It was a wonderful feeling to start a new season of Toastmaster this past September. With a great group of seasoned speakers, and a great mix of ambitions new blood, I could feel a lot of energy in the group. Mike Mack, a good friend and mentor that introduced me to the club in 2009 put on a goal setting session early in our season. At one point in the session we were asked to jot down a few thoughts of what would really inspire us within toastmasters, what goals would we like to achieve, and how we might intend to get there.
When my turn came to share with the club I looked down at my chicken scratch handwriting and blurted out my thoughts. - “I would really like to achieve my competent communicators’ status by this December, and I would like to give a speech this year that has the potential to move a person to tears.”
At the time I was not sure how I was going to achieve this, I still had three speeches to give in three months, and I didn’t have a joyful or sad story that might stir emotion in anyone. But these were my thoughts, and I had now committed myself to them within the group.
Mike provided immediate feedback to me, crediting me for making these goals ‘SMART’
Specific – Meaningful – Achievable – Realistic, and Timely.
"Great!" He said, after explaining the meaning of the term, "you covered all the SMART objectives and you will likely achieve them." I didn’t consider it at the time, but I immediately started evaluating the SMART objectives with my own goals. Yes they were realistic, and I did set date for completion as well as it was a good goal to set in order to move myself forward both personally and professionally
The progress of these goals never again came up during the meetings, but I could clearly hear my own voice and Mike’s feedback about achieving them replaying in my mind on a fairly regular basis.
In October I was asked to give a speech in church about a recent Mission trip I was on in Mexico. I practiced my story on the group as part of my Speech 9 ‘Persuade with Power’ requirements. I felt comfortable in sharing the message with my toastmaster peers, but it was in the silence of Ministic community church that I felt the power of my story, the comfort in my delivery, and the emotional impact I shared with my community. When I looked around the room, a few eyes were moist, and several tears released. I was not conscious of my earlier toastmaster goal at any time in my preparation or delivery of the speech, but somehow it came to be.
By late November I completed speech 10, and official claimed my Competent Communicator status and realized my second stated goal. It is now December and I look back a little proud of my accomplishments. Would this have happened if I did not write down or vocalize my goal? Was it the SMART system that pushed me forward? Or the encouragement from Mike?
I am now looking forward to the next goal setting session, creating SMART goals, and looking forward to reflecting back to the time I made them. I believe what works for Toastmaster speeches will work in many areas of your life.
Go out and make it a great day,
Your next success is just a jotted note away,
Blaine.
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