Post from Transformation Tom- Acknowledgements: Chapter from “Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job”

March 7, 2014 / tomdowd / News

This book is a reference guide for anyone dealing with unemployment,
whether you may be out of work yourself or you know someone going
through this massive life change. One of the comments that hit home for
me was from a former colleague who said, “It’s a lot easier dispensing advice
on how to find a job when you already have one.” That may be true in many
cases, but I was writing this book as I was going through the unemployment
process. I wanted the immediate teachings to hit the paper in order
to ensure that all the mistakes I made or heard about during the process
were documented. I liked the realism of the statement above and learned
to appreciate what people sacrificed to move me ever closer to the job I
was seeking. I preferred practical advice rather than the countless times I
heard a version of, “Every time a door closes, a window opens.” I say this
not with mock contempt or a lack of appreciation for the sentiments, but
I would get an awkward feeling that people were feeling sorry for me. I
wanted movement in my pursuit of a new job—not sympathy. I wanted
and needed to take action to achieve this goal; I had no time or energy to
waste. Paradoxically, the window comments ultimately did come true. For
those who said it or thought it, thank you from the bottom of my heart for
teaching me another lesson. I wasn’t simply getting sympathy. I was getting
the support I required to move me forward on this journey.

I want to acknowledge my family, friends, and colleagues who never
lost faith or confidence; the people who believed me when I told them I
wasn’t worried. I meant that. I wasn’t worried, not even a little. As mentioned
in the introduction, it wasn’t overconfidence. It was a belief in
my ironclad network. Besides, if I couldn’t believe in myself, why should
anyone else? I want to thank Kim Mitchell, who said immediately after
I heard the news, “I’m only worried about you for the next two hours.”
Meaning, the tone and attitude for the next couple of hours would influence
decisions, next steps, and my approach for the long haul. She
was right to ensure that my head was on straight and that I was laser-focused
on my goals. I made the choice to not even leave the parking lot
before the road to my new job began. I placed a phone call to a fellow
Toastmaster member of a local club that I was coaching. I heard they
had a training manager opening. Thus, the search began. After I finished
the call in the parking lot, I moved a couple of thousand feet up the
road and walked into the office of a company managed by a former boss
where my skill set could potentially be used. As I saw it, I could wallow
in sorrow and angst, or I could make the effort to resolve this little bump
in the road.

When I got home on the evening of June 6th, I sat down with my children
and said, “My job going forward is to find a job. I promise to put as
much passion, energy, and commitment into this job as I have for the last
twenty-plus years.” I held myself accountable to make sure my kids had
as much confidence in me as I did. Thank you to my children for never
questioning those words.

