Rosario Completes her HPL Project!

Congratulations to Rosario who successfully completed her High Performance Leadership (HPL) project when she presented the project results to the club on Wednesday. Rosario's HPL, the Boot Camp on February 26, was a very successful project that received enthusiastic praise from all the participants. HPL is one more major step completed on her journey to Advanced Leader Silver. Way to go, Rosario!

Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech

One of the great speeches of the last 100 years. Click on the title to view.

Mad Men - Carousel

This is taken from the TV Show Mad Men. In it, the main character Don Draper is making a pitch to clients regarding one of their products. But he doesn't pitch the product in the conventional sense. He tells a story, speaking to them in language that everyone can understand. He couples this strong narrative with powerful visuals from his own life and leaves almost everyone speechless. Listen to his choice of words, note his pacing.

I've watched this a dozen times and I'm still moved by it.

Thanks
Mitch

Tip of the Week

When you are the Table Topics Evaluator, a good rule of thumb is to allow one minute for general comments and about thirty seconds for each speaker. Thirty seconds will allow you to say 3 or 4 sentences (60 - 70 words) OR give one outstanding item and one area for improvement. For example: for 4 table topics speakers you would be allowed 3 minutes for evaluation. Try it the next time you are Table Topics Evaluator!

Tip of the Week

When you are the Toastmaster for a meeting, you will be called upon to introduce speakers in the prepared speech program. Your role is not only to welcome the speaker but to perk the audience's interest in the presentation and to help the audience relate to the speaker. Remember to focus on the speaker in your introduction. It is not about you.

When you introduce a speaker, answer the following questions:

• Why this speaker? 
• Why this topic?    
• Why this audience? 
• Why this time?      

Keep your introductions brief, interesting and relevant. A rule of thumb for length is about 10% of the prepared speech time. Your role is to set the stage for the speaker; establish a connection between speaker and audience; and provide a warm welcome. When you have finished the introduction, always end with the speaker's name and lead the applause. When are you doing your next introduction? Give it a try!