Highlights from Last weeks:

Kristin Blomstrom induced Alaaddin Mogeem as a new member to club. Toastmaster Krystal Rose kicked off our meeting by introducing our topic "Membership". General evaluator Nancy Huang introduced her team who gave feedback on time, grammar use and filler-word use. Our word of the day “optimal” proved that our club is best at keeping our meetings running smoothly and on time. Michelle Bender presented an Advanced Speech, Project 3 from the Storytelling manual titled “The Moral of the Story” and Nancy Flentie presented CC Speech #2 titled “What was that Teenager Thinking?” which was informative and well organized. Best Speaker went to Michelle Bender, Best Evaluator to Kim Acedo and Best Table Topics to Alaaddin Mogeem. Thanks to everyone who participated in the meeting and helped to optimize its success by giving us all a chance to practice & receive valuable feedback in a supportive and encouraging atmosphere.  Written by EVP Rose Abbott, CC, ALB

Aggressor vs. Socializer—What's Your Communication Style?

Consider these four communication styles and how you can effectively communicate with each one.

The Aggressor-Asserter
These are your CEOs in attitude. They are competitive, goal-oriented, demanding, task-oriented and fast-paced. To these people, time is money and money is time. You know where you stand since they are blunt and direct in their communication. Their biggest fear is losing control and they ask the “What” questions. The “aggressor-asserter” has key strengths that include providing momentum, providing focus and making quick decisions. Their “on top of it” approach to projects can keep the rest of the team on target or even get it done early. This must be balanced with their weaknesses, however, which include overstepping their assignments, taking over tasks that have been assigned to others (and not necessarily because they can do them better, they just want to get them done).
To effectively connect with the aggressor-asserter, you must:

• Be brief, direct and concise
• Provide options
• Keep a quick pace
• Focus on results and return-on-investment
• Avoid providing lots of details
• Provide short answers
• Look them straight in the eyes
• Be truthful

The Socializer  
These individuals are charismatic, enthusiastic, persuasive, lively, loud, talkative, friendly, people-oriented and social. They are also visual and creative. Their biggest fear is social rejection and they ask the “who” questions. The “socializer’ is a great motivator. In the most organizations, they are on sales team. They are creative and enjoy brainstorming. They do not keep track of time well and sometimes work tight to deadlines. They enjoy being the center of attention.
To effectively communicate with the socializer, you must:

• Allow time for social interaction
• Put details in writing or email
• Have a fast pace, positive approach
• Use a whiteboard in your discussions (socializers are quite visual)
• Use phrases like “Picture this” or “Do You See”
• Avoid a harsh, aggressive tone

The Mediator  
These individuals are calm, level-headed, great listeners, team-oriented, introverted and loyal. They make decisions in a consensus manner. Mediators like to marinate on questions—you will not get an answer immediately. They dislike conflict so they will internalize and tolerate it. As a result, this internalization builds until they explode. Their biggest fear is loss of stability and they ask the “How” questions. Team and project managers are typically fall into this style. Weaknesses include being hesitant in their approach slowing decision-making—they are going to try to keep everyone happy at the expense of their happinesss. Mediators are hard-working who are humble and do not pat themselves on the back. They make great teachers/trainers and mentors due to their calming and supportive nature.
To effectively connect with the mediator, you must:

• Be patient and logical
• Use a steady, low-key approach
• Involve mediators in the planning process
• Praise them privately
• Allow time for “marination of ideas”—you will not get a quick answer
• Start conversation with a warm and friendly greeting
• Keep your tone of voice at discussion level

The Analyzer  
These individuals are meticulous, detail-oriented, introverted and task-oriented. They can be considered perfectionists, and they are suspicious of others. They may answer a question with a question. Their biggest fear is criticism of work and they ask the “why” questions. Key strengths of the “analyzer” include being detailed-oriented, superb problem solvers and providing the team’s reality check. Weaknesses include having tunnel vision on projects and looking for the perfect solution.
To effectively communicate with the analyzer, you must:

• Be organized and logical
• Support your position using facts
• Make sure that each point is understood before moving to the next point
• Do not use the phrase “Let me give you some constructive advice”
• Use words such as process, data and procedure
• Realize that analyzers are motivated by quality and data

Communicating effectively with the various types is an art. Understanding a person’s style allows you to create harmony and avoid confusion. Developing your “adaptitude”—your ability to adapt your communication style to the listener—is a critical element of being an effective team member. When you are able to recognize the various styles and adjust your approach, your life will be easier and void of the common communication “ills.”