I want to thank everyone who responded back to an email, phone call,
or conversation, even when they felt they weren’t helping. Some people
said that they had no openings and would keep my information on record—
and actually did, as I continued to get leads months after the fact.
Thank you for following through and giving me hope and opportunities.
My sincere appreciation goes out to the people who gave me valuable
advice that provided me with the confidence to go through this
potentially stressful situation, even if that advice came years before. I
will hold on to their wisdom forever. In no particular order since every
piece of it was valuable, thank you to: Steve Crawford, Jeff Schmidt,
Erin Dymowski, Steve Dymowski, Christine Duffy, Nichole Kelley-
Sirois, Greg Sirois, David O’Connell, Everett Berger, Frank McKelvey,
Sherry Reid, Neal Williamson, Dick Jacobs, Chip Rossi, Steven Cohen,
Dave Ciullo, Mary LaFontaine, John Brubaker, Wende Stambaugh, Joy
Bollinger, Leslie Johnson, Gregg Davis, Joe Claricurzio, Carmen (Felix)
Garte, Joe Grondin, Sandra Hachey, Beth Hennessy, Joni Lindstrom, Jim
Kokocki, Wendy Harding, Cynthia Martin, Wayne Mercer, Deb Nowak,
Nita Pital, Kishore Sashthiri, Augie Schau, Hilary Schau, Kristine Smith,
Cynthia Wheeler, Donna Tutty, Jo-Anne Walton, Jasen Wood, Lori
Wood, Adria Minevich, Jeanne Gallagher, Lynne Snow, Trevor Koenig,
Ted Dwyer, Tami Chester, Jeneen Marziani, Karen Salisbury, Anne Casey,
Amy Vitale, Navroze Eduljee, Julia Caslin, Alfred Manganiello, John
Echternach, Shelley Waite, Todd Beacham, Michael Quinn, Joan Pappas,
Patrick Strieck, Noreen Dow, Parker Chamberlin, Beth Chamberlin,
Amy Perkins, Michelle Chung, Brett Lerner, Robyn Reisinger, Kevin
Burns, Mike D’Andrade, Joe Hickey, Frank Cerullo, Maria Harris,
Robin Chacon, Kathy Bernath, Shane Flynn, Jim McGowan, Heather
Bentley, Jeff Nathan, Kristi Christman, Rich Wagenknecht, Don Danese,
Vin Contento, Marie Drouet, Gwen Ellis, Jim Kane, Monal Pathak,
Robert Hayes, Christine Channels, Eric Inkrott, Chrisine Comune, Karl
Andersen, Mary Jo Anderson, Lori Macchi, Katy Emmi, Scott Macchi,
Jarett (J) Isralow, Bill Bowlsbey, Chris Cusack, Mike Kinane, Tom Cyr,
Elizabeth Hamilton, David Hamilton, David Berez, Kim Devlin, Blanca
De La Rosa, Jeff Dobbs, Mark Pearce, Luke Donaldson, Dave Edelson,
Jenn Ehresman, Danny Bader, Chris Hogan, Nadine Stillmunks, Mike
Battagliese, Krista Wrona, John Caruccio, Jamie Danner, Jim Biniasz,
Ed Hawthorne, Dina Kanabar, Marshall Bonaquisti, Devin Farmer,
Jill Engel, Ryan Conner, Michael Curtis, Branan Cooper, Christine
Costagliola, Steve Stark, Mignona Cote, Shawn Harris, Scott Bailer, Mark
O’Donal, Karma O’Donal, Doug DeSimone, Ryan Cobb, Shawn Leger,
Kelly Cahill, Terrence Cahill, Steve Ryder, Kris Rosado, Steve Bescript,
Paul Mosley, Barry Baird, Bob Shiflet, Jessica Andrews, Bob Lamantia, Josh
Reitzes, Patrick Rockenbach, Michelle Zander-Brown, Darryl Fincher, Rob
Cochran, Brad Dunckel, Rich Coombs, Warren Butler, Tim Gayhardt,
Brian Burbage, Tewksbury Library, Lewiston (Maine) Career Center, J.V.
Fletcher Library, and to the countless others I may have inadvertently left
out.

To the people who provided recommendations when they were needed
and even when they weren’t, your words meant a lot. I am humbled
by the praise and appreciate the time and effort it took. Special thanks
to Christian Pieri, Tammy Wagenknecht, Greg Purinton-Brown, Louise
Nail, Pam Moyer, Bob Ferland, Joyce McPhetres, Dax Cummings, Jeff
Sargent, Heather Perkins, Carl Duivenvoorden, Elizabeth Cagnon, Wes
Strader, Tim Wescott, Corey Fogarty, Mark Foster, John Reddy, and
Sandy Cox.

From the very first “official” networking session with Ben Ryan, to
Ron Becker, Dan Chappell, Todd Cunningham, Ingrid Petrus, Ana Ness,
Janice McCreary, Annie Witthoefft, Pam Marsh, Jack Mahoney, John
DeSantis, Brian Gray, Sandy Wood, Russ Zusi, Mary Lynn MacKenzie,
Angel Birch, Karen Humphries, Ellen Schwartz, and many others, I am
appreciative of the invested time.

I want to send my thanks to my first set of eyes on the first version of
Displacement Day—Polly Hall, Hannah Tays, and Kathleen FitzGerald—
who turned the very rough first draft into a presentable manuscript. To
my editor Jen Blood, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Thanks for
bringing my words to life.

I’m indebted to social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn for making
the job search so much more bearable. I’m not sure how this process
was before these tools came along, but I’m thankful that I don’t have to
find out. I want to thank my old Toastmasters club in Belfast, Maine—
Dirigo—for their continuing support when I was no longer with the company,
and for my new Maine clubs in Bangor—Bangor Toastmasters—
and in Waterville and Augusta—Kennebec Valley Toastmasters—for being
so welcoming.

