communication style". This project includes a survey with 12 questions that you have to answer from a list of 4 possible choices.  For example, one of the question in the survey is:     When working on a Project, I am:    a-Enthusiastic    b-Ambitious    2-Purposeful    3-Persistent Based on your responses to all 12 questions, you are presented with your communication profile. Toastmasters International categorizes communication into 4 distinct categories (Direct, Initiating, Analytical and Supportive) Similar to the Leadership Style , the take-home message from this exercise is that every individual has some elements of all communication styles. Some styles are more dominant than others and may change based on the situation. After completing the survey, I received my communicatio

" Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."   - Peter Drucker District 20 Convention 2018 - Award for Best Video. Level 2 of Pathways explores subjects that are relevant in a business place. This level may prove uncomfortable for members who join Toastmasters only to enhance their public speaking skills.  The first project in Level 2 is "Understanding your leadership style". This project includes a survey with 48 questions that you have to answer with a rating scale of 0 to 3.  For example, one of the question in the survey is:    I consistently provide others with positive feedback. Your response to this question should be one of the following options:    0-Not at all    1-Slightly    2-Moderately    3-Completely Based on your responses to all 48 questions, you are presented with your leadership profile. TMI categorizes leadership into 8 distinct categories ( Coaching, Democratic, Altruistic, Innovative

"In the race for quality, there is no finish line."  - David T. Kearns Level 1 Certificate of Completion - Toastmasters International. Once the Level completion request is approved by the Base Camp Manager (BCM), you will be able to print your Level Completion Certificate. It's a nice feeling to be rewarded frequently. This is one of the appealing feature of the new Pathways program compared to the traditional program.  A Level 1 award is equivalent to 1/4th DCP Goal. 4 members must complete Level 1 in a year to achieve 1 DCP Goal for your club.

"The heart and soul of good writing is research; you should write not what you know but what you can find out about." - Robert J. Sawyer The 3rd Project in Pathways focuses on "Researching & Presenting". Members who have completed their Competent Communicator (CC) manual will recognize this project as "CC7-Research Your Topic".  The objective of this project is for the member to research on any topic and present it as a 5-7 minute speech. This excellent resource by Andrew Dlugan contains useful tips and techniques to help you prepare for this project. The resource is based on the traditional CC manual but it can be used in Pathways since the objectives are the same. For my project, I decided to deliver a speech on 2 subjects that are close to my heart.  1. Photography 2. Technology I am a passionate photographer and run a successful Facebook page "Barretto Photography" . I decided to research on Computational Photography an

"You get what you reward."   Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, described. He particularly stressed the value of positive feedback, immediate recognition, informal recognition, and effective program design. Trekking in the Himalayas - Uttrakhand, India (June 2018). The 2nd project in Level 1 of Pathways focuses on Evaluation and Feedback. Getting feedback on your speech and applying that feedback in your future projects is a critical element of the Toastmaster journey. This feedback mechanism allows Toastmasters to continuously improve. This project is comprised of 3 parts.  Speech Type Duration 1 P resent a speech on any topic, receive feedback. 5-7 Minutes 2 Demonstrate that he or she has applied the feedback received from his or her first speech. 5-7 Minutes 3 Deliver constructive feedback on another member’s presentation.  2-3 Minutes This project came up just as I w

"Every Toastmaster journey starts with a single speech" - Toastmasters International. Kuwait Challengers Toastmaster Club, Kuwait The "Ice-Breaker" is the first speech that a new club member delivers in front of fellow-club members.  The purpose of this project is for the member to introduce himself or herself to the club and learn the basic structure of a public speech. The speech duration is between 4 to 6 minutes. i.e. Your speech should last at least 4 minutes and should not exceed 6 minutes.  The accompanying material in the Pathways curriculum is detailed and is sufficient for most people to prepare a well-structured speech. However, if this is  your first time delivering a speech, this excellent resource by Andrew Dlugan contains useful tips and techniques to help you prepare for your Ice-Breaker speech. One of our senior Toastmaster gave me this advice on Ice-Breaker speech which I pass on to new members. Think of Ice-Breaker as 4 mini-spe

The "Effective Coaching" path is designed to help members enhance their coaching skills.   An evaluation session at a Toastmaster club. A member progresses through levels. Each level has a set of tasks (speeches, roles, projects). At the end of each level, the Vice-President (Education) signs off the level and the member progresses to the next level. After completing Level 5, the member is awarded the "Effective Coach" certification of completion. The following sections describe the content of each level. LEVEL 1 - Mastering the Fundamentals In order to complete Level 1, the member must complete the following tasks: Project 1: The Ice-Breaker (One Speech) Every Path starts with an Ice-Breaker speech. The Ice-Breaker is where the member introduces himself to the audience.  Project 2: Evaluation and Feedback (Two Speeches + 1 Role) In order to complete Project 2, a member must deliver 2 speeches and act as an Evaluator. That's a tota