WORD OF THE DAY: GOAL
shifting the goalpost = moving from your original position
x x x x x x x x x x
One Table Topic stood out for its use of simile:
People are like teabags, their true strength comes out in hot water.
x x x x x x x x x x
From Molly's P6 speech, 'Focus on the Big Picture', she encouraged us to "relook, rethink, revise" our priorities and to chase the alternate five Cs:
Commitment,
Compassion,
Contribution to Community
Character
Use of a powerful analogy:
Holding a glass of water in her hand, Molly asked the audience,
"What would happen if you hold the glass for a minute? How about an hour? How about a day?"
Your hand will ache, it will feel pain, it might become paralyzed. What is the solution?
PUT IT DOWN! Similarly, we hold on to our problems and become paralyzed with the weight of it. We need to put our problems down.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Project Evaluation of AP5
One week after presenting my AP5 The Abstract Concept, I had the opportunity to evaluate the same project speech at NUSS TMC. Voted Best Evaluator!
The speaker's topic was Marslow's hierarchy of needs. As I mulled over the points to commend and recommend, I remembered Wekie Tay's powerful use of alliterative triads which helped him clinch the championship at the Area Z3 Evaluation contest 2009.
As I played around with my points, alliterative triads came into play as well, to my absolute delight.
This was what I included in my evaluation.
COMMENDATIONS: 3Es
Encompassing - The speech encompassed different aspects of informative speech such as definitions, examples, visual aids and a quotation.
Explanation - The concept was clearly explained and illustrated with a diagram to demonstrate the hierarchy in the different needs listed.
Example - An example was used to demonstrate how the Marslow's theory of hierarchy of needs can be applied to the workplace environment, showing its relevance to our daily lives.
RECOMMENDATIONS: 3Ps
Placement of laptop - Logistics setup is important. Place the laptop where you can easily view the slides from it without having to turn your head to view the slide on the projector screen.
Pictures - Include more pictures in the powerpoint presentation as pictures speak a thousand words. The slides were too wordy.
Personal anecdotes - Include these in your speech to enliven and energise your speech.
In conclusion, continue to use the 3Es to excel in your presentation and consider the 3Ps to make your presentation more powerful, and you will be on your way to becoming an impactful informative speaker.
The speaker's topic was Marslow's hierarchy of needs. As I mulled over the points to commend and recommend, I remembered Wekie Tay's powerful use of alliterative triads which helped him clinch the championship at the Area Z3 Evaluation contest 2009.
As I played around with my points, alliterative triads came into play as well, to my absolute delight.
This was what I included in my evaluation.
COMMENDATIONS: 3Es
Encompassing - The speech encompassed different aspects of informative speech such as definitions, examples, visual aids and a quotation.
Explanation - The concept was clearly explained and illustrated with a diagram to demonstrate the hierarchy in the different needs listed.
Example - An example was used to demonstrate how the Marslow's theory of hierarchy of needs can be applied to the workplace environment, showing its relevance to our daily lives.
RECOMMENDATIONS: 3Ps
Placement of laptop - Logistics setup is important. Place the laptop where you can easily view the slides from it without having to turn your head to view the slide on the projector screen.
Pictures - Include more pictures in the powerpoint presentation as pictures speak a thousand words. The slides were too wordy.
Personal anecdotes - Include these in your speech to enliven and energise your speech.
In conclusion, continue to use the 3Es to excel in your presentation and consider the 3Ps to make your presentation more powerful, and you will be on your way to becoming an impactful informative speaker.
Journey to ACS Award
Here is a record of the ten speeches I had completed to achieve Advanced Communicator Silver award.
STORYTELLING MANUAL
1 The Folk Tale (7-9 min)
Hansel & Gretel
evaluated by Clifford Ess on 27/1/2005 at NUS Alumni TMC
2 Let’s Get Personal (6-8 min)
The Road to Recovery
evaluated by Michael Wee on 7/8/2008 at Tampines Changkat TMC
3 The Moral of the Story (4-6 min)
One Step at a Time
evaluated by William Chew on 15/1/2009 at Katong TMC
4 The Touching Story (6-8 min)
The Baby That Never Was
evaluated by Ler Wee Meng on 16/4/2009 at Katong TMC
5 Bringing History to Life (7-9 min)
From Darkness Into Light
evaluated by Christine Lim on 14/1/2010 at Kampong Glam TMC
(2nd attempt)
SPEAKING TO INFORM MANUAL
1 The Speech to Inform (5-7 min)
The Power of Repetition
evaluated by Pradeep Kumar on 11/12/2009 at AIA Changi TMC
(2nd attempt)
2 Resources for Informing (5-7 min)
Perfect Your Pronunciation
evaluated by Lau Kwong Fook on 1/4/2009 at AIA Alexandra TMC
3 The Demonstration Talk (5-7 min)
Origami 101
evaluated by Gea Ban Peng on 6/5/2009 at Braddell Heights Advanced TMC
4 A Fact-Finding Report (5-7 min)
Understanding Lower Back Pain
evaluated by Michael Wee on 6/5/2010 at Tampines Changkat TMC
5 The Abstract Concept (6-8 min)
Understanding Acupuncture
evaluated by Ler Wee Meng on 17/6/2010 at Katong TMC
Now on to 10 more speeches for AC Gold award!
