Skip to main content

Speaking? Face Your Fears!


A few years ago, my company started at Toastmasers club in our retirement community for any staff member who wanted to participate. As the activities director in the community, I am one of the people who is regularly on stage introducing programs and talking in front of groups of residents. I thought,  why do I need to join this program? Well, the answer was not far from the surface, once I took a good look at myself. “Because, I can be better!”

If you are like me, it is not a problem to introduce a speaker, entertainer, or to speak to “my” residents… or even to a group of fellow staff members. I use to be fearful when my boss was in the audience, but that is not the case anymore. When I asked myself the question, “Why join Toastmasters?” I realized that I am not be comfortable in other settings except the one inside my community’s four walls. I also felt that I had another weakness that could be reduced from joining the group, and that was to be sociable in situations where I was not the leader.

Toastmasters has a section of their meetings where members are asked to speak on their feet, called Table Topics. I found that this section of the meeting to be very helpful to me, because there are many times when I feel that unless I speak to the residents about a recent activity, their health, family or community issues, that I am uncomfortable in carrying on a worthwhile conversation. And of course, in a social setting outside of work, it is the same thing.

As you start the new year, I ask you, how can you step your game up? Have you taken a look at yourself honestly and found an area where you are uncomfortable or possibly even afraid? Those are areas within you that you can address this year! I’m sure you are great already – but in 2013, you can be better! For me, I will continue to work on my public speaking and one-one exchanges, along with other things. What will it be for you?

Joining the ToastMasters club at work has been an awesome opportunity for my personal and professional growth. Here are some free resources from ToastMasters that I found on-line. Also, take a look into the Resources for Activities Directors  tab at the top of my blog for some books on becoming a better speaker, which are available through Amazon.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic. - Unknown




Comments

  1. addy watsonJanuary 10, 2013 at 6:55 AM

    Really great and interesting. keep your good work dude....

    ballet classes in orange county

    ReplyDelete
  2. Recharging RetireesJanuary 10, 2013 at 7:20 AM

    HI Addy, thanks for the comment. I'm not really sure why you would put the link re : dance classes here...guess you do have to face fears to start that .... I do have a post about dancing where it would have fit better.....but please keep in mind that this is a place to share ideas that work in retirement community's activities programs - not a place to promote other businesses - unless you can take enough time to tell us, the readers why it is related.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3 Styles of Scavenger Hunts

Boy is it hot outside! If you are like me you may still be looking for indoor activities that are fun for your residents to do. This activity that I will share with you can be done for different levels of care in your retirement community. I encourage you to share it with the other activity professionals that work in those other areas within your own community. The activity is the Scavenge Hunt. This can be done in three different ways and I will describe them below: 1)       The Stay Seated Scavenger Hunt v   Ask audience to bring in items they think will be asked for. Encourage them to fill their purses, pockets, bags, etc. and bring it to the event v   Make a list of items that they could bring with them v   Include items that would be funny, that might have a story to go with them, or that people would be surprised someone would actually have. (Green Stamps anyone?) v   See the list I used v   Cut the list i...
2 comments
Read more

Puzzle Theme for Volunteer Appreciation

Volunteers are an essential piece of retirement communities! They can be found volunteering at the reception desk when you first walk in, running an activity for the entire community to attend, folding napkins for the dining room and even taking potential residents on tours of the community for the sales and marketing department. Resident volunteers may also be board or committee members of your community's resident board. It is hard to imagine a successful community without resident volunteers. As the activities director in my CCRC community, it is my responsibility to make sure there is a wonderful appreciation luncheon every year to thank our residents. This year we used a puzzle theme for the lunch. The idea came to us (me and my co-workers from our neighboring sister community) from the Positive Promotions catalog. Here are the highlights of the event that connected the pieces together for a successful and meaningful afternoon: In Advance 1) Took a photo of the entran...
Post a Comment
Read more

Super Bowl Party for Seniors

It is almost here! The 46th Super Bowl game will be held on Sunday, February 5 in Indinapolis. Each year, residents in my retirement community want to have a viewing party for the big game. I believe that it is a fun program to make an activity out of, but not something that I must do every year. Mostly, I don't have this each year because there are not to many ways to change it up, so I don't want to have it become boring. (This is where your ideas would be great to hear!!) This year, we are going to have a party and I'd like to share with you the plans for the evening. Residents are now signing up for the program which is set to start at 6:00 p.m.  This time is perfect in my community because we still serve dinner at noon on Sundays and the residents usually like to attend for the food, if for no other reason. (I do charge them a fee for the food.) We will have the game showing on our big screen tv in the auditorium and tables and chairs set up for the...
2 comments
Read more