When we were small, we were told "Study hard up to your 12th grade. Once you get into your college, you can start to relax". We completed our 12th grade. But then, folks said "Study well for another 3 or 4 years. Once you complete your college and go to work, you can start to relax". Here we are. We completed our studies and even got into a job. But, we can't relax yet. We are constantly expected to learn/gain new skills in various product/technology areas. No matter which industry we are in, the need to continuously update our knowledge doesn't end. This is true even at Toastmasters. No matter how much proficient we are, we have something to learn in Toastmasters.
Toastmasters provides us an excellent platform to sharpen our communication and leadership skills. Toastmasters provides us myriad opportunities to "sharpen the saw" during club meetings, training events, and during contests. By actively participating in Toastmasters, we are not JUST LEARNING or picking up new skills, but we are INVESTING in ourselves.
What happens to a wood cutter who continues to chop trees without sharpening the saw? Either the saw will break or the wood cutter will get tired soon. The wood cutter will soon reach a point where he cannot cut any more trees. Constantly learning new skills at toastmasters, helps us to stay ahead of the curve. We couldn't find a better place to sharpen our communication/leadership skills than at Toastmasters.
It is time for us to sharpen the saw …
Published in SpeakOut August 2010 Edition
Also read:
Managing nervousness before/during speech
Do you have an Elevator Pitch Handy?
Small things make perfection, but perfection isn't a small thing
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