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Guest
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 Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:11 pm Post subject: TLI is over and done! |
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We had our last TLI this past weekend. It seems the weather kept a lot
of people away.
Our first TLI was back in mid-December. I wasn't sure about that because
a lot of clubs hadn't even elected their officers, but we still had
250-300 officers trained. We also had a TLI Lite and a couple in East
Texas for the Eastern Division.
For those who remember me mentioning this, we extended officer training
from 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, and had not elective sessions during
officer training. The 2nd 1 hour block was for elective sessions and in
the afternoon there was another 1:30 of officer training.
I think this really restricts the number of people who are willing to
turn out. For example, my wife would have come with me to the first TLI,
but she'd either have to attend officer training or sit for 1 1/2 hours
doing nothing and waiting for the next elective session. In the
afternoon there was hardly anyone was there. Ours in probably one of the
smaller districts in Toastmasters as far as area goes so I don't know if
that'd make any difference or not.
--
Nigel Reed ACS, oCL (It's really an ATM-S in an ideal world) + LDREXC
2 Speeches + 1 Sponsorship needed for DTM. 1 Speech for next CC
District 50 Public Relations Officer http://www.toastmastersd50.org
http://www.toastytips.com - Tips of Toastmasters (submissions welcome)
http://toastmasters.sysadmininc.com - Toastmasters Club Mapping Project
Unofficial Area Motto: "I'm sure there's a speech in that somewhere" |
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p c
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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nigel@sysadmininc.com wrote:
| Quote: | We had our last TLI this past weekend. It seems the weather kept a lot
of people away.
[sniped] |
I am not sure if people go to training, especially during winter/spring.
I just received an email from the LGET that only 5 persons attended
training in the division. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:30 am Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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p c <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
| Quote: | I am not sure if people go to training, especially during winter/spring.
I just received an email from the LGET that only 5 persons attended
training in the division.
|
Turnout over all the TLIs (we usually have 4 or 5) is about 75%. I think
the problem is the older members who have "been there, done that" and
don't think they need to know.
A lot of people lose sight of why they joined in the first place, I
think, training isn't just about them (or not) but it's about helping
the club, being a better officer and contributing the club goals.
--
Nigel Reed ACS, oCL (It's really an ATM-S in an ideal world) + LDREXC
2 Speeches + 1 Sponsorship needed for DTM. 1 Speech for next CC
District 50 Public Relations Officer http://www.toastmastersd50.org
http://www.toastytips.com - Tips of Toastmasters (submissions welcome)
http://toastmasters.sysadmininc.com - Toastmasters Club Mapping Project
Unofficial Area Motto: "I'm sure there's a speech in that somewhere" |
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Colin William
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:10 am Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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<nigel@sysadmininc.com> wrote
| Quote: | A lot of people lose sight of why they joined in the first place, I
think, training isn't just about them (or not) but it's about helping
the club, being a better officer and contributing the club goals.
|
this is true, but many people have become disenchanted by actually going to
these trainings and having their time wasted. It's incumbent on the district
to create compelling programming so that people will feel that their time
isn't wasted.
Our district typically has a well-attended training that runs 3-4 hours. The
district covers the entire state plus northern Kentucky, so some people are
expected to drive in excess of 3 hours there and three hours home. If you're
asking people to commit ten hours and fifty bucks or more of their gas money
to TLI, you'd better make it worth their while.
Colin |
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John Fleming, DTM
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:10 am Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:59:34 -0500, while chained to a desk
in the scriptorium "Colin William"
<colintwilliam@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | $<nigel@sysadmininc.com> wrote
$> A lot of people lose sight of why they joined in the first place, I
$> think, training isn't just about them (or not) but it's about helping
$> the club, being a better officer and contributing the club goals.
$
$this is true, but many people have become disenchanted by actually going to
$these trainings and having their time wasted. It's incumbent on the district
$to create compelling programming so that people will feel that their time
$isn't wasted.
$
$Our district typically has a well-attended training that runs 3-4 hours. The
$district covers the entire state plus northern Kentucky, so some people are
$expected to drive in excess of 3 hours there and three hours home. If you're
$asking people to commit ten hours and fifty bucks or more of their gas money
$to TLI, you'd better make it worth their while.
|
Even if they don't come that far, you still have to make it
worth their while.