Finally, I want to thank the clients of Thomas Dowd Professional
Development & Coaching, LLC who could have easily questioned how
someone can teach people job-search techniques such as interviewing,
résumé writing, networking, and professional growth when he didn’t have
a job himself. You didn’t run away. Instead, you ran to me because you
knew I could empathize, and you gave me the credibility I was hoping for.
Thanks for recognizing the win-win situation.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job, The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World (Honorable Mention at the 2012 New England Book Festival), From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide (2013 Axiom Business Book Awards Gold Medal Winner and 2013 Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention). Audiobook version of “From Fear to Success” is also available! See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com. Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

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Post from Transformation Tom- Manage Your Time, Don’t Let it Manage You—Part I: Chapter from “The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas”

January 4, 2013 / tomdowd / News

Manage Your Time, Don’t Let it Manage You—Part I

I have found in my over twenty years of professional experience that poor time management skills are one of the biggest pitfalls for leaders. I am going to intentionally repeat myself: poor time management skills are one of the biggest pitfalls for leaders. I took organization training over eighteen years ago, and I understood at that time the power of managing my day and beyond. More importantly, I realized I couldn’t survive in the business world until I could manage the swirling days, weeks, and months around me. By actively staying organized, I found I could dedicate the appropriate time to urgent and important items, spend more time developing people, and yes, put out those dreadful fires that often come our way.

When you are running at capacity, the fire drill exercise will sacrifice something else that may need to be dropped. However, if you have full control and knowledge of your own capacity, you can not only do it right, but you have a chance to do it all, and more. Included in this section are highlights from an evolving organization course I have taught over the years for new and experienced managers. I have a positive reputation for being highly organized at work. Some call it being anal retentive or compulsive. However, very few people can remember me ever missing a key deadline.

First and foremost, people are the highest priority. Regardless of your job responsibilities or what is on your calendar for the day, people who work for you take the top billing. As a manager, how do you get all of the administrative work done if you are constantly bombarded with questions from your direct reports? Good managers can anticipate questions and concerns through staff meetings and team meetings. It is extremely important to lay out clear expectations and preparations, including what might be the best time to connect with you, what is on your plate for the day, and who to contact if you are not available. Being ahead of the game is also important. You can do this by anticipating common questions and put answers in your reports’ hands before the questions are even asked. Everyone wins.

Managers should also understand the most effective ways to present information to a particular audience. Knowing who you are presenting to and how well they will absorb the information is critical. How does your group like to be taught? For example, a manager might find success in asking open-ended questions to ensure clarity. Tossing facts and figures at a group of people and expecting them to remember can be difficult. There should be interaction and engagement from everyone. The group of people learning should feel comfortable, and the leader should invest the appropriate amount of time when it is all over. Sometimes in the past, I rushed information to people by talking at them, and was always surprised when I got a question later about the same subject. I have found it extremely helpful for time-management purposes to invest the time up front so that everyone learns and digests the information from the start. Group settings are extremely helpful in avoiding duplicate messages. If you are not a leader, you should ensure that this gets practiced by discussing this with your manager.

Leaders need to build time into their calendars for the unexpected. How can you do this if you don’t know what’s coming relating to those “I need it now” requests? If you are scheduled for an eight hour day, and your calendar is booked for that entire eight hours, it is guaranteed that you will not get everything done. The unexpected will happen during that time—I promise. I like to block off time in my day with follow-up items that occupy space on my calendar to cover loose ends. The blocks of time also allow flexibility if meetings go over or someone needs me for something important. These blocks of time are great for reflecting on past meetings, preparing for upcoming meetings, or conducting in-depth work.

