Glossophobic - A Fear of Public Speaking

Submitted by Praveena Surapaneni

Does the thought of standing in front of dozens of folks and presenting a report make you want to stay in bed in a fetal state for a week? Well you could qualify as a glossophobic, or someone who has a fear of public speaking.

This months’ BCBSTX Very Own, Praveena Surapaneni, classified herself as just that...then did something about it! Knowing she had to overcome this fear in order to grow as a leader, she joined the HCSC Richardson Toastmasters Club, BCBSTX Toasties. Toastmasters is an international organization that strives to empower its members in the area of communication and leadership skills, by providing a supportive and positive learning experience resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

Praveena’s personal journey with the group began as a guest. “All of the members were very welcoming and friendly. I loved their enthusiasm and encouragement”, she fondly remembers. After a couple of visits, she joined the group. “My first speech was what is known as the Ice Breaker, where I introduced myself and shared personal details of my choosing.”

The group provided tools such as the Competent Communicator speech manual, and the assignment to a Toastmasters Mentor. “My mentor assisted me with speech content, made sure to attend my presentations, and offered encouragement,” says Praveena. She took off from there, giving numerous talks to the group, with a growing confidence. “I usually chose topics based on my personal experiences or something that I recently learned,” she added. That confidence has soared, and Praveena is now the Area 42 Director after only 2-1/2 years of joining the group!

As Area Director, Praveena oversees the activities of the BCBSTX Toasties plus 4 other area clubs. She explained that “as an Area Director, I help each club in achieving the goals set under Toastmasters performance measurement program called the Distinguished Club Program (DCP), keeping clubs updated on District-level news, organizing speech contests, and visiting each club as much as possible.” As for the experience of the position, Praveena says, “Each club is different in how they conduct their meetings and Toastmasters business. I love bringing other club's perspectives to my home club BCBSTX Toasties. I value the diversity and try to contribute as much as I can to help each club achieve their DCP goals.”

Even with all that she has accomplished so far, Praveena continues to strive in her personal growth via Toastmasters. “Distinguished ToastMaster (DTM) is the highest education level you can achieve in the organization. It involves completion of additional Toastmasters projects that continue to develop my public speaking and leadership skills. My goal is to complete that by the end of July 2016.”

Please talk to her, if you are planning to start your own journey with Toastmasters. And we look forward to your future success in this area, Praveena, as a BCBSTX’s Very Own!

Mentoring

By Carol DeLatte, DTM

Mentoring is an important component of Toastmasters. Studies have shown that Toastmasters with a mentor will stay with the program longer than those without a mentor. Every new Toastmaster should be assigned a mentor by the time they receive their New Member packet from Toastmasters International.

But, where do you begin, if you’ve never been a mentor before? Here is a primer to get you started:

·         Arrange for a meeting with the new Toastmaster. This could be over a cup of coffee or even in a conference room for those in corporate clubs. Plan on about 30 minutes for the introductory meeting. You (and/or your mentee) will need a CC manual and a CL manual.

·         Share a bit of your background with the mentee

• How you got started in Toastmasters
• What benefits it has had for you (less crutch words, increased confidence, etc.)
• What manual or goal you’re currently working on
• Share your enthusiasm for assisting them

·         See if the mentee has any goals in mind yet … it’s okay if they don’t …

·         Talk about the Ice Breaker speech. Break it down for them… it’s like doing 3 Table Topics in a row. They’ll share 3 things with the audience, usually something about themselves. Some ideas:

• Where did they grow up?
• What brought them to the Dallas, TX area (if they grew up elsewhere)
•  Family dynamics – the family they grew up with or the family they’ve created
• Favorite sport(s)
•  Hobbies/pastimes
• Their career
• Maybe even what they hope to glean from their Toastmasters journey

·         Explain that they only need to talk about each of the 3 topics for 1 ½–2 minutes each (much like responding as a Table Topics Speaker).

·        Speeches 2, 3, and 4 can be more in-depth speeches about the 3 topics they talked about in their Ice Breaker… still topics they are very familiar with, only now they will be able to talk more about it. Break each of these speeches into 3 topics each, and by the time they get past these 4 speeches, they will have almost half the CC manual done!

They may not be ready for the Ice Breaker just yet, and that’s okay. Pull out the CL manual and explain that by participating in the meetings, they will get credit for that, too. But keep encouraging them to get past that first speech!

The most important thing is that they know you will be there for them and believe in them and their potential. Sit next to them in meetings, and try to schedule regular meetings about once a month. Offer to listen to their speeches as they practice so they can be better prepared and more confident when delivering the speeches.

Mentoring really is a win-win relationship. Embrace it, and watch new Toastmasters blossom! It’s very rewarding.