When the promo material for our TLI came out, I took a look
at the list of sessions. Ours tends to be a big, one-day,
event with club officer training supplemented by additional
sessions on leadership (and sometimes communications)
related topics. It looked like, for a lot of sessions, they
were still looking for instructors and many of the topics
didn't exactly inspire me.
I thought, if you are going to expect me to take a day out
of my weekend and pony up $25, you are going to have to do
better than this. (The charge covers lunch and rental of
the facility.)
--
John Fleming, DTM
Edmonton, Canada
Attitude Boosters Toastmasters (7022-42) - Member
Chamber Toastmasters (5594 - 42) - Member
A scientist can discover a new star but he
cannot make one. He would have to ask an
engineer to do it for him.
- Gordon L. Glegg |
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John Fleming, DTM
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:10 am Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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On Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:13:02 -0500, while chained to a desk
in the scriptorium p c <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
| Quote: | $nigel@sysadmininc.com wrote:
$> We had our last TLI this past weekend. It seems the weather kept a lot
$> of people away.
$
$[sniped]
$
$I am not sure if people go to training, especially during winter/spring.
$
$I just received an email from the LGET that only 5 persons attended
$training in the division.
|
If you are going to get people to attend, you have to make
it worth their while.
--
John Fleming, DTM
Edmonton, Canada
Attitude Boosters Toastmasters (7022-42) - Member
Chamber Toastmasters (5594 - 42) - Member
A scientist can discover a new star but he
cannot make one. He would have to ask an
engineer to do it for him.
- Gordon L. Glegg |
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Rick
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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nigel@sysadmininc.com wrote:
| Quote: | A lot of people lose sight of why they joined in the first place, I
think, training isn't just about them (or not) but it's about helping
the club, being a better officer and contributing the club goals.
|
As other people have pointed out, it must be worth their time. Another
reason is people are often active with multiple groups. In addition to
TLI, I had another group I needed to help with.
This was the first TLI I've missed in years. Attending the other event
would have a large benefit on the other group. Attending yet another
TLI would have a small benefit on my club. The actually officer
training sessions tend to cover the same material every time.
The format was changed this year. It was shortened and it was moved to
the middle of the day. There was less content and instead of talking
all morning it consumed the whole day. It overlapped both morning and
after noon activities.
Rick Clements, DTM
VPM Daylighters |
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Colin William
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:01 pm Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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<nigel@sysadmininc.com> wrote
| Quote: | A lot of people lose sight of why they joined in the first place, I
think, training isn't just about them (or not) but it's about helping
the club, being a better officer and contributing the club goals.
|
We have, and have had, many good district officers over my years in TI.
We've had a few not-so-good, but the former outweigh the latter by far, we
haven't had any overtly malicious, and the current group is very good.
what surprises me, though, is that even with these very good folks, the
marketing message that trickles down every year re: training is "we want
100% of officers trained!" This is all very well as a benchmark, but when
that's what the clubs are hearing, it sends them the message that the
district is more interested in the quantity of officers trained than what
people might learn.
Your statement above addresses the areas that should be emphasized as
reasons for attending TLI - learning to do your job better, helping your
club, etc. But if the talking point that goes out that it's all about 100%
participation, then I can see where people might not see what's in it for
them, as opposed to what's in it for the district.
Colin |
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Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:50 pm Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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Colin William <colintwilliam@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Your statement above addresses the areas that should be emphasized as
reasons for attending TLI - learning to do your job better, helping your
club, etc. But if the talking point that goes out that it's all about 100%
participation, then I can see where people might not see what's in it for
them, as opposed to what's in it for the district.
|
I have many mixed emotions about the distinguished programs, at the
district, division and area levels and somewhat at the club level.
If you read all the mission statements, everything is geared towards the
members, however when you really look at it, sometimes the members seem
like a means to an end.
