“I can do anything!” Discover Self-Empowerment Through Toastmasters — by James Harmon

Are you interested in improving your public speaking skills? Do you seek a safe space to build your communication skills for client interviews and other public speaking events? Do you need some ideas for next year’s Continuing Professional Development goals? Do you struggle to find the time or motivation to commit to self-improvement?

Then maybe a virtual Toastmasters program is exactly what you and your firm need! Toastmasters’ flexible, safe learning environment allows you to build your skills on your own time.

What is Toastmasters and how can it help me?

Founded in 1924 by educator Ralph C. Smedley, Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization that operates clubs worldwide, giving people a space where they can work together to improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Those familiar with role-play games, theater or improv will quickly pick up on the learn-by-doing format. Members role play various parts of a meeting — timer, evaluator, speaker and ah counter among others — and through this process, grow comfortable managing time, speaking and presenting publicly and preparing future meetings.

As a former college instructor and theater student, I was no stranger to public speaking. Even so, I wish I had known about Toastmasters much earlier. I credit my time with this organization for becoming a better listener, a more thoughtful speaker and better planner.

When I arrived in Washington, I had no meaningful contacts to speak of. Since joining Toastmasters, I’ve built up a broader circle of friends and colleagues. No, Toastmasters is not for networking, but with its learn-by-doing format, you naturally become better in engaging with strangers. The various roles of putting together a meeting — building acquaintances, requesting volunteers, negotiating schedules — start to become second-nature, instilling a feeling of “I can do anything!”

How do I charter a club?

Every chartering journey is unique, just as every program is unique. Some things are universally true, though. You will need the support of your firm’s or office leadership to sponsor the club, and, if possible, pay member dues. Leaders — vice presidents, office leaders, discipline leads — are indispensable to building enthusiasm and interest. You will also need a dedicated core of individuals who believe in the program and are willing to dedicate their time to guide the program through the initial chartering process. Toastmasters will supply the rest — a club growth director, sponsors, mentors and more — but having a basic foundation of support within your organization is critical.

I work at HNTB, and we just launched a virtual Toastmasters program. We meet once a week around lunchtime using WebEx.

It all began two years ago during an employee engagement meeting. I had expressed interest in getting more involved, and my marketing manager, knowing I was an active Toastmasters member, suggested I start program at our firm. I committed to making Toastmasters my mission for the next several months, learning everything I could about the chartering process and building excitement among office leadership and my colleagues.

Then the pandemic hit. The idea of holding in-person gatherings was not only unappealing — it was also impossible.

But then something incredible happened. Everyone started using Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams and other teleconferencing systems to host all manner of meetings, from family gatherings and happy hour events to business conferences and interviews.

As it turned out, virtual teleconferencing was the missing secret ingredient we lacked at the beginning of the chartering process. Previously, I had spoken with people who expressed genuine enthusiasm for Toastmasters, but pointed to the many difficulties of meeting in person — co-location with far-away clients, children to pick up and drive to after-school events and the general struggles of maintaining a work-life balance. Virtual meetings let us all gather at our convenience wherever we happen to be.

HNTB Sparks — our virtual Toastmasters program — serves as a bridge, connecting divisions, disciplines and geographies for our large firm of over 5,000 employees. We have members located in San Diego, Santa Ana, Los Angeles, Denver, Salt Lake City, Houston and Seattle. We represent multiple disciplines — marketing, bridge and tunnel engineering, architecture, environmental planning, transit planning and more — breaking down the Silo Effect all too common and detrimental to large infrastructure firms.

It’s been a learning process. Many of us are new to Toastmasters and are figuring things out as we go along, but we have the support of moderators and sponsors with years of experience. We are building a system and culture that meets our unique needs. Our enthusiastic officer board, led by our president, Vanessa Hahn, CPSM (an active SMPS Orange County member), is working to build a program that supports all our educational and leadership goals.

Every firm is different, and so too is every Toastmasters program. Sometimes, firms within the same discipline will come together to form a joint club. Other times, firms will open clubs up to the public. In addition, Toastmasters claims thousands of clubs that operate independently within their own community — including my own club, WRY Toastmasters in Bellevue, Washington.

Is Toastmasters right for me?

The best way to find out is to simply find a club and request a meeting invitation. Because many clubs are still meeting virtually, now is the best time to try out multiple clubs to see which one is the right fit for you. Some programs, like ours at HTNB, are closed to the general public, but many more exist that will be all too happy to let you participate. Simply click here to find a club near you.

If you are interested in introducing Toastmasters to your own firm, but don’t know how to get started, you will find many people, including me, who will guide you on the path toward chartering a club.

Public speaking is a frightening experience for many of us, but it doesn’t have to be. Toastmasters provides a fun, safe space for self-improvement and building confidence.

James Harmon, PhD, CPSM, enjoys helping people express themselves in the best way possible to make their ideas shine. He has been with Toastmasters since 2012 where he has competed at speech events and participated in a variety of club and district-level roles, most recently as Area Director. His home club is WRY Toastmasters. As a Marketing Writer and Editor at HNTB, James specializes in content editing, technical writing and influential messaging of marketing collateral within the architecture, engineering and construction sector. During his career of more than 20 years, James has served in a variety of communications-related capacities, including as an editor for a publishing company and professor of English and Composition at various community colleges and universities on the West Coast.