STORYTELLING MANUAL
1 The Folk Tale (7-9 min)
Hansel & Gretel
evaluated by Clifford Ess on 27/1/2005 at NUS Alumni TMC
2 Let’s Get Personal (6-8 min)
The Road to Recovery
evaluated by Michael Wee on 7/8/2008 at Tampines Changkat TMC
3 The Moral of the Story (4-6 min)
One Step at a Time
evaluated by William Chew on 15/1/2009 at Katong TMC
4 The Touching Story (6-8 min)
The Baby That Never Was
evaluated by Ler Wee Meng on 16/4/2009 at Katong TMC
5 Bringing History to Life (7-9 min)
From Darkness Into Light
evaluated by Christine Lim on 14/1/2010 at Kampong Glam TMC
(2nd attempt)
SPEAKING TO INFORM MANUAL
1 The Speech to Inform (5-7 min)
The Power of Repetition
evaluated by Pradeep Kumar on 11/12/2009 at AIA Changi TMC
(2nd attempt)
2 Resources for Informing (5-7 min)
Perfect Your Pronunciation
evaluated by Lau Kwong Fook on 1/4/2009 at AIA Alexandra TMC
3 The Demonstration Talk (5-7 min)
Origami 101
evaluated by Gea Ban Peng on 6/5/2009 at Braddell Heights Advanced TMC
4 A Fact-Finding Report (5-7 min)
Understanding Lower Back Pain
evaluated by Michael Wee on 6/5/2010 at Tampines Changkat TMC
5 The Abstract Concept (6-8 min)
Understanding Acupuncture
evaluated by Ler Wee Meng on 17/6/2010 at Katong TMC
Now on to 10 more speeches for AC Gold award!
AP5 The Abstract Concept
I presented my final project from the Speaking to Inform manual on 17 June 2010 at Katong. The topic selected was "Understanding Acupuncture".
Took 2 days to memorise the script and rehearsed repeatedly to get the timing right. The script was too long and I edited it a few times to get a satisfactory length. Nevertheless, most times I rehearsed, the timing was either dangerously close to 8 min 30secs or exceeded.
On the day of the presentation, Wee Meng had thoughtfully brought his Powerpoint remote control and I could use Ben's laptop to present my Powerpoint slides. I believe I went quite fast as the speech ended by 8 minutes!
I was voted Best Speaker that night. What joy! What a sweet ending to my Advanced Communicator Silver journey!
Wee Meng's tips for improvement:
(1) Placement of laptop to allow easy viewing so I don't have to turn back to look at the screen.
(2) Having one slide per point instead of 3 points to a slide.
(3) Instead of having a blank screen for one part of the speech, include some pictures that match the speech content.
(4) Show the slide first, then start speaking, not the other way round.
Malcolm has videotaped Wee Meng's evaluation of my speech:
Katong Toastmasters Club Best Evaluator on 17 June 2010 Katong TMC meeting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amz_40oDGrU
Took 2 days to memorise the script and rehearsed repeatedly to get the timing right. The script was too long and I edited it a few times to get a satisfactory length. Nevertheless, most times I rehearsed, the timing was either dangerously close to 8 min 30secs or exceeded.
On the day of the presentation, Wee Meng had thoughtfully brought his Powerpoint remote control and I could use Ben's laptop to present my Powerpoint slides. I believe I went quite fast as the speech ended by 8 minutes!
I was voted Best Speaker that night. What joy! What a sweet ending to my Advanced Communicator Silver journey!
Wee Meng's tips for improvement:
(1) Placement of laptop to allow easy viewing so I don't have to turn back to look at the screen.
(2) Having one slide per point instead of 3 points to a slide.