You should also schedule time to get away from your desk. This builds in another block of time for the unexpected, and allows extra time for the flexibility to take a break and stay fresh. Below are some additional tips for the unexpected:

Schedule time for emails, return messages, etc. This minimizes your need to multitask and builds more open time. If you build an hour a day for this and it only takes thirty minutes, take advantage of the bonus time for other tasks.
Build in time for daily operations and be sensitive to potential impacts within your business. For example, in a call center, Mondays are often high call volume days. Managers are needed on the floor. Build that time on the floor into your calendar for non-meeting activities. Do not schedule your staff meetings during peak times, since the chances for interruption are high and a less productive meeting will occur.
Use miscellaneous blocks of time on your calendar for routine events that may not require a specific time. For example, you know you need two hours tomorrow to provide feedback to people on your team, or do a daily task like quality monitoring. You may schedule it for 10:00 A.M.-12:00 noon. The actual time is not as important as reserving the block of time of two hours. You can build in the flexibility to move this block of time through the same day as you need to as long as you remain committed to making it happen. Be careful of pushing it too late into the day, when you risk not completing it and are required to move it to another day. When you start carrying appointments over to other days, you run the risk of creating a bottleneck situation. For example, pushing the two hours to another day puts you four hours in the hole the following day.
Use recurring meetings to hold future times and dates. This habit gives people a heads up to reserve times and dates and should increase attendance to key meetings. It is respectful of other people’s calendars, since it will give everyone ample time to know what is ahead for them, and they can look forward to the same time and date each week or month.

One of the greatest things I did for my own sanity was to keep a pad of paper near my nightstand at home. How does this relate to time management? When random thoughts pop into my head at night, I write them down immediately. The benefits are as follows: 1) I don’t forget, thus I don’t waste time trying to remember, 2) I sleep better knowing I have immediately addressed my thoughts, 3) I have stronger ideas since I have reached the inner non-stressed part of my brain and can formulate a plan of action. All of this allows me to enter into my day knowing where and when things are happening, with a clear plan of attack to get it done.

Don’t be a slave to your calendar, but be committed to it and avoid constant appointment pushing. Consistent appointment pushing to another day is a red flag that you need to change the calendar process—it is either too full or you need to be more committed to it.

You should invest ample time in understanding your future calendar appointments. Organize tomorrow before leaving today. You should invest five minutes before leaving for the day. I make very few promises, but I will make an exception. I promise you will sleep better knowing exactly what’s on your plate tomorrow. You should actually schedule this five minute event for the end of day as a calendar appointment. Five invested minutes will save you hours later. Additionally, organize the next week every Friday. Look out a week at a time. Again, schedule this Friday event on your calendar. Finally, organize each month with a few days before the current month ends. Look out a month at a time. Once again, schedule this event on your calendar. This shouldn’t be done on the thirtieth of the month—it should be done around the twenty-sixth to avoid surprises in the first week of the following month. The outlook a month ahead of time allows you to determine what normal routines you need to conduct each month and how to spread them accordingly. When we have certain obligations that are required on a monthly basis, I find as high as ninety-five percent of the people on any given month, if given the choice, will do the task at the end of the month. Be in the minority and get things done before they are scheduled and due.

We are in a culture of procrastinators. I am on the opposite end of the spectrum, almost to the extreme, viewing it as the antithesis of procrastination. I want tasks out of the way as quickly as possible so that I can concentrate on other things. I front load certain events in the first or second week of each month to get them out of the way, and allow flexibility in case other events come up that need to be accomplished prior to the month ending. There have been many times when something did come up at the end of the month, and a number of leaders did not meet their requirements as a result. Keeping ahead of your schedule allows for the unexpected. As I was going through my career growing pains, it was effective time management that often kept me afloat.

Additional reading specific to time management: The Productivity Pro- Laura Stark https://www.theproductivitypro.com/blog/2013/01/how-your-standards-can-slow-you-down/#respond

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World (Honorable Mention at the 2012 New England Book Festival) and From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide (2013 Axiom Business Book Awards Gold Medal Winner and 2013 Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention) are available under “Products” on www.transformationtom.com. Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

eBook purchase options include the following- Click link to be re-directed:

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Smashwords

Kobo

Sony eBooks

Apple Store (iTunes)

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Post from Transformation Tom- Rising Above Perceptions by Bob Ferland

September 28, 2012 / tomdowd / News

The following is an inspirational Toastmasters speech written by Bob Ferland, who has learned to rise above any challange thrown his way….

Rising Above Perceptions

How do we define ourselves and others? How do we rationalize what is truly important?

Do we define ourselves by our appearance or looks?

How about physical strength, abilities, intelligence, or intellect?

What about material wealth?

