Unique Opportunity – I am especially excited because I feel that we have an opportunity that we have not had in nearly two decades and may not have again for a while, the chance to compete for a spot as a Select Distinguished District, one of the 12 top Districts in the world.  I have to thank my predecessor as District Governor, Louise Houdelette and last year’s Lieutenant Governor of Marketing, Dianne Bish, for making some tough, unpleasant decisions that ultimately took us out of the running for Distinguished District for the 2010-2011 year.  Their willingness to take a hit in the short term has set us up to have one of those “once every 20-years” type of successful years this year.  More importantly, I think it has turned us in the right direction so that we can continue to be a Distinguished District for years to come.  Louise and Dianne, you have allowed us to rebuild the District 39 Franchise and your sacrifices will not go unnoticed.

 Goals – Dianne and Joe have set SMART goals for the district.  They are Specific, they are Measurable, they are Achievable, they are Realistic, and they hold you to the Timeframe of our Toastmasters year.  That is what their job calls for.  It is my job to convince you that they are expecting too little of you.  20 new clubs, we have 38 Area Governors and 8 Division Governors and every single one of them has an idea or an opportunity that can allow them to create a great club.  700 new members – we have 170 clubs and they all should be trying to grow by 8 members, we could grow by 1,360 members!  300 CC’s – we need 700 for DCP! 180 AC’s – we need 340 for DCP!  Leadership Awards – we could hit the 4 digit mark if we put our minds to it.  It is Dianne’s Job and Joe’s to keep you grounded.  It is my job to get your heads in the clouds.  What would you dream of doing with your personal goals, in your club, in your area, in your division, in this district if nothing was stopping you?  Here’s the big secret:  NOTHING IS!!!!  Tell us what you want to achieve and we can help you figure out how to do it.  There is nothing wrong with setting a very high goal that you miss, while there is nothing right about starting with the bar set too low.

 Rebranding – For those of you that have been in District 39 leadership for a while, it is a noticeable change that I have not given you a District theme this year.  That is because Toastmasters has decided to create a nationally recognizable brand with a brand tagline.  For those of you who may not have seen it, the new tagline is Toastmasters-Where Leaders are Made.  I am excited about the organization trying to build brand awareness and I think you should be too.  It will drive members to our clubs maybe in a couple of years you will not have to explain to anyone that you do not “make toast” or “make toasts.”

 My Focus – My district theme, had I been given the opportunity to create one would have simply been-“Grow.”    Even though that will not be my theme, it will be my focus as a District leader.  That is because everything we do in Toastmasters that is important is aimed at growth.  Individual members are looking to Grow as leaders and communicators; clubs are looking to Grow larger and more vibrant so that they can provide the opportunities their members seek; and the Districts, Divisions and Areas are looking to Grow the membership in existing clubs and to Grow new clubs so that more members can have the opportunities they seek in more clubs.   

How Do We Grow? – I believe that we grow by making ourselves uncomfortable, by getting out of our comfort zone.  The funny thing about comfort is that if you focus on staying comfortable, your abilities will diminish and you will grow increasingly uncomfortable.  However, if you put your focus on constantly being just a little bit uncomfortable, you will grow in ways that you may not even be able to imagine.

 Are you happy to speak to your club, but petrified to speak outside of it.  It’s time to be a model speaker or an area governor, or both!!!!  Are you happy earning one educational award a year?  Maybe it’s time to try for the Triple Crown!  Are you happy that you are finally serving as an area governor and can check off that box on your path to DTM?  Perhaps you need to consider aiming for President’s Distinguished Area Governor with all of your officers trained.  What excites you and makes you a little uncomfortable?  DO IT!!!!

The GAME Plan- Growth is much easier to accomplish if you take it in small steps and make it fun.   You have to make it a game.  To win at any game, you need a good plan.  These are the essential elements of my GAME Plan for District 39’s Success:

Growth – The foundation.  Members grow, then clubs grow, then the District grows.  This year, District 39’s main priority will be growth.