(3) Instead of having a blank screen for one part of the speech, include some pictures that match the speech content.
(4) Show the slide first, then start speaking, not the other way round.
Malcolm has videotaped Wee Meng's evaluation of my speech:
Katong Toastmasters Club Best Evaluator on 17 June 2010 Katong TMC meeting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amz_40oDGrU
Friday, June 18, 2010
Language Evaluation @ ACCA
On Tuesday 15 June 2010, I went to ACCA TMC to take on the role of LE. It was my first visit to the club and due to a busy day at work, I only managed to arrive at 8pm.
Richard Sng had helped to present the Word of the Day: galvanise (verb) on my behalf.
This was probably the worst LE I had ever presented. When I went up, I was so nervous that I did not know how to begin. I actually felt self-conscious about offending people while presenting the brickbats. At the end, I had not prepared a climactic conclusion and instead ended lamely by saying "Well done, er (long pause while trying to recall what club this was) Cairnhill Toastmasters Club." when it should have been "ACCA Toastmasters Club"!!
What a fiasco. This is what lack of practice can do to you. It's time I buck up on my LE presentation.
My last LE was in April at Toa Payoh Central TMC. I managed to present it with powerpoint, making it structured and easy to follow.
There is always room for improvement. Don't let a minor setback get you down.
Richard Sng had helped to present the Word of the Day: galvanise (verb) on my behalf.
This was probably the worst LE I had ever presented. When I went up, I was so nervous that I did not know how to begin. I actually felt self-conscious about offending people while presenting the brickbats. At the end, I had not prepared a climactic conclusion and instead ended lamely by saying "Well done, er (long pause while trying to recall what club this was) Cairnhill Toastmasters Club." when it should have been "ACCA Toastmasters Club"!!
What a fiasco. This is what lack of practice can do to you. It's time I buck up on my LE presentation.
My last LE was in April at Toa Payoh Central TMC. I managed to present it with powerpoint, making it structured and easy to follow.
There is always room for improvement. Don't let a minor setback get you down.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
LESSONS FROM GEESE
OPENING ADDRESS 15 APRIL 2010
Lessons From Geese
Why do geese fly in a V? Because it would be too hard to fly in an S! Just kidding. Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:
First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Not only that, the birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest.
The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group. Flying in formation may assist with the communication and coordination within the group. Fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason.
What are some lessons we can learn from the geese?
Lesson 1:
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. Just as in Toastmasters, we are able to accelerate our learning in public speaking because of our shared goals of becoming better speakers and leaders.
Lesson 2:
By staying in formation with those who share our goals, we are willing to accept their help and give our help to others. Don't suffer in silence. If you need help, ask for it or others will think you are doing fine. And don't quit when the going gets tough! Get help and then get going. That's what teamwork is all about.
Lesson 3:
It makes sense to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.
Like the leading goose, my wings are getting tired from flapping. It's time for me to move to the back and let someone else lead the team. I am happy to announce that Nik has agreed to take on the role of Club President for the new term. Let's give him our utmost support.
As a club, let's fly together in V formation so we can cover great distances and reach greater heights. Let's be the wind beneath each other's wings and help Katong grow from strength to strength.
I end with this quote:
No problem is insurmountable.
With a little courage, teamwork and determination
a person can overcome anything.
~B. Dodge
Lessons From Geese
Why do geese fly in a V? Because it would be too hard to fly in an S! Just kidding. Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:
First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Not only that, the birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest.
The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group. Flying in formation may assist with the communication and coordination within the group. Fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason.
What are some lessons we can learn from the geese?
Lesson 1:
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. Just as in Toastmasters, we are able to accelerate our learning in public speaking because of our shared goals of becoming better speakers and leaders.
Lesson 2:
By staying in formation with those who share our goals, we are willing to accept their help and give our help to others. Don't suffer in silence. If you need help, ask for it or others will think you are doing fine. And don't quit when the going gets tough! Get help and then get going. That's what teamwork is all about.
Lesson 3:
It makes sense to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.
Like the leading goose, my wings are getting tired from flapping. It's time for me to move to the back and let someone else lead the team. I am happy to announce that Nik has agreed to take on the role of Club President for the new term. Let's give him our utmost support.
As a club, let's fly together in V formation so we can cover great distances and reach greater heights. Let's be the wind beneath each other's wings and help Katong grow from strength to strength.
I end with this quote:
No problem is insurmountable.
With a little courage, teamwork and determination
a person can overcome anything.