All of the following factors play some role in who we are individually; as well as how we view others. It is up to us to personally prioritize what is truly important.

Let us begin by looking at first impressions. Based on how we feel when we first see somebody, we may unintentionally evaluate by appearance, or even by socioeconomic status, considering how neat or clean a person appears, as well as the condition or style of attire they are wearing. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are all prone to treating somebody who appears to be better off with a higher level of respect compared to somebody who does not appear to be as well off.

How about other factors, such as physical strength and abilities? How often do we inadvertently treat somebody better who is in shape, compared to somebody else who does not appear to be as physically fit.

We are all guilty of having preconceived ideas about people within certain areas, based on our own perception of normality.

What do you think about when you think about me?

Growing up with a disability, I’ve dealt with a number of perceptions. Let me help you rise above your perceptions.

No matter how hard I tried to walk normally, or play along as a youth with others, I had the perpetual feeling that no matter how hard I tried, I would never be able to participate or even compete at the same level as others without adversity. Negative thoughts that others potentially had about me was also a concern.

It is challenging to deal with things beyond your control.

However; allowing personal trials to govern your life, inhibiting you from reaching your full potential is NOT an option!

Since the age of five, I had a physical therapist who pushed me very hard. I learned how to set goals at a tender, young age. Each session consisted of muscle stretching and strengthening, as major leg muscles were spastic or perpetually tight.

Following the stretching, we would work on functional exercises; which would be little to no effort for a normal person, but was consistently an intense workout for me. These exercises involved standing out of a chair or attempting to walk within a straight line.

What made each of these exercises exceptionally challenging, was the fact that after my spastic muscles were stretched, I no longer had the strength, previously depended upon. I needed to supplement with my opposing non-spastic muscles, which are very weak, seeing the non-spastic muscles do not have an opportunity to work, consistently being overpowered by my spastic muscles.

From late grammar school through high school, my physical therapist had me work on running laps within the gymnasium. This was challenging enough with a balance problem. After each therapy session, having my leg muscles aggressively stretched, no longer able to utilize spasticity, I had no choice but to supplement with my weaker non-spastic muscles.

Each therapy session happened on a weekly basis. I would also train in the gym, nearly every day, prior to school, pushing myself to go further and further.

Initially when I first started, I was barely able to successfully complete half a lap around the gym, prior to feeling completely winded and no longer able to continue.

By the end of the school year, I was able to accomplish 10 laps around the entire gymnasium, even after feeling the effects of a cumulative therapy session.

Growing up and even now, I work so much harder than just about anybody else to simply get around.

In addition to physical therapy for my legs, I spent time in high school, college, and even today working out at various gyms on my upper and lower body.

Considering my past, I thrive on aggressive personal goals. My workouts begin with strength training, where I need to achieve 12 repetitions, twice in order to achieve goal at moderate weights.

The end of each workout is dedicated to cardio, spending “quality time” on the Elliptical. This simulates a natural running pattern that I am unable to acquire on my own. When I first started on the Elliptical, I used a consistently low ramp level with no resistance. My standard cardio goal was a full mile within 20 minutes. As time progressed, I steadily increased the ramp level and now run on Interval, where the ramp level and resistance changes every two minutes from ramp level four with no resistance to ramp level 10 with resistance level 8. Yes, I am tired after each workout!

No matter how challenging life becomes, I have learned to rise above, remaining focused on maintaining a positive attitude, even within challenging circumstances.

Life gives us two options.

One option is to accept defeat by quitting early.

The second option is to persevere and push through, no matter how challenging the situation appears.

The only limits that truly exist are the limits we establish for ourselves.

To summarize this speech, we all perceive things differently upon looking at ourselves and others. We may even think we are better off than somebody else, based on our own abilities or qualities we possess. I simply ask that we all look beyond what is seen on the outside and attempt to look at the heart of each person on the inside, determining what truly drives and motivates each of us to accomplish our daily and lifelong goals.

Thank you!

