Toastmasters International was established in 1924 by Dr. Ralph Smedley as a safe haven for practicing public speaking and leadership skills. Today, there are over 260,000 members in more than 12,500 community and corporate clubs in 113 countries. Businesses and government organizations have discovered that Toastmasters is an effective, cost-efficient means of meeting their communication training needs. That’s why thousands of corporations sponsor in-house Toastmasters clubs. Toastmasters groups can also be found in government agencies, educational institutions and state and local agencies. This includes community organizations, prisons, universities, hospitals, military bases and churches. Currently, there are more than 5,500 corporate clubs in more than 4,500 corporations or organizations worldwide. But what does this mean to your organization?
A company’s success depends on communication.
A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop, typically made up of about 20 people who meet for one hour. Scheduling of meetings is flexible depending on your organization’s needs. Participants enjoy opportunities to practice and build skills by participating in meetings and filling various roles. They might give prepared or impromptu speeches or serve as timer, evaluator or grammarian. Members may also be called upon to lead a volunteer committee or serve as a club officer. There is no instructor. Members evaluate one another’s presentations and offer constructive feedback.
Since 2005, corporate club growth has been on the rise. At the close of 2009, Toastmasters’ corporate clubs accounted for more than 44% of all clubs worldwide and this number continues to grow steadily.
The Toastmasters program can supplement your existing training programs. With its unique group experience, Toastmasters provides practical presentation experience while delivering personal and immediate evaluation and feedback from an independent third party. This provides a safe place to make mistakes and learn. It’s a great opportunity for your team members to demonstrate personal initiative, as it is a self-motivating and self-monitoring learning process. Within your organization, the training and practice employees receive from participating in Toastmasters acts as a great resource to identify and develop strong candidates for promotion. Additionally, as a sponsor of a Toastmasters club, your organization’s management can recommend or require that employees participate in the program. Mentorship Opportunities Toastmasters enables qualified senior members of your team to be personally involved in the professional development of junior members’ presentation skills. The program offers opportunities for leadership development and practical opportunities to delegate responsibility as well as organize and direct club and/or executive meetings. Toastmasters also fosters empathy and partnership in the skill development of the team.
It is important for your employees to feel supported by their managers in order to maintain a successful rate of goal achievement. With your support of the Toastmasters program and the services it provides to your employees, your organization will see more effective employee-customer communication, better leaders, more productive teams, more effective meetings and increased productivity.
Why is Toastmasters the answer for your organization? At a cost that is less than half the price of ordinary training sessions run by lecturers, we offer consistent hands-on practice that is tested and proven to deliver.
Why is Toastmasters the answer for your organization? At a cost that is less than half the price of ordinary training sessions run by lecturers, we offer consistent hands-on practice that is tested and proven to deliver.
More than four million people have discovered the benefits of this proven learning formula. Visit our Web site for more information on Toastmasters.