Comment by kingkongjaffa
Comment by kingkongjaffa 2 days ago
I’ve tried several different chapters of toastmasters and they always feel very cliquey.
There’s usually a core group who are already awesome at public speaking and I found it really off putting.
Maybe it is because I’m in the UK but I sensed many use the club as a place for socializing rather than for public speaking. Last time I went people were more excited about staying for drinks after the session finished. Not sure it works for everyone.
I understand the cliquey comment! Usually there are several clubs in the area and you have to find one that resonated with you. And I always had trouble with the few that wanted to devote their lives to toastmasters. But if you find the right club and spend a year, you can get rewarded. And if you try to become a club level position, you do develop those soft skills needed to deal w difficult and crazy people, just like work. I think developing ones soft and executive skills is a long process and many things need to be tried.
One other item: track down an executive level negotiation course. Our local library had one, it was excellent. A lot of soft skill development is figuring out what potholes in the road you are driving on need to be filled.