Page 16 - January 2019 Voices

FROM THE DESK

Are You a Professional

Development Mentor?

Cate Arnold, DTM - Club Growth Director

Imagine you are able to learn how to lead and three times to master it and then teach another
mentor people so that they become successful, member how to do it. Members will go to the
sought after professionals. next level by taking on officer roles in order to

Our world economies continue to change at learn how to effectively work in teams and lead
breakneck speed. Job descriptions change with other members.
them as do the roles of employees. I believe We are in the incubator phase of the
Toastmasters has the opportunity to become Professional Development Program. We are

recognized by employers as a powerful training defining the expectations that MUST be adopted
program that teaches, not only communication by a club, and that should be CONSIDERED
skills, but soft skills needed to form adaptable by the club to see if it fits them. I talked about
work groups. Members learn how to distribute the program with the president of a club that

tasks based on each person’s particular skills just chartered and with the representative of a
and learn how to train their successors so that company who is putting their charter papers
they can seamlessly advance to the next level of together. As I described it to them, both were
management within their organizations. visibly excited by the concept. The latter plans

Later this spring, we will roll out a marketing to include “Professional Development Program”
effort targeted at employers and professionals in their corporate club name.
who are interested in this type of professional I believe we can change the world for our
development training. It will be what we already members by teaching them highly valued

know through Toastmasters, but there will professional skills. We strengthen our own
be explicit standards and expectations. For professional skills as well as we teach them. We
instance, to be a productive task force member hope to start 10 new clubs in the next 5 months.
there would be requirements. In clubs, that To do so, we need 20 mentors for these clubs. It is

means that members desiring to learn these critical to find mentors who want to embrace and
skills will commit to letting their fellow club teach this Professional DevelopmTent Program.
members know whether they will be present Are you a future mentor?? Please contact me at
or not at meetings. They will sign up for a role impeccablecate@gmail.com

16 ONE COMMUNITY