10 Qualities of a Mentor

MENTOR QUALITIES 

There are some important and essential characteristics mentors need to possess if they are to be effective. A good mentor is:

1.  Available. You must have time to spend with a member to help with speeches and answer questions. New members may require additional time until they become more familiar with the club and their role within it. 

2.  Patient. People learn at different speeds, and some people may need more guidance than others.

3.  Sensitive. Tact and diplomacy are vital. As a mentor, always be careful to say and do things that will motivate and encourage the mentee. Be loyal and take care not to betray the mentees’ confidence.

4.  Respectful. Everyone is different. A mentor respects the differences between themselves,  the mentee, and others. 

5.  Flexible. Not everything happens according to plan. You must adapt to various situations and accept that mentees may make decisions you do not agree with.

6.  Supportive. Show your pride in your club and what it has done – and can do – for members.

7.  Knowledgeable. Before you can help someone else, you must be familiar with the club, its operations, the educational program, and even the Toastmasters International organization itself. You should have completed several manual speeches, served in most meeting roles, and developed enough personal speaking skills to be of help to the mentee.

8.  Confident. You need to be self-assured and friendly.

9.  A good listener. A mentor must listen carefully. Simply listening without taking on the other person’s problem, can be of great help to the mentee. Just by listening, you can enable the mentee to articulate the problem and sort things out. 

10.  Concern for others. You must genuinely care about other people and truly want to  help them. 

Did you know you can be a Toastmasters mentor and you can even fulfill a Pathway requirement as you do it? Being a Toastmaster Mentor is also a requirement to the path for Destinguished Toastmaster. For more information on the Toastmasters mentor program please contact your Education chair or toastmasters.com

Pathways- Strategic Relationships

STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Cross-Cultural Understanding
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
Increasing Knowledge
• Make Connections Through Networking
Level 3 Elective Projects (choose 2)
• Deliver Social Speeches • Focus on the Positive
• Using Presentation Software • Inspire Your Audience
• Connect with Storytelling • Prepare for an Interview
• Creating Effective Visual Aids • Understanding Vocal Variety
• Using Descriptive Language • Effective Body Language
• Connect with Your Audience • Active Listening
Building Skills
• Public Relations Strategies
Level 4 Elective Projects (choose 1)
• Create a Podcast • Manage Online Meetings
• Building a Social Media Presence • Question-and-Answer Session
• Managing a Difficult Audience
• Write a Compelling Blog
• Manage Projects Successfully
Demonstrating Expertise
• Leading in Your Volunteer Organization
• Reflect on Your Path
Level 5 Elective Projects (choose 1)
• Lessons Learned
• Moderate a Panel Discussion
• Prepare to Speak Professionally
• Ethical Leadership
• High Performance Leadership

Meeting Sept 11 - Memories & Stories

Today we had a great meeting of winging it when not everyone has arrived yet, filling last minutes role, but most importantly some amazing speeches. Jalene shared with us her L1 Research speech in which she shared with us information about Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ) through EI Guy and her resources. Brian N shared with us a story of who he is through the lens of his ancestorys and his 32 and me test, sharing life adventures, historical artifacts, and fun facts.
We had a memory bound Table Topics session entitled "Down Memory Lane" as today is the anniversary of 9/11 there is a lot of memories surrounding this day. She asked three questions: 1. what we remembered from this day. 2. What is a memory we have of the happiest moment we have experienced. 3. a memory that stick out as perspective changing.

Check out the video for a full look at this weeks meeting.

August 14th Meeting

August 7th Video

What does it mean to be a mentor?

What is a mentor?
Such knowledgeable and experienced people are called mentors. They can be found everywhere. Think about your work. Was there someone who helped you get started in your career, offering advice and guidance, showing you how things worked and how to get things done? Consider your education. Was there a teacher who took a special interest in you and who had an especially positive influence on your life? We all can probably name two people who have had a profound positive effect on our lives. 
A mentor:
Takes a personal interest in and helps an inexperienced person (mentee) 
Serves as a role model, coach, and confidante 
Offers knowledge, insight, perspective, and wisdom useful to the mentee 
Helps someone become successful and learns new skills themselves

Most new members join a club because they have problems and/or needs that relate to speaking and leadership. They believe that improving their speaking and leadership skills will help them advance in their career or offer them greater personal satisfaction. They expect the club to help them solve their problems and meet their needs. 
With the aid of a mentor, new members:
  Learn the program. Mentors help new members become familiar with the CC and CL
 manuals (or the first two levels of Pathways), club meeting roles, and opportunities available through membership. 
Learn club standards and customs. Mentors help new members learn about the club  and its activities. 
Develop confidence. Armed with the knowledge mentors provide, new members’ self-confidence increases.

Have you seen our Queen?

Pathways- Visionary Communication

VISIONARY COMMUNICATION
Mastering Fundamentals
• Ice Breaker
• Evaluation and Feedback
• Researching and Presenting
Learning Your Style
• Understanding Your Leadership Style
• Understanding Your Communication Style
• Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring
Increasing Knowledge
• Develop a Communication Plan
Level 3 Elective Projects (choose 2)
• Deliver Social Speeches • Focus on the Positive
• Using Presentation Software • Inspire Your Audience
• Connect with Storytelling • Prepare for an Interview
• Creating Effective Visual Aids • Understanding Vocal Variety
• Using Descriptive Language • Effective Body Language
• Connect with Your Audience • Active Listening
• Make Connections Through Networking
Building Skills
• Communicate Change
Level 4 Elective Projects (choose 1)
• Create a Podcast • Manage Online Meetings
• Building a Social Media Presence • Question-and-Answer Session
• Managing a Difficult Audience • Public Relations Strategies
• Write a Compelling Blog • Manage Projects Successfully
Demonstrating Expertise
• Develop Your Vision
• Reflect on Your Path
Level 5 Elective Projects (choose 1)
• Lessons Learned • Leading in Your Volunteer
• Moderate a Panel Discussion Organization
• Prepare to Speak Professionally
• Ethical Leadership
• High Performance Leadership