An Audience in Southern British Columbia & Vancouver Island

On June 8, 2023, I presented online to District 21 Toastmasters. The audience was comprised of Toastmasters members from southern British Columbia and Victoria Island.  Later I watched the video recording of the one-hour session.  I will provide a link to the video below. 

Each of us can learn from watching recorded performances. In reviewing my performance before this audience, I am pleased with my conversational approach and my management of timing and the material. This was scheduled as a 40-minute presentation with 15 minutes of Q&A.  The event started at 7:00 p.m. Pacific and 11:00 p.m. my time.  As I rewatch the video, I can hear tiredness and less precision in my voice. Approaching midnight is not my best time of day, so I need to be sure to be well-rested before similar events.

The material covered included the practicality of the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership model of delegation and the leadership lessons contained in this amazing article on leadership from Zenger-Folkman in Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2012/12/why-do-we-wait-so-long-to-trai. 

Also, I spent some time calling attention to a McKinsey paper on the future world of work and the skills citizens will need to prosper.  This material helps make an audience of Toastmasters better aware of the valuable, transferable skills we require them to exercise during their weekly meetings. The McKinsey material is available here  https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/defining-the-skills-citizens-will-need-in-the-future-world-of-work

Should you wish to view the one-hour presentation please visit this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df3Jj_uICj4

This was an enjoyable virtual visit with this audience in British Columbia, and based on comments received the audience did receive value. I’ve only in-person visited Vancouver in the province of British Columbia, although I hope to explore the province more fully someday. 

Pursue Greater Personal Significance

 

On July 1^st and again on July 8^th, I present virtual keynotes to groups based in Toronto and in Singapore. One speech is 20 minutes long and the other is 15 minutes long. One session includes a 10-minute Q&A.

The theme of these talks will be Pursuing Greater Significance.  My objective is to encourage attendees to commit and achieve the goals assigned to their teams, while helping them to recognize that the skills and behaviors they will need to exhibit in achieving the team goals will serve each of them very well as they pursue other personal goals. If I am successful in helping the attendees define what greater significance means to each of them, and helping them see the link to team performance, then I will be successful. What would greater personal significance mean to you?

Pat Riley: The Winner Within

During the speech, I refer to a book from basketball executive, former player, and former coach Pat Riley.  Riley coached the NBA Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Miami Heat. I recently read his 1994 book The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players.

Riley has some tremendous stories to tell and amazing experiences. However, I found the book difficult to follow, because during long passages continuity was lost as the text veered from game 7 in the NBA finals, to a speech the author gave to some business executives, to thoughts on the Japanese car industry, to a touching story about a Vietnam veteran.  All of the content is good, but the abrupt switches made it difficult for me as a reader to organize and process the messages. Structure matters.

Team Goals

However, late in the book, on page 211 of the 272 pages in the copy I was reading, Riley offers a quote from a friend of his and I thought the quote was gold. I’ll use it in my speech.  The friend is identified as Dr. Lew Richardson.  He doesn’t seem to have a book, but if he did I would find it. The Richardson quote reads as;

“Teams break when they don’t have a goal, or the goals aren’t clearly defined by the leaders. Goals have to be firmly entrenched, otherwise, people begin to operate as independent entrepreneurs in a system that really needs cooperative work.”

Gold. This applies to basketball, and to any team sport.  It applies to any work team.  I note that this does not exclude individuality and individual achievement, but does assert that team goals need to be clear and team members need to direct energy and attention to accomplishing them. I will add that the goals, progress, and helpful behaviors require frequent reminders with the team.

Personal Significance

Within the speech, I will speak to my pursuit of significance in various roles including some in Toastmasters International, my past volunteer work with L’Arche, and my current mentorship work with newcomers to Saint John.

I plan to connect each attendee’s personal ambitions and search for significance, to the work and skills required for my audiences to meet their defined team goals.

If successful, I can further develop this new material and theme.

Lost In Thought: Empowering Personal Development

 

Sometimes I’m asked why I continue to attend Toastmaster meetings after so many years as a member. There are many reasons, most notably because I recognize that public speaking is a skill and any skill requires practice. Each week at a Toastmaster meeting, I practice skills such as thinking on my feet and spontaneously crafting short speeches. I have sufficient knowledge about the craft, but I need regular practice and feedback from audience members to understand if my messages are effective.

Another reason I continue to attend is to see people develop in our supportive Toastmasters environment. It is an absolute joy to see people make progress. The supportive Toastmasters club environment was important to my development back in the 80s, and still today. It continues to nurture new attendees.

A Recent Example

I witnessed another example of this nurturing environment a few weeks ago.  A university student joined our Toastmasters club because she had a severe fear of public speaking.  In her initial attempts at impromptu speaking, she could only manage a few short sentences when she would stop, lost in her thoughts, and unsure how to proceed.