~B. Dodge
Thursday, April 1, 2010
AREA Z3 INTERNATIONAL SPEECH & TABLE TOPICS CONTEST
Having been distracted by my trip to China during the March holidays, I came back realising with great alarm that preparations for the Area Z3 Contest have been left pretty much unattended.
Thankfully my good friend Michael Wee had already agreed to be chief judge earlier on and NOL had graciously agreed on the use of their lecture theatre for the event. NOL President Peter was a real god-sent. He swiftly attended to all my pleas for help by providing names of club members to be appointment holders and even agreeing to sponsor drinks for the event!
Division Z Governor Sau Ying has already ordered the trophies and all I had to do was collect them from Queensway Shopping Centre and pay for them. Next was buying the tokens and getting them wrapped. That was promptly settled within two hours during my lunch break.
One day before the contest, I went down to NOL to hand over the tokens, trophies and cash for food to Lee Hong as I knew I could not arrive early for the event. On the day of contest, I arrived feeling flustered and out of sorts. But I was immensely relieved to see that everything had been set up and sorted. Jerry from NOL had even printed all the contest forms! Only problem was I couldn't find my script. How on earth was I going to read out the contest rules now?
Thankfully Michael had brought the contest rules manual along and I could read from there. The rest of it was improvisation. So much work goes into organising every contest but not many people realise that. It is great to be part of a winning team where everyone chips in to play their part in ensuring the success of a toastmasters event.
The contestants showcased their informative, insightful and inspiring speeches, as well as intuitive, intelligent impromptu speeches on the topic "Winning can be defined as the science of being totally prepared." We heard about 'encouragement', 'aging is living', 'the greatest obstacle to success', 'chase your dream' and 'pop and blow'. We listened, we laughed and we even cried!
Here are the results of the AREA Z3 INTERNATIONAL SPEECH & TABLE TOPICS CONTESTS 2010:
INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST
Champion: Kok Yee Keong (Chong Pang)
1st runner-up: Christine Lim (NOL)
2nd runner-up: Kenneth Tian (Katong)
TABLE TOPICS CONTEST
Champion: Lee Hong (NOL)
1st runner-up: Christian Immanuel (AIA Alexandra)
2nd runner-up: Grace Tan (Katong)
The Area Champions will represent AREA Z3 at the Division Z ISTT Contests 2010 on Sat 17 APRIL 2010 at Kampong Glam CC from 2-5pm.
Thankfully my good friend Michael Wee had already agreed to be chief judge earlier on and NOL had graciously agreed on the use of their lecture theatre for the event. NOL President Peter was a real god-sent. He swiftly attended to all my pleas for help by providing names of club members to be appointment holders and even agreeing to sponsor drinks for the event!
Division Z Governor Sau Ying has already ordered the trophies and all I had to do was collect them from Queensway Shopping Centre and pay for them. Next was buying the tokens and getting them wrapped. That was promptly settled within two hours during my lunch break.
One day before the contest, I went down to NOL to hand over the tokens, trophies and cash for food to Lee Hong as I knew I could not arrive early for the event. On the day of contest, I arrived feeling flustered and out of sorts. But I was immensely relieved to see that everything had been set up and sorted. Jerry from NOL had even printed all the contest forms! Only problem was I couldn't find my script. How on earth was I going to read out the contest rules now?
Thankfully Michael had brought the contest rules manual along and I could read from there. The rest of it was improvisation. So much work goes into organising every contest but not many people realise that. It is great to be part of a winning team where everyone chips in to play their part in ensuring the success of a toastmasters event.
The contestants showcased their informative, insightful and inspiring speeches, as well as intuitive, intelligent impromptu speeches on the topic "Winning can be defined as the science of being totally prepared." We heard about 'encouragement', 'aging is living', 'the greatest obstacle to success', 'chase your dream' and 'pop and blow'. We listened, we laughed and we even cried!
Here are the results of the AREA Z3 INTERNATIONAL SPEECH & TABLE TOPICS CONTESTS 2010:
INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST
Champion: Kok Yee Keong (Chong Pang)
1st runner-up: Christine Lim (NOL)
2nd runner-up: Kenneth Tian (Katong)
TABLE TOPICS CONTEST
Champion: Lee Hong (NOL)
1st runner-up: Christian Immanuel (AIA Alexandra)
2nd runner-up: Grace Tan (Katong)
The Area Champions will represent AREA Z3 at the Division Z ISTT Contests 2010 on Sat 17 APRIL 2010 at Kampong Glam CC from 2-5pm.
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