Source GovExec

March Madness? Find out in the last newsletter issue

(Click on image to download/view PDF)

Topics Include:

Message to the Club 

Around the Club 

Member Development 

Announcements 

Why Join Toastmasters 

Mentorship 

#flashback friday - 2010 Founders Film Award Winning Video

Carolin von Petzholdtof, past Parsons Toastmasters Club president, won first place in the Founder's District Film Award, which celebrates Toastmasters International's 85th Anniversary. 

Kinetic Is the Only Way to Describe It

“Kinetic” (kə-ˈne-tik def: active or lively; dynamic or energizing) was the word of the day and perfectly describes our meeting! VP of Public Relations Krystal Rose, CC, CL and crew (Sonja Sophie, Lesli Suhy and Vernon Budinger) filmed a public service announcement (PSA) before, during and after our meeting. The PSA will be entered into Toastmasters District PR Contest. VPM Kristin Blomstrom welcomed a group of 17 high school speech & debate club to our meeting; a few students had the opportunity to speak and one student won the table topics - kudos to Kristin on the community outreach. Sterling Wainscott gave CC Speech #2 titled “Glimpse of an Underground Mine” with much energy, good use of vivid language, and movement. Kim Acedo gave an informative Advanced Speech Project #1 from “Communicating on Video” manual titled “Sitting, Standing, or Walking: What’s the Best Way to Work?” the audience was energized and was compelled to stand-up at the end of her speech! Five Table Topic questions centered on our theme “Spring Flowers” and gave our members and guest a chance to practice impromptu speaking. Awards went to: Best speaker - Sterling Wainscott, Best Evaluator – Krystal Rose and Best Table Topics to a guest student. If you missed it, you missed out. See you at next week's meeting. 

Are You In the Know?

Have you had a chance to read the February newsletter yet? It provides great insight for your skill and personal development, what's happening around the club and introduces new members. The March issue will be published shortly, so catch up on what is going on with your club. 

(click on image to download pdf of newsletter)

If you would like to contribute to the upcoming newsletters please contact Krystal, Public Relations officer. 

This weeks theme was the #Olympics-- Check out the highlights

Michelle Bender, ACB, ALB was our Toastmaster who introduced the theme “Olympics” using the athletes as an example of people who achieve their goal by being focused, persistent and working hard. Sonja Sophie Loeffler led Table Topics and our guest Richard Chamberlin won Best Table Topics speaker. Our General Evaluator Mary Marasco led our evaluation team who gave us valuable feedback on time use, filler words (“so” was the top filler word of the day) and grammar use. Best Evaluator went to Shannon O’Connell, CC, CL and best speaker went to Rose Abbott CC, ALB who presented an Advanced Speech from the Special Occasion Speech Series - Project 1 “Mastering the Toast” the toast was given in honor of Parsons Toastmasters Club 40 Year Anniversary. 

7 Tips to Calm Your Public Speaking Nerves

If you’re afraid to speak up, you may miss out on opportunities. The key is to use that energy – the racing heart, sweaty, palms, elevated heart rate – to your advantage. Use it to research your topic and your audience. Use it to craft your content. Use it to practice.

When you feel less nervous and more confident about public speaking, you can take advantage of opportunities (instead of miss out on them) and make a bigger.

7 Tips to Calm Your Public Speaking Nerves

1. Breathe. Inhale and an exhale before you speak. (Or smell the roses and blow out the candle.) Pause every now and then during a speech or conversation and do the same. You’ll decrease your “ums” and “ahs”, stay grounded and present, and your audience gets a chance to absorb what you’ve told them.
2. Straighten your posture. Boost confidence and energy with a quick posture exercise. Stand with your feet flat, shoulders relaxed and back, chest open, chin parallel to the floor. You’ll appear and feel taller and more confident.
3. Get support. Join Toastmasters, hire a coach, gather a group of like-minded colleagues.
4. Practice. Practice is the key to success as a speaker. Again Toastmasters can help. Also, attend networking events, take on leadership roles and practice at home.
5. Know your purpose. Why do you want to speak? A strong purpose will allow you to put that nervous energy to good use.
6. Focus on your audience. Know your audience and their needs to craft a message that helps them. Remember, public speaking isn’t about you. It’s about meeting audience needs.
7. Know your content. Pick a topic you have an interest in or knowledge about, do your research and practice, practice, practice.

