Changing Base Camp Managers and Level 1 answers

Yesterday evening, as REP (Pathways) Ambassador, but also as one of the old members of the club, I visited Meridian Speakers Toastmasters. 

In 2009 they were the first club I wanted to join, till they explained that the Lewisham Speakers that will charter soon, needs me more and first. So I joined first Lewisham, still my base club now, and later also Meridian: they met in different weeks, so I could go each week to one of them.

Lots of memories with their place on top of a corner pub. They are now meeting at the other side of the Greenwich College, on the Thames river, their room overlooks the river! Different traditions, great club, many have begun - just begun - Pathways.

For those who begun but did not really deep in yet, there is a confusion that I would like to address this morning. In Level 1 of all path, there are three projects. 

The Icebreaker, tell about yourself or one of your passions, is not connected to the project 2 called Evaluation and Feedback. It is not the icebreaker speech that has to be repeated or it's feedback incorporated in the next one: that is the next project. 

Icebreaker gives you help with the outline, rehearsal, presenting advices too.

Feedback and evaluation, helps to understand why Specific feedback is so important. Suggest how to behave while listening to an evaluation, we would not always like, and incorporating later, the parts we decide. Speaking about what we incorporated to the second (or same) evaluator, while delivering an improved version. Then giving a specific feedback to someone, having understood, how important that is for improvement.

The third project is a research on a topic that we do not know or not much. Not only teaches different ways to search, interview, but also to present the result or the top of iceberg of all we learned. For me, all the research projects proved invaluable, and very different from each other as I arrived there. 

As well as my "listening to feedback" improved. With time. Not easy to listen to an evaluation that sometimes, at the spot, we do not agree with, without speaking back! But I am getting better at it. And of course, most of the time, they are on spot and help a lot. As much at least, as I can incorporate really in my next speech.

From time to time, we have to stop. Sit down. Reflect. Take a pose. Do something else. 

I am very happy to go this month, well from last week and till end July, visit London clubs, where I am Ambassador, see what problems they have and absorb their different atmosphere. Also help with the Base Camp Manager Transition, and remind them that I am there to help if they need, well beyond the "official" time, here end June. 

So slowing down with my path and stories, concentrating on club's problems, will give me a reflection time, a small distance to dig in about Team Management and so on.