--
Nigel Reed ACS, oCL (It's really an ATM-S in an ideal world) + LDREXC
2 Speeches + 1 Sponsorship needed for DTM. 1 Speech for next CC
District 50 Public Relations Officer http://www.toastmastersd50.org
http://www.toastytips.com - Tips of Toastmasters (submissions welcome)
http://toastmasters.sysadmininc.com - Toastmasters Club Mapping Project
Unofficial Area Motto: "I'm sure there's a speech in that somewhere" |
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Joy
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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<nigel@sysadmininc.com> wrote in message
news:tgur85-8ju.ln1@news.sysadmininc.com...
| Quote: | Colin William <colintwilliam@hotmail.com> wrote:
Your statement above addresses the areas that should be emphasized as
reasons for attending TLI - learning to do your job better, helping your
club, etc. But if the talking point that goes out that it's all about
100%
participation, then I can see where people might not see what's in it for
them, as opposed to what's in it for the district.
I have many mixed emotions about the distinguished programs, at the
district, division and area levels and somewhat at the club level.
If you read all the mission statements, everything is geared towards the
members, however when you really look at it, sometimes the members seem
like a means to an end.
--
Nigel Reed ACS, oCL (It's really an ATM-S in an ideal world) + LDREXC
2 Speeches + 1 Sponsorship needed for DTM. 1 Speech for next CC
District 50 Public Relations Officer http://www.toastmastersd50.org
http://www.toastytips.com - Tips of Toastmasters (submissions welcome)
http://toastmasters.sysadmininc.com - Toastmasters Club Mapping Project
Unofficial Area Motto: "I'm sure there's a speech in that somewhere"
|
I agree! Instead of, "What are your goals? What do you want to
learn/accomplish?" we hear, "Can you give us a CC/CL, etc. by June?"
Joy |
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Joy
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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"Colin William" <colintwilliam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:620u77F21nrmbU1@mid.individual.net...
| Quote: | nigel@sysadmininc.com> wrote
A lot of people lose sight of why they joined in the first place, I
think, training isn't just about them (or not) but it's about helping
the club, being a better officer and contributing the club goals.
We have, and have had, many good district officers over my years in TI.
We've had a few not-so-good, but the former outweigh the latter by far, we
haven't had any overtly malicious, and the current group is very good.
what surprises me, though, is that even with these very good folks, the
marketing message that trickles down every year re: training is "we want
100% of officers trained!" This is all very well as a benchmark, but when
that's what the clubs are hearing, it sends them the message that the
district is more interested in the quantity of officers trained than what
people might learn.
|
That is so true! Not only that, too often, officer training is the same
every time. If you belong to multiple clubs, you may be trained for more
than one office every six months. After several years, this becomes very
wearying.
Joy
| Quote: | Your statement above addresses the areas that should be emphasized as
reasons for attending TLI - learning to do your job better, helping your
club, etc. But if the talking point that goes out that it's all about 100%
participation, then I can see where people might not see what's in it for
them, as opposed to what's in it for the district.
Colin |
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Colin William
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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<nigel@sysadmininc.com> wrote
| Quote: | If you read all the mission statements, everything is geared towards the
members, however when you really look at it, sometimes the members seem
like a means to an end.
|
It's up to the district officers doing the selling to sell it effectively as
something that's for the members and for the clubs. If they sell it as an
obligation to the district's numbers, they're lost.
Colin |
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Guest
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| Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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Joy <toastie@real-me.net> wrote:
| Quote: | That is so true! Not only that, too often, officer training is the same
every time. If you belong to multiple clubs, you may be trained for more
than one office every six months. After several years, this becomes very
wearying.
|
There are three ways around this.
1) Make sure you hold the same office at each club
2) Take a 6 month break after doing a stint in office. It would take 7
years to complete all officer positions by doing that.
3) Allow other members who have not been officers to do so and step
back.
While stepping back, maybe think about helping our your District in
other ways. Teach a TLI session? Be a TLI chair, visit some clubs and
offer to give a Successful Club/Leadership Excellence module, spend a
few hours offering tips on the Art of Effective Evaluations, put all
your Toastmasters knowledge to use by helping the clubs in your area by
being an Area Governor and what do you know....you're a DTM :)
Regards
Nigel
--
Nigel Reed ACS, oCL (It's really an ATM-S in an ideal world) + LDREXC
2 Speeches + 1 Sponsorship needed for DTM. 1 Speech for next CC
District 50 Public Relations Officer http://www.toastmastersd50.org
http://www.toastytips.com - Tips of Toastmasters (submissions welcome)
http://toastmasters.sysadmininc.com - Toastmasters Club Mapping Project
Unofficial Area Motto: "I'm sure there's a speech in that somewhere" |
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Joy
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 1:40 am Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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<nigel@sysadmininc.com> wrote in message
news:qs3s85-iuu.ln1@news.sysadmininc.com...
| Quote: | Joy <toastie@real-me.net> wrote:
That is so true! Not only that, too often, officer training is the same
every time. If you belong to multiple clubs, you may be trained for more
than one office every six months. After several years, this becomes very
wearying.
