Toastmasters: Beyond public speaking

Today made me think differently about one of my habits.

Every second week, I go to Toastmasters. Today was special as I represented Canterbury Communicators as club president at the Area Contest. All the contestants taking part showcased the best in public speaking abilities. Congratulations to all the winners.

The winners had things in common. Humour - from “Mr. Delicious” to “The Day I Outsmarted AI” - delivered with honesty and authenticity that the audience warmly received. Effective structure and original thought. Confident body language, pauses and grounded poise. Tonality and volume that commanded attention. Persuasiveness in purpose and good grammar.

Roland brought great structure and logic, grabbing attention with purposeful gestures and flexible volume, holding the room with an enthusiasm that delivered a clever message: AI won't replace humans.

But here's what changed my perspective: it's not just about the speaking.

Should Toastmasters Change Its Name?

Many people think of Toastmasters as a place to practice public speaking and build confidence. They should change the name. Think of it this way instead: life imitates Toastmasters. It's a canvas that fleshes out our working lives.

Each role at Toastmasters serves a purpose. There are speaking roles, yes, but also functionary roles—the Toastmaster, Timekeeper, Table Topics Master, Evaluator, Grammarian, and Ah Counter. Here's the thing: each one teaches you something for work, explains Rosemary Dzikunu, our Area Director.

Drawing connections between Toastmasters roles and work, Rosemary’s insights are summarised below:

Work Life Imitates This Narrative Canvas

The Table Topics Master and speakers: The Table Topics Master thinks of a question that relates to the agenda. That's your boss asking you suddenly to take charge of a meeting. Now you're the manager.

Table Topics participants get called upon without notice and have to think on their feet. Perfect for building that muscle when you get put on the spot at work. You learn rapid responses to difficult questions in the corridor or when challenged during a meeting.

The Chief Evaluator: They're like a performance coach at work. They evaluate the session and give constructive feedback to speakers.

At work, you're the coach giving constructive and supportive feedback to mentees and staff. You learn to change "you should haves" to "That was great—let's try this to make it even better. The way you used that client access story was brilliant, and with particular attention on XYZ it would be super."

The Ah Counter: They count the Ahs and filler words in a speech. But it's more than that. They're facilitating communication and boosting self-awareness.

They build the ability to take pauses when speaking, avoiding floundering words that risk losing the audience's attention. It's a less popular role but it makes you more self-aware in a corporate setting. Your language becomes sharper, more confident, more persuasive.

The Toastmaster: The facilitator ensuring the meeting runs on time, taking breaks, knowing when to speed things up or slow down. At work, they're the project manager—ticking off meetings and purpose, introducing team members, ensuring the project runs smoothly. Working closely with the timekeeper to keep things on track in the first and second half.

The Timekeeper: Not just about keeping time with a timer. You have to manage resources and time. It's about how you're managing your time at work and in your career. The role is empowering - you hold the power to move things along if time is running out.

The Grammarian: The quality assurance role in Toastmasters, adding a sheen to the narrative. At work, it's the same.

It's a Learning Laboratory for Professionals

Today Rosemary made me think about these roles in a completely different way. It's not just about the communication and leadership skills honed in Toastmasters. It's about the roles you play. Think project management, team leadership, constructive feedback.

When you implement these roles in your everyday life - including at work - not just improving your speaking. You're becoming a better professional.

That's why I'm going back every second week.