Tips developed by Stacy Shipman

Meeting Recap, Lance Miller and A New "Roles" Sign-Up System

We had a great meeting yesterday. Our area Governor Naga Net installed our Club Officers; Bill Harmon gave two educational presentations focused on how to achieve your education goals and how to better perform Toastmasters roles. Kim Acedo conduced a round robin evaluation session and Shannon O’Connell our Toastmaster kept the meeting flowing smoothly. Special kudos goes out to Kristin Blomstrom who researched our theme “Servant Leadership” and came up with though provoking questions.

Our club was well represented last night with 7 members in attendance at the Division B meeting where TM world champion public speaker Lance Miller presented a motivating speech focused on leadership.

We worked out the bugs with our new on-line role sign-up sheet (thanks for helping out Krystal) click on the link here to sign-up for roles open in February, March and April. 

2013 World Public Speaking Champion PRESIYAN VASILEV

The title of 2013 World Champion of Public Speaking was awarded to Presiyan Vasilev (pictured center) of Chicago, Illinois, District 30, for his speech "Changed by a Tire." Second- and third-place winners were, respectively, Kingi Biddle (pictured right) of Rotorua, New Zealand, District 72, for his speech "The Sitting Place" and Shurooq AlBanna (pictured left) of Dubai, UAE, District 20, for her speech"Finding the Pearl."

View Presiyan Vasilev's award winning speech (below). I love that it starts out with humor and ends on an inspirational note.

Parsons Toastmasters Club Agenda and Highlights for Tomorrows Meeting: Feb, 4 2014

Attached is the Parsons Toastmasters Club 2151 Agenda for our meeting tomorrow. Below are a few highlights for tomorrow’s meeting

·         Our 2014 Club Officers will be installed by our Area B2 Governor Naga Net

·         Our theme is Servant Leadership

·         Bill Harmon will give two Toastmasters educational series presentations to our club

·         Get ready to be called upon to give a Table Topics speech

·         Kim Acedo will conduct a round table evaluation session where 3-4 club members will give evaluations of the educational presentations.

I’ll see you all tomorrow and don’t forget to bring your CL book to the meeting get and evaluation and sign off for your role.

 View Agenda

Jan 26 Meeting: A Theme and a Tie

Today's theme was "discipline", an art that both speakers tapped into to develop and deliver their unique, prepared Ice Breaker speeches. Both speakers seemed copacetic is their delivery and it came at no surprise that it was a tie for Best Speaker.

(Left to right: Rose, Sandra and Jolene)

Congratulations to Sandra and Jolene on giving your Ice Breaker Speeches

Come Listen to Lance Miller, the 2005 World Champion of Public Speaking

Next week, Lance Miller, the 2005 World Champion of Public Speaking (http://www.lancemillerspeaks.com/), will be appearing at our Div B Council Meeting.

Open to All Members
Tue, Feb 4: 6p Dinner & Networking, 6:30p Gavel, 8p Adjourn
393 E Walnut St., Pasadena, CA, 91188 (Room 1D)
Free Parking
Dinner: $7 (optional)

RSVP here

Six Strong Communication Tips From Some of the World’s Best Interviewers

Do you have an important interview coming up and wondering if you are prepared? Perhaps there is a networking event that you would like to attend but you are doubting your communication skills? Parsons Toastmasters wants to make sure that you are prepared and comfortable with you public speaking. Besides partcipating in your weekly Toastmaster meetings, consider the following six communication tricks, listed by Courtney Seiter, that can help you conduct a stellar interview, build a new relationship or simply become the best conversationalist in the room.