There are three ways around this.
1) Make sure you hold the same office at each club
2) Take a 6 month break after doing a stint in office. It would take 7
years to complete all officer positions by doing that.
3) Allow other members who have not been officers to do so and step
back.
While stepping back, maybe think about helping our your District in
other ways. Teach a TLI session? Be a TLI chair, visit some clubs and
offer to give a Successful Club/Leadership Excellence module, spend a
few hours offering tips on the Art of Effective Evaluations, put all
your Toastmasters knowledge to use by helping the clubs in your area by
being an Area Governor and what do you know....you're a DTM :)
Regards
Nigel
|
Thanks for the suggestions, Nigel. Two of my clubs have low membership,
which is one reason I hold offices in both of those clubs at the moment.
However, my terms are up at the end of June, and I plan to drop out of both
clubs for financial reasons. I wouldn't have renewed this time if I didn't
hold offices. I agreed to serve for a year, and intend to fulfill my
obligations.
I haven't had an office in my larger club (the one I'm staying in) since I
ended my term as President a couple of years ago.
I am happy to help in ways that won't preclude my competing. I have been in
Toastmasters for 17 years. I have served as a club mentor, and have been an
individual mentor several times. At one point I handled publicity, as well
as contest programs and certificates, for my Area. I have no desire to be
an Area Governor, and not just because I like competing. At my age, I don't
feel prepared for the commitment involved in being Area Governor. I feel
that I contribute enough in other ways, so I don't feel guilty about this.
I am happy to step back and let somebody else have the honor. ;-)
Joy |
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John Fleming, DTM
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:01 am Post subject: Re: TLI is over and done! |
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On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:10:07 GMT, while chained to a desk in
the scriptorium nigel@sysadmininc.com wrote:
| Quote: | $Joy <toastie@real-me.net> wrote:
$
$> That is so true! Not only that, too often, officer training is the same
$> every time. If you belong to multiple clubs, you may be trained for more
$> than one office every six months. After several years, this becomes very
$> wearying.
$
$There are three ways around this.
$
$1) Make sure you hold the same office at each club
$2) Take a 6 month break after doing a stint in office. It would take 7
$years to complete all officer positions by doing that.
$3) Allow other members who have not been officers to do so and step
$back.
$
$While stepping back, maybe think about helping our your District in
$other ways. Teach a TLI session? Be a TLI chair, visit some clubs and
$offer to give a Successful Club/Leadership Excellence module, spend a
$few hours offering tips on the Art of Effective Evaluations, put all
$your Toastmasters knowledge to use by helping the clubs in your area by
$being an Area Governor and what do you know....you're a DTM 
|
Speaking of Successful Club/Leadership Excellence/Better
Speaker modules, last week I ran into someone I met through
Toastmasters years ago. She'd completed her DTM and about a
year or two later had dropped out.
She was saying one of the things that did Toastmasters in
for her was these modules. She belonged to a club that did
one every other week--alternating educationals with business
meetings. With roughly twenty modules, you hear them all at
least once a year. On top of that, many members use them as
a prepackaged speech, making no effort to personalize them
or add to the material either through personal study of the
topic or through personal experience.
Result is, after a while educationals from these series
start resembling month old leftovers greeting you by name
and showing off their new fur coats when you open the
fridge.
--
John Fleming, DTM
Edmonton, Canada
Attitude Boosters Toastmasters (7022-42) - Member
Chamber Toastmasters (5594 - 42) - Member
A scientist can discover a new star but he
cannot make one. He would have to ask an
engineer to do it for him.
- Gordon L. Glegg |
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