14 Jun 2020

Before you choose your path...

—- moved from December 2017 to July 2019

Welcome to the Pathways community!

As member of a few Global Online Toastmasters clubs, I realise that this day begun long ago in New Zealand, Australia. For them, the doors opened already hours ago. It is only 10 in the morning in London, but afternoon East of us. As for USA, still very early in the morning or still the middle of night in the West Coast. 

Now, those in two new regions can go to the Toastmasters International web site, Toastmasters.org, and from there directly access through the Pathways tab. The question would come as soon as you are offered a free path, as a member of a club or two if you are member of two or more clubs. 
"Between path, which I do chose?" 
This morning, I went back to the Paths and Projects Resource and looked it over. In the first two level, there is not major or important differences between the Paths. Level 3,4 and 5 each path has specific Required Projects, different from Path to Path, and many yummy Elective Projects, same for all paths. 

We can choose from the Electives, a minimum 2 in Level 3, and 1 each minimum for Level 4 and Level 5. But having Web based Paths, we are be able to access, save, print, all the 27 Elective Projects, same in every path.

 Unless you chose Printed Material, then no choice then; in that case from 27 you get 4 already chosen for you by TMI. That is why so few do Printed Material!


It is good at this stage to reflect where each path leads us.
The big differences in Paths are in 3 Required Projects.

Leadership Development - my preferred path so far
  • L3 Plan and Implement a special meeting
  • L4 Lead your Team (to a meeting)
  • L5 Manage successful events (a bigger event)
Motivational Strategies - not yet finished as I do all electives in it
  • L3 Understanding Emotional Intelligence (understand better yourself)
  • L4 Motivate others 
  • L5 Team building through a successful event
Presentation Mastery - done
  • L3 Persuasive Speaking
  • L4 Managing Difficult Audience (organized interruptions)
  • L5 Prepare Speak Professionally (Keynote like longer speech) 
Engaging Humor - at level 5 now
  • L2 Find your sense of humor
  • L3 Engage your audience with humor
  • L4 Table topics told with humor
  • L5 Prepare a longer speech with humor
Visionary Communication - my first path I learned a lot from it
  • L3 Develop a Communication Plan
  • L4 Communicate Change
  • L5 Develop you Vision (professional or personal)
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Dynamic Leadership - great path but takes longer time
  • L3 Negotiation the best outcome 
  • L4 Managing change (Very well explained)
  • L5 Lead in any situation - 6 month leading & feedback from peers
Strategic Relationship - Just finished Level 4
  • L3 Make connection through Networking
  • L4 Public relation strategies
  • L5 Leading in your Volunteer Organization, minimum 6 month 
Team Collaboration - Lots of team work in it, finished
  • L3 Successful Collaboration
  • L4 Motivate Others
  • L5 Lead in any situation - 6 month leading and feedback
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Effective Coaching - finished, not my prefered
  • L3 Reaching Consensus
  • L4 Positive Coaching (at least 3 times coach someone)
  • L5 High Performance Leadership (With 360° evaluation at end)
Innovative Planning - on level 4
  • L3 Present a Proposal
  • L4 Manage Project successfully
  • L5 High Performance Leadership (With 360° evaluation at end)
Persuasive Influence - not tried, perhaps longest 
  • L3 Understanding Conflict Resolution
  • L4 Leading in any situation
  • L5 High Performance Leadership (With 360° evaluation at end)
In these last three path High Performance Leadership project is a Required project. In the paths when HPL is not required, it is still present as one of the Electives, as an option that can be chosen. It is almost the same as the HPL we did know till now but with a 360° six pages feedback to fill at least from one in the committee and one in the team members about you. Of course, this project also requires a lot of time and commitment. 

"Leading in any situation" project is in two path at level 5 and once in level 4.  The "volunteer organisation" used for the six month can be Toastmasters or any other organization, if possible volunteer. Remember: as we go up the levels, the projects take more and more time. 

Which is my preferred Level? 

I could say the Level 1 where I started the love affair between me and Pathways projects: I understood better the Toastmasters Fundamentals. April 2017 I started my Experiental Research and Transition to Pathways. Never looked back!

And when I arrived at Level 3 with all those projects to discover I was totally won over! From 13 possible Projects to use, I opened 10, saved and printed most of them. Just in case... 

3 comments:

magda said...

I am in New Zealand and around 10 am when I looked at the TMI website, I saw that we are now on Pathways.
Since I am already doing the lower levels of a Path, it is not new to me.
I had a Pathways break down last night.
Yesterday and overnight the ghost of “this is far too easy” was riding my mind.
Today I am looking at it with new eyes.
The benefit for the “oldies” is that we have already done most of the requirements in these lower levels, many times before.
I will now hold any judgement until the new members in our club has done it.
That will give me a better idea of how others perceive it.
Onwards and upwards.
To add to your note of which path and electives…my solution is simple.
I will do them all.

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

Thank you, Magda! Go for them! Yes, we prove that at any age we can!

Hamza said...

Hi Julie,

Will you be able to share the saved and printed documents over the email?

My email ID is bhamla.hamza@gmail.com


Regards,
Hamza
VPE of Symbiosis Pune Toastmasters Club