Lessons Learned and Focus on Positive

Focus on Positive and Lessons Learned: two very useful Pathways Projects. 

First, I arrived to Focus on Positive a year ago:

I did need it just two weeks after I finished it! I was so sure, I will be named Pathways Guide in December 2017, as I was almost the only with experience, and the most advanced for sure. Instead, I was given more clubs as Pathways Ambassador, and named Chief Pathways Guide, a position only honorific. 

I needed so much to convince myself, a year ago, that the cup is half full! 

Of course, after the time passed, now I realize, I got both experience, only Ambassador, and later, in March was named in another district (undistricted) Pathways Guide and Ambassador, so I got the two sides. The Pathways Ambassador work used for my Pathways DTM, arrived earlier then the second award.

3 pics from our French Presentaion of Pathways

Focus on Positive, now?

Lessons Learned? What went well, and mostly what went less well and how to do next time? 

I just learned not to say "YES !" too fast when I am asked to do something new. Yes, I was happy to offer a Pathways workshop in French. Yes, I was able to gather fast a team of French speaking Toastmasters, and have them participate. We did it.

But I did not negotiate the conditions.

What happened? If all would have gone smooth there were nothing to tell. Only a video to show, or cut in pieces and show those different parts. 

First, I was told "Sunday": it was very fast, but we decided we could do it. Prepared French slides, French stories, with French speaking Toastmasters. Then, I was told, "Saturday" and a flyer appeared with Saturday. Nice flyer. But with wrong text. We changed the text that become more appropriate.

Saturday, we arrived. All participants spoke only English. I used my last English Presentation, and my team spoke, of course also English. Almost no one showed their faces. But there were many present through their names. "The real French presentation is Sunday!" we were told. Oh? Well, we will come back, a day later. I got a new nice flyer. Sunday was written on it. No zoom number. I was send one "only for me", could not put it on Facebook or invite other French speaking Toastmasters. 

When I arrived, as usual early, I was put in a Waiting Room. I went back later, again to the waiting room, but at least all who waited spoke French, and most of them showed their faces instead of hiding behind a name only as the day before. 

Then I learned, we have to wait till the hour, till the meetings before finish. We waited. Then only were we told that there are parallel meetings, and we will be in one of the Breaking Rooms, Zoom provides. Not in the main room. It was the first time, for me. I was named Co-Host and given the right to record. Usually I can choose "record to cloud (zoom) or record to computer" I was not given the choice so believed it will be recorded as Speaker to the cloud. Only after the meeting stopped, I realize suddenly, it was recorded to my computer. Aie! To the computer, it records as you look, in my case it was mostly Gallery view, as I like to see the audience reaction whenever possible. 

Usually, I ask the audience if they are ready to be recorded, and also if the recording may be public. I did believe, this will be the case. But as we finished, I saved then uploaded the recording, one of the main players wrote "please do not make it public".

Lessons Learned? Negotiate with all details, before jumping heads down into it deep. 

Focus on Positive? Two presentations instead of one. French audience reactive and great. My team told good stories or gave important speeches and come twice. Was invited to a next potential meeting in French. But for sure, as much as I am happy, I will negotiate this time all the details.

Other lesson learned? The Pathways Projects are there to help us! And they do even, a year later. Also, perhaps, I will repeat them again soon.