Action and Strategies – We have to take the right actions and do the right things at the right times.  We have to be familiar with the rules of the game so that we can create the strategies to win it.  Are you familiar with the DCP?  Are you familiar with the Distinguished Plan for your area of leadership?  Do you know the strategies for success and the tricks of the trade?  Surround yourself with people who do and make it a goal to learn.  Use the resources provided by Toastmasters International and District 39.   We can’t grow unless we have a plan and execute it.  This year, we will use every means at our disposal to communicate with leadership and with the club members in District 39.  We will share our knowledge and develop strategies and I know we will be “head in the clouds” successful.

Mindset – What do you think you can do or can’t do?  You’re right in both cases.  The ability to believe in and visualize your own success is crucial.  The desire to grow and the plan to do it will never be successful without the belief that what you want to accomplish is possible.  This year, we will develop leaders and clubs that know they can do anything they want to do.

Empowerment – No one will ever thank you for doing their job!! – Dr. Joe Velky, DTM, PDG   The District needs to allow its members and leadership to grow by allowing them to contribute and to do the job they signed on or agreed to do in their own way.  Empowerment also means that the district provides what is necessary for you to accomplish your job.  What good is it if you have goals for growth, you develop a plan to achieve them, you believe they are possible, and then I step in as the District Governor and do your job myself or insist that you do it my way or I leave you on your own to reinvent the wheel and buy your own supplies.    This year, we will empower people to do their own jobs in their own way, as long as it is not illegal or harmful.  We will also provide the support and tools that you require to achieve success when we can and we will reach out to each of you to see what those tools are.

More ways to Communicate with Me- You can contact me by phone (775) 830-3627, by e-mail russ.steele@district39.org, or through the website at www.district39.org.  I will be posting blogs regularly at http://www.d39tm.wordpress.com/.  I am also on LinkedIn and Facebook and accept all friend requests.

 Is it true that the directory is going away?  No, it is not.  Division Governors will receive the directories for their division at the August DECM, just like usual.  What is changing is the process we use to get you the directory.  The new way is much easier for both us and you.

How do I log in to the District 39 website to update information for my club?  You don’t have to anymore.  We are gathering the information used to print directories, track officer training and perform several other functions from Toastmasters International.  Keep your personal information, club officer information, and club meeting location up to date and correct on the Toastmasters International website  and it will be correct on all district directories, communications and reports as well.

Where will DECM meetings be held this year?  Until at least September, DECM is moving to the University of Phoenix Sacramento Valley Campus at 2860 Gateway Oaks, Sacramento, CA 95833.  It will still start at 9:30 a.m. on the second Saturday of every month except October (Fall Conference), January (First Saturday-MLK holiday), April (DECM in Reno) and May (Spring Conference).  We are keeping the option to relocate after September open at this point.

Why are you moving DECM?  I like the Mothership (700 H Street)!!!!  Me too.  I am VERY used to DECM being there and found myself resistant at first to my own idea.  But UOP holds 60 people classroom style and is an enabled smart classroom.  Since my focus, which I have championed for 3 years, is to use the DECM meetings to train and build our teams to help build Distinguished clubs, I can’t ignore the educational value of switching to the University of Phoenix, even if I like the Mothership.

Will Sacramento TLIs be at University of Phoenix too?  Yes.

What else are you changing about TLI/Club Officer Training?  We have new standards for what will be considered appropriate officer training and TLI in District 39.  We will be sharing them with District Officers at the July DECM and we will publish them on the website and expect them to be followed by all District Officers after that date.

Why is the Fall Conference in October?  There are several reasons.  First, we needed to move it because of the date and space constraints in our host division.  Second, we wanted to try separating the conference from the holidays a little bit to see if we could sustain the energy and momentum we build at the conference for a while instead of collapsing into the turkey gravy a week later and disappearing for 2 months (I know I’m not the only one).  Finally, our flexibility has allowed us to secure an entire 20,000 square foot convention center all to ourselves and perhaps the best keynote speaker we have ever had.  This fantastic conference is coming together very quickly and it will be well worth the trip to Redding.

Is the Spring Conference date moving forward too?  Yes, by about one week.  May 11-12, 2012 we will be returning for an encore at the Hilton Arden West.  Look at the district website and attend DECM meetings for more details coming soon.

What does the early fall date mean for our contests?  It means clubs should start their contests in mid July, Areas in mid-August, and that Division contests start on September 23^rd.

