Do you believe in miracles?
Our Toastmaster James showed us how even simple acts can be miracles — such as helping out someone in need. Mohammed demonstrated the miracle of photography, including his very own homemade pinhole camera, while Mark pitched us on the miracle benefits of the Ketogenic Diet. Finally, John won Table Topics by sharing the miracle of his lost phone. Believe it!
NEXT WEEK:
May the 4th be with you…
For more info on attending our next meeting as a guest, click here.
In his 10th speech, Bob inspires us to put happiness into practice with the Law of Attraction…
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It was a night full of action….
Our Toastmaster John began by sharing his terrifying (and liberating) first experience acting in front of an audience on stage. Wes followed with his pitch for paying a premium for better products and experiences (even a luxury hotel suite). Finally, everyone got in on the action in John’s ACTION!!! workshop, acting out scenes from a variety of scripts.
Congrats to our guest Stanley, who won a super-power-themed Table Topics with his tale of travelling through time. Ready… ACTION!
NEXT WEEK:
James will be our Toastmaster, and we’ll hear speeches from Arash, Mohammed, and Mark…
For more info on attending our next meeting as a guest, click here.
How can you thrive in a negative situation?
Keep positive, of course! This was our Toastmaster Mohammed’s advice, showing how the right attitude can help us get through whatever comes our way. Alex demonstrated how positive and negative perceptions helped a small group of entrepreneurs pull off “The Big Short”, while Andrew taught us to start our speeches on a positive note with his workshop on introductions.
Congrats to our guest Marco, who won an everyone-in round of Table Topics, and Mohammed, who served as Toastmaster for the first time.
NEXT WEEK:
John will be our Toastmaster!
For more info on attending our next meeting as a guest, click here.
What’s the secret to an effective evaluation?
Here are a few tips from long-time Toastmaster and past district-level contest winner Stephen Grant on being a better evaluator:
(1) Help people grow
Giving an evaluation isn’t actually about “evaluating” a speaker — it’s about helping them grow and achieve their goals. When giving feedback, try to provide support and motivation, help them find their happiness.
(2) Be person-centred
To find out about their goals, reach out to the speaker in advance of their speech. Engage with them. Don’t just talk about the speech, ask them about their day to day life!
(3) Encourage autonomy
Don’t give orders or specific directions, give feedback that allows them to feel autonomous. Let them decide how they should act on the info you give them.
(4) Be subjective
Evaluations are, by nature, your opinion. Always use “I” statements (“I felt…” “I saw…” “I liked….”), make it clear that yours is one opinion among many.
And finally…
(5) Inspire them!
Give the speaker food for thought, give them choices, ideas, alternatives, engage their creativity. Try asking rhetorical questions like “I wonder if…” or “perhaps there’s a better way to….”. Empower them to create their own ideas for improvement.
So… how will YOUR next evaluation be?
Liberty Village Toastmasters Toronto 