Message from the District Governor, February 2008

Here's the DG's message from Issue 2 of District 80 80/80 Vision newsletter.

Reproduced with permission.


The Function of Leadership

Each year, the District has a new team. As District leaders, we need to identify quality people for leadership roles and identifying good people requires that we first understand the function of leadership.

Leadership is different from management.

Management is about practices and procedures. Good management brings order and consistency to practices and procedures without which there would be chaos.

Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change. With faster technological change, greater global awareness and changing demographics, the world has become more volatile. More and more changes are needed to survive and more change always demands more leadership.

Consider these differences between management and leadership:

Management is involved in planning. It sets targetrs and goals for the future. It establishes detailed steps for achieving these targets, including allocating the resources necessary to achieving them. By contrast, leadership is involved in setting a direction. It sets out a vision and develops the strategies necessary to achieve that vision.

Management is involved in organizing. It sets out to create an organizational structure and to recruit qualified people to carry out its plans. Leadership, however, is involved in communication. It sets out to communicate new direction. It sets out to ensure that its vision is understood and that there is commitment to its achievement.

Finally, management is involved in controlling and problem solving. It sets out to monitor results by means of reports and other tools. But for leadership, achieving a vision requires motivating and inspiring. People are kept moving in the right direction by appealing to basic human needs, values and emotions.

"Business as usual" is no longer good enough in the twenty-first century. Many organizations suffer from too much management and not enough leadership. It would be ideal if organizations have in place human resource schemes to develop the leadership potential of their employees. Our organization needs to expose our members to experiences designed to develop that potential.

Michael Wee, DTM

Message from the District Governor, November 2007

In case there are still some of us who doesn't know that the current District Governor is from our club, especially the new members, here's an article he wrote on the first issue of the District's newsletter 80/80 Vision.

In his message, not only did he mention about the benefits of Toastmasters, but he gave a real example of how Toastmasters has changed the life of one of our members for the better.

Do read on. This is the first of two articles written by our District Governor, DTM Michael Wee.

Reproduced with permission.

80 / 80 Vision
November 2007 Issue 1

Message from the District Governor

Alfred Herzing, who was at that time a Vice-President of Toastmasters International, paid an unscheduled visit to Singapore in 1999. At a club meeting at which I was fortunate enough to be present, he gave a short presentation on “Toastmasters Changes Lives”.

He gave three examples of members, whose lives had been changed because of Toastmasters. One was of a flight attendant, who, after fifteen years of flying decided on a change of career. She applied for an administrative post and at the candidates’ interview, spoke of her Toastmasters experience.

In learning to communicate, she had learnt to listen, to think and to speak.

In serving as a club and district officer, she had learned about goal-setting, planning and implementation. She had learnt to organize and to co-ordinate. She had learnt time management. She had learnt about team-building and team work.

In serving as a mentor to new members, she had learnt to motivate and to encourage.

She got the job.

But, we do not have to look far for examples of Toastmasters changing lives. Earlier this year, Foong Yin, my club’s Vice-President Membership applied for the position of aide-de-camp to the President of Singapore and at an interview for the post had spoken at length of Toastmasters and of her participation in the Communication and Leadership program.

At the end of the interview, one of the interviewers asked, “So, if I ask you to give a speech now, you will be able to do it?” She confidently answered “Yes”.

She got the job, and on the 22^nd May, 2007, she was featured in an article in the local newspapers as the only female aide-de-camp to the President of Singapore to be recruited from the Civil Defence Force.

When Foong Yin first joined the club, I had thought her to be quiet and reserved. But, today, she is an active member of our club committee and an organizer of several club events.

Toastmasters prepare us for the opportunities that present themselves. We acquire “vital tools that promote self-actualization”, shaping ourselves to be the men and women we want to be. Skills that allow us to shape ourselves and shape our world.

Michael Wee, DTM

President's Opening Address by Foong Yin, VPM

2008. A new year. Our club has just celebrated our 15th birthday. We celebrated simply. Yes, simply by having great fun at Robert's place with a number of members and their families.

Yes, family, our families. Even a few members who had just hurt themselves came for the celebration. And all of us made that choice to be with us - members of Tampines Changkat Toastmasters.

What is it that binds us together?I believe it all started with a choice we all made...

In my absence, Foong Yin as acting President, delivered the meeting's opening address on my behalf. She spoke about choices. It was easily one of the best opening addresses I had heard in the Toastmasters circle. I encourage you to read her speech below and remember the choice we had all made before.

More importantly, I encourage you to ask yourselves how strongly that choice you made has improved your lives and the people around you. Look deep inside and discover the answer for yourselves.

With permission from Foong Yin.

Good evening, District Governor, fellow Toastmasters, ladies and gentlemen.

I am Foong Yin, Vice President Membership of Tampines Changkat Toastmasters. I am here this evening to deliver the opening address for our 323rd chapter meeting on behalf of our President.

Tonight, I would like to share an interesting topic with you – “Choices in life”.

Before I begin, I would like to make two announcements. First, our member, Joshua Ng has replaced Baolun as our Vice President Public Relations. Due to personal commitment, Baolun has requested to take a break from Toastmasters. We wish him all the best. We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Joshua to our EXCO.

Next, this new year, 2008, we have a new member. She is Veena! She was introduced to our club by our Treasurer, Vijaya. In this new year, I sincerely hope that our members will continue to actively introduce their colleagues, friends and loved ones to our big family. By doing that, not only are you doing your part for the club, you are also giving them one of the greatest gifts for the new year.

Tonight I want to share with you about the choices we make in our lives. When did you start making choices? Most of us had our parents decide which school we go to when we were younger. They even interfered our choice of CCA, then known as ECA (Extra Curriculum Activity). As we grew older, we began to tell our parents, “Mum, can you stop nagging? I want to take charge of my life and I want to make my own choice!”

We then start to make choices. We choose the career that we want to embark on. Some of you may need to try a few jobs before you find the right one that you can call a career, while others are luckier to “marry their first love”, which means they start and retire in the same job with the same level of passion and enthusiasm.

At the same time, we start looking out for our partner in life. Yes! We want to choose a life partner who is willing to share our joy as well as our grief. Finally, we will then be ready to say “I do”, facing the person we choose in the presence of the Justice of Peace.

Once the two important aspects in our lives, a career and a partner, have been chosen, what’s next? Is it a fulfilling career? Or it is something that can last for a life time like a life partner? So what it is exactly?

Ask yourself, have you already made such a choice or have you yet to decide or even find it? For me, I made this choice 2 years ago by joining Tampines Changkat Toastmasters. Since then, my confidence level has been raised greatly and my public speaking skills have improved gradually. Most importantly, I got to know a group of friends who made the same choice as I did.

I cannot illustrate fully how beneficial Toastmasters have been for me. Not unless you join us to have this exhilarating experience! Until the end of my journey, I know that this choice I made is for life. Therefore I urge you, my fellow Toastmasters and non-Toastmasters, to make joining Tampines Changkat Toastmasters your choice not for a year, 10 years or 20 years, but for a lifetime. Do enjoy the rest of the evening!

Toastmaster of the evening.