Speaking and Listening: Toastmasters Experience

Why should we show respect for others?   When I encounter someone I admire, I want  to show them respect because it is a way to convey my appreciation to them.  But even when someone annoys or frustrates me, even when someone may not seem worthy of respect, it is still appropriate to treat them in a respectful manner.  I should show respect even in those cases, because respect  is a reflection of who I am .  Respect is less about the other person and more about how I  act. How can we show respect for others?   My biggest opportunity to be more respectful  of others is in being patient  and listening  to all they have to say.  When I am listening to others, I sometimes find myself wishing they would wrap things up so I can get on with what I need to do or say what I want to say.  This isn't very respectful, is it?  Even if I don't think what the other person is saying is useful to me, I should still be r...

A short post today, but an important one as I reflect on the first of the four Toastmasters core values: Integrity. A Google search for the definition of integrity yields "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles." Toastmasters isn't just about what we do, but about how we do it. As we improve our skills, it is important to be honest. We should not lie about what we have achieved. We also should not lie about what we feel our limitations are. We should be honest about what we have done and what we believe we can do - in the club and beyond. This includes making reasonable commitments that we intend to complete and being honest about what progress we have made towards those commitments. Our principles could vary from person to person, but we should hold to them. A club should also be principled and hold all members accountable to Toastmasters guidelines. Of course we will make mistakes, but we should be honest when we do and work to correct ...