Over the past couple of months, she has learned to better manage her thoughts, and had some successes. Her confidence and skills are developing. When someone has a deep fear of public speaking, I’ve observed that they seem to move through a pattern of believing they can’t perform, to having some modest success, then better success, and ultimately should they persist they arrive to a point where they know they can perform, and they then learn to manage their way through various speaking engagements.  Some even reach the point where they enjoy public speaking.

Who Gets Lost In Their Thoughts?

You may know someone who gets lost in her thoughts when she speaks to an audience. You likely know someone who is reluctant to speak to any size audience and this is inhibiting his development.  If this is the case, I hope you invite, and perhaps accompany, that person to a Toastmasters meeting. There is no commitment to join, and most clubs are very open to guests and welcome their attendance (Some clubs are resident within companies making it difficult or impossible for people outside the organization to visit).

You can find a club via the Find A Club link at www.toastmasters.org

Every day I receive a Google alert with links to news and items related to Toastmasters.  Here is a good one about a reporters experience with Toastmasters in Australia

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/feb/01/the-devotion-the-positivity-the-awkwardness-what-i-learned-from-joining-toastmasters

Comfort Zone – How Writing Helps Speaking, How Speaking Helps Writing

In May 2023, I published the book Write Like A Leader on Amazon sites worldwide. Later this year, I will place some paperbacks at some local bookstores. This involves visiting local stores, signing a simple consignment contract, and committing to re-stock when necessary.  A national distribution arrangement would be nice, but I’m not prepared to put energy into this task. I wrote this book, and others, to assert a point of view, to assist readers, and to enable more paid speaking opportunities, which has occurred.

Write Like A Leader deals with planning, reflecting, and using the written word as one method to connect with teams.  It’s drawn from my personal experience. From September 2015 until August 2016, I was required to deliver a monthly Viewpoint column while serving as Toastmasters International President. In the book, I describe my process for capturing ideas well in advance, and later developing the written content.

A little planning goes a long way with a task such as this. The requirement to write a column helped me clarify my thinking about the organization and the role I occupied for twelve months.

Writing Helps Speaking, Speaking Helps Writing

Planning and writing on these topics improved my speaking.  Speaking on these topics improved my writing. The content of these columns became core material for other work.

Should you be interested in Viewpoint columns in The Toastmaster magazine and past issues of the magazine, please visit https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/issues

Should you be interested in the book please visit amazon.com/author/jimkokocki

Stretch Opportunity - Toastmaster Showcase May 23, 2023

Do you choose consistency and predictability, or do you enjoy occasional changes from routine? Some people will choose predictability at all times, but many need an occasional break from routine and a chance to push their limits. I like to mix in some chaos within a predictable routine.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been planning with local Toastmaster leaders in Saint John to provide an incremental challenge for our local Toastmaster members. We arranged a stretch opportunity for members, and guests, on Tuesday May 23^rd 6:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Kent Theater on Coburg Street.  Here is a link to the Facebook event  https://fb.me/e/NLPP9eX2

Consistency and Predictability

Regular Toastmaster meetings provide a predictable format, which I enjoy.  Public speaking and leadership are both skills, and skills require practice to keep skills sharp. It is imperative that Toastmaster members have a quite consistent environment in which to develop their skills. Members join with varying levels of experience, confidence, and expertise. Therefore, the environment needs to feel safe for new participants to engage.

Stretch Opportunities

While consistency is critical, stretch opportunities provide a chance to exercise skills in a more fluid environment. At the May 23rd event, speakers will climb a few stairs to an elevated stage, and use a handheld microphone to address the assembly. The microphone is required as very few voices will project well enough without the use of the microphone. You’ve watched speakers use a microphone.  It requires some practice and experience to be comfortable holding a microphone at a consistent distance while presenting.

Guests at the Event

There are many people who have an interest in developing their presentation skills, their soft skills, and their leadership skills. Some are interested in Toastmasters specifically.  For these people, May 23^rd will be a stellar opportunity to see the types of routines practiced at regular Toastmaster meetings.  These routines include planning and running meetings, delivering two-minute impromptu speeches, preparing and delivering longer speeches with prior preparation and practice, and providing and receiving developmental feedback.

There are four local clubs in the Saint John region. More information is available at this link https://saintjohn.toastmastersclubs.org/

The meeting will feature a speaker from each of the four local clubs, and 2-minute speeches from other Toastmaster members. Guests will not be required to speak, but may be invited to speak.  

Stretch Opportunities in General

When developing employees, or group members, leaders need to find opportunity to exercise their skills. Leaders always need to build employee’s confidence and competence, but further to find a way to gently push employees a little beyond their comfort zone from time-to-time.

Should you wish to attend the Saint John Region Toastmasters Showcase and stretch opportunity, please let a local toastmaster know, or email me at jimkokocki@gmail.com

 

 

 

My Process Preparing a Keynote

On Saturday, May 13^th, 2023, I delivered a 40-minute keynote with 15 minutes of Q&A.  The event was organized around three keynote presentations.   I will share my development process here.