1. First prepare note, then toss them
Good interviewers always study up on their subject’s background – many even have a staff whose job it is to collect those resources. If you can do so in advance, research the person or people with whom you’ll be speaking. A bit of familiarity will make you feel more confident – and will prime your subject to open up to you

2. Match Your Partner – in mood, energy level, language and body language
“The more comfortable you make someone feel, the better interview you’re ultimately going to get,” says interview veteran Katie Couric. And how do you make someone feel more comfortable? Great interviewers do it by meeting subjects on their level. That means matching their mood, energy level, language style – even body language.

3. Practice Flexible Listening – here is how
Skilled interviewers become adept at listening not just to the words their subject is saying but also the tone in which the words are said, the pauses and nuances of the answer and what’s being left unsaid. This active, flexible listening lets them know when to move onto a new subject and when the moment is ripe to probe a little deeper with a follow-up question.

4. Activate the Power of the Pause

When a pro interviewer feels a subject is holding something back on a particular topic, they’ll often use the power of silence at the end of the answer to draw out more information.

5. Cultivate Curiosity, the Dale Carnegie approach

As Dale Carnegie famously explains, the beauty of curiosity is that it makes you nearly irresistible to everyone around you.

6. Practice Ego Suspension: The Power of Forgetting Yourself

At the next gathering you attend, resist the urge to tell that one story that always kills and instead focus on asking questions of someone new. It may be unfulfilling at first, but you might be amazed at the end result

For full insights into each of the 6 steps, check out the blog posting by Courtney Seiter called 

6 Powerful Communication Tips From Some of the World’s Best Interviewers

Four Public Speaking Lessons from the Professionals

How do you give great presentations? How do you captivate an audience? How to you tell a story on a stage? Digital Strategist & Entrepreneur, Ross Simmonds developed a slide show presentation that highlights a handful of insights that answer these questions using inspiration from studying a handful of successful comedians. Presentation by Ross Simmonds

(Click to download presentation)

Is L.A.C.E. for you?

Fellow Toastmasters,

You may have seen the article about L.A.C.E. in the Toastmasters Founder's District e-newletter.  If you didn't investigate it, I encourage you to take another look.  L.A.C.E. stands for Leadership and Communication Experience and it's a day of workshops and speeches.  It's for all of us, not just for officers.  I went last year, not knowing what to expect, and at the end of the day I was really glad I took the risk.  

Registration for this weekend's sessions is closed but you can still sign up for next Sat., Jan. 18, at Biola University in La Mirada.  $12 covers the day including lunch.

Here's the link.  Use the menu on the right to read about Featured Workshops.  Schedule helps lay out the day.  (If you save your schedule, it'll carry over to registration.)  Registration is simple with Pay Pal.

http://www.foundersdistrict.org/lace

~Parsons Toastmasters club member, Karen Gibson

Parsons' Kim Acedo, ACB, CL is featured in Toastmasters Division B Newsletter

Parsons Toastmasters' Kim Acedo, ACB, CL shares her professional insights in an article she wrote for the Toastmasters Division B, January 2014 newsletter, entitled "Face Your Fears in 2014."
In the article, Kim discusses a powerful message about not only facing fears.. but running towards them. She follows up her insights with asking readers to commit to the small but significant challenge of asking yourself five simple questions that will lead to developing your personal approach to facing your speaking fears in 2014.

Thank you Kim for sharing your message with Toastmasters.

(Select the image to read the full article )

How To Grab the Audiences Attention with a Powerful Opening

The STAR approach to delivering a powerful opening/introduction for your presentation:


S- Shock: Say something shocking that will grab the audiences attention (but make sure it is also appropriate for your audience or may not be well received)
T- Tell-A-Story: A story or case study with a previous client makes a good story when you are looking to pursuade or sell something
A- Ask a Question: Check in with the audience first (you can do this by simply asking, "is everyone doing well today?"). Ask a yes or no question so that it is easy for the audience to respond.
R- Recite a quote: Make sure it is applicable and relevant

You should use one or more (but not all) of the STAR methods to grab the audiences attention.

2014 Is Finally Here, What Will You Do to Ring In the New Year?

Impromptu Speaking (Being Prepared for Impromptu Speeches outside the Club Setting)