At the last meeting, there were two scheduled speakers, but one canceled an hour before the meeting started. Nobody was willing to fill in with a “pocket speech? There was no agenda. The speaker received an evaluation that contained not a single piece of constructive feedback; it was all negative. The speaker ran out of the room and swore never to return. On hearing that, two guests also walked out.

I think you get the idea. Let’s now visit the Cool Toastmasters Club. This club has thirty members, who all want to speak. But there is always a slot kept open for a member who wants to give an icebreaker or finish a CTM. Evaluations are geared toward the strengths and the needs of the speakers, but always offer something of value. The officers attend training sessions, the members compete in contests, and several members attended the most recent district conference. The club dues are always paid on time, and the officers work as a team. When the meeting is over, nobody wants to leave. It takes the sergeant at arms to start turning the lights off to get the members to leave the room.

What's the difference between these two clubs? In a word, Mentoring.

The members of the Cool club know the value of a good mentoring program, and are willing to serve.

So what is the value of a good mentoring program? What makes a good mentor, and what makes a good mentee?

Technically, any member who has a CTM could be a mentor for a new member. But there's so much more. An effective mentor is a patient coach, a good listener, a supportive friend, a good listener, a sounding board, a good listener, and especially a good listener.

A good mentor knows that the phrase “mutually supportive environment?is what Toastmasters is all about. A good mentor knows that he or she received the benefits of a great program, and wants to pass on those benefits. A good mentor knows that there are as many reasons for joining Toastmasters as there are Toastmasters.

A good mentor offers assistance to new members not only with their first few speeches, but also with their first times filling meeting roles, and in preparing new members to serve as club officers.

A good mentee knows that this program is a Process, and that learning and growth do not happen overnight. A good mentee is willing to Practice, and to ask questions that may not be answered instantly.

As Mentor-Mentee Coordinator for this club, I want to ensure that what happens at the Bland Club never happens at the Achievers Club, but that we are more like the members of the Cool Club.

To do this, I ask for your help.

I ask for the experienced members of our club to consider serving as mentors to new members, especially in the areas of filling agenda slots and officer roles.

I ask for the new members to write down the reasons they joined this organization and this club, and what they expect to gain from their Toastmasters experience. Let me see what you write.

Let me know, by phone, by e-mail, or in person if you want to help or be helped, and I will do everything I can to make our Cool club even cooler. This, to me, is the value of a strong mentoring program.

David Marshall, ATM-G, CL
E-Mail: DaveMBABC@aol.com