Defining My Keynote Purpose

Purpose drives content. My process began with a conversation with the organizers to understand their requirements and what they hoped to achieve with the audience.  I'm generally familiar with the types of volunteer leaders who would be in attendance, and we discussed and settled on a relevant theme.  

I chose a theme around recognizing their successes in general, helping them realize the immense opportunity they have for skill development in their volunteer roles, and a description of the value of the Hersey-Blanchard situational leadership model to help their efforts.  The organizers needed a title and I chose Situational Leadership Every Time.

 

Exploring the Theme

Often people don't understand how they are being shaped during their experiences.  We are all shaped by our experiences. A goal with my talk was to help the audience members enable increased intentional focus on finishing their year well, and their skill development. A key component would be some research I discovered which indicates that most leaders receive their first ever leadership training at age 42 on average, about 10 years after they were promoted! These volunteer leaders in my audience are gifted an opportunity to receive training, exercise leadership skills, and develop further.

Within the theme, I took the audience through the situational leadership model, which is always relevant to any group of leaders, and the work of any leader. I also included material on managing team dysfunction and then offered a simple speech structure that any leader can use at anytime, even spontaneously.

 

Planning

To begin designing my speech, I usually create a draft presentation drawing on existing slides and material, and I did so in this instance.  As a result of many years of presentations, I have a quantity of stories and assets I can use to speak about leadership and communication.   

 

Refining

After reviewing the draft presentation, I scanned the draft to consider what was missing and what new material I can find that is pertinent and interesting.  In this case I found some recent material on the future of work from McKinsey, which is excellent, and is now a new asset for my future presentations.   Here is a link https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/defining-the-skills-citizens-will-need-in-the-future-world-of-work

 

A subsequent review of the draft helped me realize I could remove some material that I believe is too basic for this audience, and spend more time on the most pertinent material.   

 As the date of the presentation grew closer, I continued to scan and review, consider and write down key points for reminders during the presentation, and think about flow and transitions from major point to major point.  I never know precisely what I will say, but I know precisely what I’ll speak about, and the mental rehearsal embeds transitions and key points. I always print a 9-sllde horizontal view of my PowerPoint where I can jot notes on key points and sometimes transitions, and so I can glance and preview what is next.

 

Managing Chat Function

I decided to add a couple of skill testing questions to engage the audience. In doing so I recognized that I would ask those offering answers to type them in the chat, as this presentation was online only.  I usually avoid watching the chat as I find it distracting to my thought process, so I usually ask someone to monitor and advise me if need be.  So, I engaged a chat master in advance and armed her with the answers to my skill testing questions.   The two winners were mailed a copy of one of my books, of their choice.  

 

Result

The keynote proceeded swimmingly, and was well received.  Most of the questions were submitted in advance with time for a couple more from the assembly.

I hope you find value in this description of my approach to developing this keynote.

 

 

 

 

A Spy Story: Protective Behavior By Team Members

You have likely seen many instances where people are struggling exercising new skills, but are afraid to ask for help. Then once their skills and confidence grow, they realize that it was always ok to ask for help.

What is the role of the leader when people are developing new skills? A review of Hersey-Blanchard’s situational leadership is well worth some study for a brilliant, yet simple, framework that offers guidance on the role of a leader in developing people and their skills. There is much material available on situational leadership. This link provides a brief overview https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/hersey-and-blanchard-model.asp

 

A Book Titled “I Was Never Here”

I found an interesting example of avoiding asking for assistance in a book I recently read.  The book was written by a former spy. The story is about his past work in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), which is Canada's primary national intelligence agency. The book is titled I Was Never Here and is written by Andrew Hirsch.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60288495-i-was-never-here

The Book and Behavior in Organizations

The book was less exciting than I expected considering the author was a spy, but it is an interesting read regardless.  It’s interesting because it’s about people, and individual and team behavior in organizations. 

The book jacket makes clear that the book isn’t a James Bond thriller, but instead offers insight into his former role in CSIS. And CSIS is a large federal agency that does great work, however it is a typical organization with battles for resources, and protective behavior amongst teams within the organization. 

An interesting section describes surveillance of a car which belonged to a person of interest.  A mistake is made which slows the surveillance work, and the CSIS technical experts are very protective of the team member that made the mistake.  This slows the work.  The protective team behavior complicates the greater goal of the organization to the frustration of the other teams involved and senior leadership.

Embarrassed to Admit It

My main interest is in public speaking and leadership skills and there is often reluctance by people to address gaps in these areas. Considering this reluctance, I enjoyed this passage on page 76 of the copy I read. He described moving from a desk job in the agency where he managed various data reporting needs, and then the difficult move to more dangerous field work.  

“When I didn’t know what I was doing I was embarrassed to admit it. As my confidence grew, so did my willingness to admit when I needed help.”

It's common that people are reluctant to acknowledge a skill gap or ask for assistance. The situational leadership model provides a framework to help leaders in the art of assessing skill development of team members and responding appropriately.