I’m in a small area/division.  Can my club send two contestants to the Area/Division contest?  If your club’s area starts the year with 4 clubs or less, two contestants from your club can compete at the area contest.  If your area’s division has 4 areas or less, two contestants from your area can compete at the division contest.

What if my area/division governor/club president/mother-in-law only wants one contestant to advance from each club/area?  For the purposes of fairness it is not at their discretion.  2 contestants may compete whether they like it or not.   You’re on your own with your in-laws.

Is it ok to use forms from the Internet at our contest?  At area and division contests, only the official Toastmasters forms may be used this year.  I will provide them to all area and division governors at July DECM.  If you try to use something else, I have authorized every other District Officer to take them away from you!!!!

What is all this rebranding stuff?  Tell us everything you know?  All in due time.  TI is rolling it out gradually.  First they talked to special Brand Ambassadors, then to District Trios, and now in July, they are going to talk to club officers.  The full rebrand will be launched on August 17^th in Las Vegas at the International Convention.  New details will be posted at TI’s website as they make them available.

 Will there be other big changes?  Yes…stay tuned

 Russ Steele is the 2011-2012 District 39 Governor.

So here we go… 3 tips that have helped me pull off successful webinar appearances over the last 7 years – Prepare, Project and Pay Attention.  You’ll also find a few supporting Toastmasters exercises to help keep you at the top of your game.

1)  Prepare. You already know your subject so well… is it really necessary to rehearse?  Unequivocally, yes.  Even before you get to the “dry run” or dress rehearsal, you should have prepared the key messages that YOU want to rise to the top during the live session.  Write out an introduction, a closing and at least 3-5 key supporting points.  Rehearse them out loud until they come out in a confident and conversational tone.  If you express them passionately during your dry run, your moderator is more likely to ask you about them during the live event. Encouraging your moderator to ask you transitional questions between your slides will help you sound more natural and conversational.

I’ve also found it helpful to ask to see the presentations from my fellow panelists in advance. It’s awkward to show up at the prom with matching dresses, and painful to be blindsided with controversy.

Toastmaster Exercise:

2)  Project. Present with more power than you think you need. Typical webinars with audio and PowerPoint slides are a lot like doing a radio show.  Listen to a radio talk show host in your car and note the pace, energy and vocal variety used to keep your interest. Without body language to help you engage your audience, your voice must do all the work.

Instead of sitting at your desk with your phone to your ear, put on a good quality headset and stand up to present. Don’t hold back on gesturing with your hands, even if your office mates begin staring at you.  Your energy and airflow will be much stronger, and the audience will hear the difference.

Toastmaster Exercise:

3)  Pay attention. This seems obvious, but I’ve heard great speakers who are so focused on their own words that they repeat something already said by another panelist. It is also more interesting to the audience to hear a conversation or debate instead of a one-voice lecture or product pitch.

Pay attention to courtesy – take care to let other panelists get in their equal share of “air time.”  You can even ask them what they think about your last point to get them talking (also a great stalling technique if you need a drink of water.)

Help your moderator during Q&A by suggesting commonly asked questions the audience may be interested in.  If you’re using WebEx, send private chat messages to the moderator about questions you want to be asked or corrections you would like to make.

Toastmaster Exercise: Table Topics practice is key to thinking on your feet. Practice the “defer and segue” technique for tough questions, steering to a question that you CAN answer. For example, “That’s a deep dive question that would be better answered by one of our engineers, and I can connect you with an expert after the session.  But your question is part of a larger issue we’ve heard from others in your industry… how much time and money should you spend on customization for your end-users? We have deployment experts who can help guide you in that decision.”

Prepare, project and pay attention.  Follow these tips to ensure that your message is well-delivered, even if your moderator is not quite up to par.  The audience will appreciate it and seek you out for more information after the webinar. And the skills you develop for online presenting will be just as helpful for face-to-face presentations. A webinar may be virtual… but it’s still stage time.

A part of Cisco’s Collaboration Marketing team, David Goad has produced or presented in over 300 online events.  His personal blog “Short Stories with a Point” explores the intersection of technology, communication and motivation.  Read more about David in the Bloggers’ Bios.