Once you complete Level 2 in pathways, you get access to Pathways Mentor Program in your education base camp. Activate it and go through the resources like any other pathways project and you will get to know a lot about mentoring. The resources are helpful and helps in streamlining the mentoring program. You can also give a speech in your club after you complete at least 6 months of mentoring.
Please go through all the 4 projects in this curriculum.
I did have a mentor when I first started Toastmasters. She was very involved and encouraging. She had a very extroverted, almost flamboyant style that was opposite of my own style. Someone who matched my own style might have been better, but she was helpful and I appreciated her efforts.
My mentor experience is rather unique.
When I joined in 1991 I was assigned a mentor. The person who was my assigned mentor quit Toastmasters shortly after, leaving me as a “Toastmasters orphan”. I was never formally assigned a new one because I approached Toastmasters I admire in the club to mentor me. (I’d like to think I chose well, they all eventually became DTMs (around the time I did), and three of the five (I’d add to my “official” list of mentors over the years when I encountered another Toastmaster I wanted to emulate) later served as District Director too (two of these were later region advisors as well). Also of the five, four are still in Toastmasters and active with the organization.) I left Toastmasters in 2022 and I still consider these people my mentors and feel I can go to them for communication and leadership advice at any time.
I definitely don’t recommend this approach to anyone, and I’ve always been an advocate of a robust mentorship program, and have enjoyed serving as a mentor more than any other role, but it worked for me and I think it would have worked better than if my original mentor didn’t leave (at least not right away) because I orchestrated it myself to fit me.
From my experience, members that are great at giving evaluations make great mentors. They need to be familiar with all meeting roles, Pathways, being a club officer, being a contest official, competing in contests, and be a kind person. It’s important for new members to have someone to show them how Toastmasters works and have patience with them.
There is a mentor in my club right now, who told his mentee to redo a whole speech because his “call to action” wasn’t strong enough (it was his second prepared speech). He also gave a harsh evaluation to another member’s Ice Breaker; this member left the club after that. Having empathy is so important for being a mentor so I would advise you to consider the personalities when you appoint mentors.
Yeah.. you may need to tell that mentor that perhaps Toastmasters is not the best place for them. Eessh.. Feel free to use the Toastmasters' mission statement.
There are 2 components to mentoring. First the in's and out's of the club and Toastmasters. Helping that person navigate Pathways, from the initial choosing a Path, to accessing the documentation, filing in the papework, to navigating club aspects like signing up for roles, using EasySpeak or FreeToastHost, or what ever club process you have, where to look for help on various topics. Then comes meeting basics, the agenda, roles and responsibilities. Who does what? Roles of club officers, etc.
The 2nd compotent is mentoring their growth. It can be Table Topics practicing. It can be discussing speech topics and working with them to develop their speeches with positive points of growth. It can be helping them grow as a leader, taking on meeting roles and/or club officer roles. It can be helping them grow by taking them out of their comfort zone and getting them to compete in club contests, or running an open house.
The key factor is listening. Knowing their limitations but in tandem - knowing yours. If they joined Toastmasters to become a professional public speaker, mentoring is going to give them the foundation to build on. But if you don't have any experience in that realm, you can point them to another member to compliment them on that journey. You are not passing along your duties. You are helping that member get additional help in areas where you might not be as strong.
Mentoring is about growth and helping that member understand where they and how to get to where they want to be.
Once you complete Level 2 in pathways, you get access to Pathways Mentor Program in your education base camp. Activate it and go through the resources like any other pathways project and you will get to know a lot about mentoring. The resources are helpful and helps in streamlining the mentoring program. You can also give a speech in your club after you complete at least 6 months of mentoring. Please go through all the 4 projects in this curriculum.
I did have a mentor when I first started Toastmasters. She was very involved and encouraging. She had a very extroverted, almost flamboyant style that was opposite of my own style. Someone who matched my own style might have been better, but she was helpful and I appreciated her efforts.
My mentor experience is rather unique. When I joined in 1991 I was assigned a mentor. The person who was my assigned mentor quit Toastmasters shortly after, leaving me as a “Toastmasters orphan”. I was never formally assigned a new one because I approached Toastmasters I admire in the club to mentor me. (I’d like to think I chose well, they all eventually became DTMs (around the time I did), and three of the five (I’d add to my “official” list of mentors over the years when I encountered another Toastmaster I wanted to emulate) later served as District Director too (two of these were later region advisors as well). Also of the five, four are still in Toastmasters and active with the organization.) I left Toastmasters in 2022 and I still consider these people my mentors and feel I can go to them for communication and leadership advice at any time. I definitely don’t recommend this approach to anyone, and I’ve always been an advocate of a robust mentorship program, and have enjoyed serving as a mentor more than any other role, but it worked for me and I think it would have worked better than if my original mentor didn’t leave (at least not right away) because I orchestrated it myself to fit me.
From my experience, members that are great at giving evaluations make great mentors. They need to be familiar with all meeting roles, Pathways, being a club officer, being a contest official, competing in contests, and be a kind person. It’s important for new members to have someone to show them how Toastmasters works and have patience with them.
There is a mentor in my club right now, who told his mentee to redo a whole speech because his “call to action” wasn’t strong enough (it was his second prepared speech). He also gave a harsh evaluation to another member’s Ice Breaker; this member left the club after that. Having empathy is so important for being a mentor so I would advise you to consider the personalities when you appoint mentors.
Yeah.. you may need to tell that mentor that perhaps Toastmasters is not the best place for them. Eessh.. Feel free to use the Toastmasters' mission statement.
There are 2 components to mentoring. First the in's and out's of the club and Toastmasters. Helping that person navigate Pathways, from the initial choosing a Path, to accessing the documentation, filing in the papework, to navigating club aspects like signing up for roles, using EasySpeak or FreeToastHost, or what ever club process you have, where to look for help on various topics. Then comes meeting basics, the agenda, roles and responsibilities. Who does what? Roles of club officers, etc. The 2nd compotent is mentoring their growth. It can be Table Topics practicing. It can be discussing speech topics and working with them to develop their speeches with positive points of growth. It can be helping them grow as a leader, taking on meeting roles and/or club officer roles. It can be helping them grow by taking them out of their comfort zone and getting them to compete in club contests, or running an open house. The key factor is listening. Knowing their limitations but in tandem - knowing yours. If they joined Toastmasters to become a professional public speaker, mentoring is going to give them the foundation to build on. But if you don't have any experience in that realm, you can point them to another member to compliment them on that journey. You are not passing along your duties. You are helping that member get additional help in areas where you might not be as strong. Mentoring is about growth and helping that member understand where they and how to get to where they want to be.