– Bob Ferland

Thomas B. Dowd III books The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World and From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide are available under “Products” on www.transformationtom.com. Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

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Post from Transformation Tom: Call it Irony (article appeared in District 45 Toastmasters Newsletter)

September 21, 2012 / tomdowd / News

Call it Irony

I was full of pride when Donna Tutty sent me a note about an opportunity to present to the Maine Waste Water Control Association (MWWCA) at Sugarloaf Resort on September 13, 2012. The group was described as very technical and trade-oriented, and they were looking for something a little out of the ordinary. The audience was used to job-specific presentations, and the organizers were looking to add something fresh to the curriculum when they asked District 45 to send a representative to discuss public speaking.

As Toastmasters, we have been taught to prepare our presentations so that we know the material inside and out. In fact, part of my presentation “From Fear to Success” was geared around practice and preparation in order to reduce anxiety. I had no idea how much the training would come in handy.

I got a good night’s sleep, went for an early run while the sun was rising, and felt great about representing our district. I went to the event two hours early to meet the organizers and to network with the organization. I was instantly greeted by several people who made me feel welcome. Today was going to be a good day.

In my preparation a few weeks before the event, I had asked the organizers about microphones, but they said they weren’t needed. I went to the room where I would be presenting to practice my speech and to get a feel of the acoustics and the stage. Let’s start with the sound. I instantly found some echoing in the open room chamber that also had a wide-open staircase and vendors on the floor below causing a significant amount of white noise. I knew I had to adapt my voice since there were no doors to close.

I still had some concerns with the room set-up. Part of my list of questions for the organizers weeks prior to the event included whether or not there was a lectern. The organizer said there would be one in the room, yet when I showed up, it wasn’t to be found. There was no need to panic, because I still had ninety minutes before my presentation. I found someone on the facility staff who said he would take care of me. He found a half lectern that could go on top of a huge table that would have been right in the middle of my anticipated stage. As an alternative, he found a shelf used for ski boot storage that he could rig up. The set-up had the lectern at chin height. While my facility friend was being creative, I found a different set of workers and I asked if they had any other ideas. Within minutes a lectern was rolled my way.

Unfortunately, my lectern dilemma was just the beginning of a good day that could easily slip away into panic and stress as I tried to resolve my issues. There were to be dual presenters before me who were sitting behind laptops at a large table that needed to be moved prior to my speech. The table was easy to move but the multiple cords and projector that sat right in the center of my supposed stage was not only tripping hazards, they were in my intended speaking path. It didn’t help that the screen for my slides was tucked awkwardly into a corner. When I moved the projector out of my walking path, the projected slides were keystone in shape and too small for the audience to see. As the moderator and I attempted to resolve the slides, we found that the auto adjustments on the projector itself weren’t working properly. We attempted to resolve the problem by tucking pads of paper under one side of the projector. We were right up against the time for the first presenters, so we needed a break for about an hour. This left me with thirty minutes to resolve the issue prior to my presentation. Was I nervous? No, because I had a Plan B.

When I had the chance, I hooked up my own projector and we were back in business. Unfortunately, the moderator’s laptop was now having problems. Time for Plan C. I connected my own laptop and we were once again back in business. As for speaker introductions, many of us have learned to not only write our own, but to share it with the moderator to ensure he or she meets the presenter’s expectations. She said she liked my introduction. However, she planned to cut it short and adlib to allow more speaking time. I told her how diligent Toastmasters attempt to be with timing, and that I had actually accounted for her to read to entire introduction. She reluctantly agreed, until she went to grab her copy and couldn’t find it. I reached into my folder and handed her the extra copy I had for “just in case” situations. This allowed me the time to share how I preferred to have my introduction delivered. She seemed relieved and appreciative.

The actual presentation could not have gone any better. The audience was receptive and the Toastmasters’ training proved its value easily. I know a few years ago how panic-stricken I would have been and how the road blocks could have held me back from getting the message I wanted to the audience. Instead, I was able to be flexible, offer solutions to the problems, and even incorporate the problems into the presentation to enhance it. As for the moderator’s concern about going over our allotted time, for my hour-long presentation, I finished in 59 minutes and thirty seconds. Thank you Toastmasters’ training.

A presentation about practice and preparation to reduce anxiety and lead to success was put into action before it even started—call it irony. As a Toastmaster you have significant control over your own successes. Be ready for the unexpected and don’t be surprised when the unexpected appears. Be confident in everything you have learned, or will learn, from Toastmasters’ training. Your communication and leadership skills will ensure that any moment of fear can turn into success.

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