31 Dec 2017

How to choose a path?

As soon as you get "in" we found an Assessment that TMI offers us recommending at the end of it three path to choose from. At the same time, letting to select any of the others.
The “Choose Your Path” tile is now placed on the left, and the Navigator tile on the right.  The tile we will use most often, “Access my path through Base Camp,” is placed in the centre.


I copied only one of them. Out of ten thousand of us, only about a hundred chose paper-based Pathways.  (Yes, I was one of them at the beginning!)  But now, in my mind, there is no hesitation. 


Even the TMI strongly recommends now not to choose that way of going. And as to now, it is closed as a choice. I hope it stays closed, not only until they re-open the shop, but until they clean the manuals.


A new Path costs 20 dollars but at launch we are all given one. Those who are at the time dual members are "given" two but it seems they have to write and ask the education service to send them the second: it is not automatic. (perfect as is.)


I went today and clicked on “Take the Assessment,” so that I could show you the first questions.
Alas, for me, all the questions were very difficult to answer when I joined in April.  I had a lot of bias and misunderstanding of what I really wanted—bias against "leadership" too strongly promoted lately, and bias for "public speaking". I knew I loved coaching, hated planning. [or: I know I love coaching and hate planning.]  As to the others? Yes, no or perhaps. I found out this month that I was wrong in many ways and needed a lot more time to ponder what I really wanted.

TMI has a brochure online that shows the current ten Paths and their Levels and Projects, separating very well those "required" in each path from those "electives" we can choose from. It gives us a better view of what to expect. Called : Paths, Levels and Electives.

This brochure gives the Title, the path goal and end and shows clearly the five levels. Mastering Fundamentals (level 1)is the same for each. Learning your style (level 2) is almost the same (differing with a project that can be found also among the level 3 electives of other paths).

When CHOOSING a PATH, I recommend, just disregard the first two levels.

Also disregard the Elective Projects for the moment. There are almost no differences from path to path, and you will choose which elective you want when you get there. Plus, when you have arrived at that Level, you will be able to launch, READ, Save, nd Print any of those projects, and choose after understanding a lot more about them. It is useful to save them to your computer or device, because we can reuse them later too.

So look at the last three levels at the left column: One Project each. 

In the case for my Leadership Development Path
Level 3 : Planning and Implementing.
Level 4 : Leading your team
Level 5: Managing Successful Events (Reflect on Your Path is the last project for every path)

Compare what we found for Visionary Communication my first path:
Instead of Managing your time at Level 2  is Understanding your Communication style, otherwise the two first levels are identical. The level 3 to 5 Elective Projects also the same. 

For my Visionary Communication path
Level 3 : Develop a Communication Plan
Level 4: Communicate Change
Level 5 : Develop you Vision

Those three REQUIRED projects in each case make the DIFFERENCE between the 2 Paths!
Of course we will also choose four different elective projects for each. Two at level 3 and one each for level 4 and 5.

As clear as this is, it does not go further. 
Planning what? Leading your team where? 

This is where another wonderful resource comes in. Created by George Marshal with his team of the first Pilot District 57, https://d57tm.org/pathways/, it is a free resource and in hypertext. Also available at Files in the Pathways Discussion Forum. Here is how the Leadership Development path looks from that PDF.

The difference is that we can CLICK to Planning and Implement in this PDF and it jumps to a description of the project. A short description of course, it is not "the project" but a lot more then just the title.
Here is yet another description. One very important! 
What is hiding under the title Evaluation and Feedback of the level 1 project present in all path?
It is worth taking the time, to download the Paths and Projects and studying it. I have printed it also to look and read again and again. The descriptions are in alphabetical order. The advantage of the one on computer is the hyperlink and jump while we have to chose. 

Thus we have a lot more time to ponder and more information: which path we really would like now, which way to go. 

After having read and looked and knowing where we are heading, we can go and take assessment and chose the path we know interest us in the near future.

Will all that there were some descriptions I have not looked well, at least at the beginning. 

Here are other ways of showing the required level 3 and 4 and 5 of each path.

Blue the one's finishing with High Performance Leadership Required (for others elective)
Yellow the Path I have, some finished the others in works. 
Leading in your Volunteer Organisation and Lead in any Situation: 6 month lead a team

In Presentation Mastery, I struggled with the Required Project Persuasive speaking, but loved the funny Managing a Difficult Audience, and answered well to interruptions. I love to speak longer but have no "time" to bother to get well paid for it. Others loved this project. 

I loved all the projects of my Leadership Development - me who thought "me and leadership? no". Visionary Communication got me on the track I am now and will be still for a long time. Finishing a path does not mean you abandon what you learned and discovered you wanted to do.

I wish all of you happy finding your first path, then the next, later. In this blog you can find other shorter explaining on how to find a path you like but none were so complete that this post ending 2017 for us. Let me know what you think of this post and how it introduces to Choosing a Path.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Love your articles!!!
Combining small Facebook information/signpost with your larger blog explanation is helpful to me.
My favorite (most helpful to me) was your having a goal/project and using your pathway to reach your intended destination!
Thank you!

Julie Kertesz - me - moi - jk said...

Thank you Bonnie, happy my posts help.

Canadian Dodd Family said...

Is it true that if you are in more than two clubs you get a second Path free?

Julie Kertesz - me - moi - jk said...

Yes, but you have to be, as I know in two clubs in the same district dual (at least) when the pathways arrives there. Which, I am sure, Dodd B you are. You have to write for the second path to supplyorders@toastmasters.org - we are not sure, how and what happens if you already do have a district and path.

Unknown said...

Good explanation and Easy to understand. I wanted to register for pathways. My question is, how will I get the 1st free copy of pathways, which is mention in pathways description? Because many toastmasters didn't get it.

Anonymous said...

The first path IS free. For old or returning Toastmasters and it is included in the New fee for others.
Check inside your account, Welcome XXX that you do not already chosen one.