From speaker to trainer

Do you tell, do you show or, do you involve? Which is most effective?

And why should you care at all?

Because the ability to train, and train well, is an extraordinarily useful leadership skill to have.

Training is not the same as speaking.

As a speaker, we are mostly telling. We stand in front of audience and talk. We may share stories to enliven our speech and engage the audience, nevertheless we are still telling.

If we're demonstrating something, we're showing. That activity covers infinite possibilities: how to tie a tie, how to text, how to ... Showing generally implies an audience focused on an "expert", watching them move from one step to another to complete a task or a process. That is not training either.

What is training

Training is a synthesis of speaking, demonstrating and interaction. The trainer involves the audience. They work together, side by side through a carefully crafted series of steps to learn new skills. Good training empowers and builds community.

Learn to train - Go to the Speaker to Trainer Workshop

Give yourself another skill to use in your workplace or your Toastmaster club.

Steve Bullock, DTM, and Past Distinguished District Governor is leading an important workshop to help you improve your club, speaking, and teaching. He is also a past Region Advisor and has helped with training District Leaders around the world.

The details are:

Date: 19th September, Saturday

Cost: Koha at the door, afternoon tea provided.

Time: 1:30pm-4:30pm

Location: Upper Hutt Baptist Church, Cnr Fergusson Drive and Milton Street, Upper Hutt, Wellington

To Register: Please visit Meet-up 

Steve says:

"Many business and other organisations have realised the importance of training. Properly trained people increase productivity and make fewer mistakes. Well-trained people can make the difference between a successful business or organisation, and an unsuccessful one. In Toastmasters, properly trained club and district officers can make the difference between a healthy, exciting growing club and district verses a weak, ineffective club and district. This interactive participative workshop will allow you to discuss and use the five steps involved in preparing and conducting a training program, understand the difference between a platform speaker and a seminar trainer. You can take the transferable skills you will learn into the your toastmasters or your workplace."

Gael Price (our Division Director) says:

"I ran a Speaker to Trainer workshop in June 2014. It was one of the most rewarding things I've ever done at Toastmasters. Acting as a trainer during Club Leadership Training when I was area governor, I managed to move for the first time from worrying about myself and my message to caring more about what the audience was getting out of it. Leading a Speaker to Trainer workshop was a way to share the joy of that experience with other Toastmasters. We designed mini-workshops based around some of the Successful Club Series modules, making use of training techniques and concepts rather than the usual lecture format. It was tremendous fun. For Toastmasters who maybe haven't stepped outside the club much before, attending a workshop like this is a great way to experience a totally different part of the Toastmasters educational program, as well as meeting other members and learning from an experienced Toastmaster."

Speaker to Trainer is part of the Success Communication series.

"Tell me and I'll forget.

Show me and I may not remember.

Involve me and I'll understand."