Successful Leadership = Engaged Membership
6 ways leaders can create a peak club experience for members.
By Ruby Newell-Legner
成功的领导=会员积极参与
领导者可以为会员创造高峰俱乐部体验的 6 种方式。
作者：Ruby Newell-Legner
Leadership is in the details. It’s about delegating tasks to your team; it’s about looking at logistical questions; it’s about making a commitment to fulfilling the needs of the people you serve. When it comes to Toastmasters, good leadership results in an engaging member experience.
I’ve experienced both the good and the bad of leadership. Not long ago, I was hired to speak at an association meeting. Before the meeting, I reached out to the president with some logistical questions. Would there be a dinner afterward? Should I send my slide deck to somebody? The group president always answered with the same refrain: “I’ll take care of that!”
The day of the meeting she ran around setting up the registration table, helping members sign in, handing out badges, greeting everybody, and trying to cover audiovisual issues. At first, I thought that it was just a small organization and she had to wear many hats, but as I met more people on her team, I realized that wasn’t the case.
领导力在于细节。这是关于将任务授权给您的团队；这是关于跟进后勤问题；这是关于承诺满足您所服务的人的需求。在Toastmasters方面，良好的领导力才能带来引人入胜的会员体验。
我体验过领导力的好处和坏处。不久前，我受邀在一个俱乐部会议上发言。在会议之前，我向主席提出了一些后勤问题。会后有晚餐吗？我应该将我的ppt发送给谁？主席总是用同样的口吻回答：“我会处理的！”
会议当天，她四处奔波布置登记表，帮助会员签到，分发名牌，向大家打招呼，并试图处理视听设备问题。起初，我以为这只是一个小组织，她必须戴很多帽子（即担任很多个角色），但随着我在她的团队中认识更多人，我意识到事实并非如此。
This leader hadn’t learned to delegate, nor had she learned the fundamental lesson of building community, no matter how big or small. Leadership is not about doing everything; it’s about involving your team in the process.
Members of your club want to help; leaders want to contribute. In the case of the association I was visiting, because everything had to be done by the group president—the way she wanted it done—the needs and expectations of the attendees and presenters weren’t met. It did not seem like a great experience—for anybody.
Leadership is not about doing everything; it’s about involving your team in the process.
这位领导没有学会授权，也没有学到建设社群的基本功课，无论大小。领导力不是事必躬亲做所有的事；而是让你的团队共同参与其中。
您俱乐部的会员希望提供帮助；官员们愿意做出贡献。就我正在访问的这个俱乐部，因为一切都必须由主席来完成（她希望做到的方式），无法满足与会者和演讲者的需求和期望。对任何人来说，这似乎都不是一次很棒的经历。
领导力不是事必躬亲；而是让你的团队参与其中。
I have coached and trained all kinds of organizations around the world to help them design their customers’ experiences. The best ones make every constituent experience engaging. How? I’ve learned there are six universal elements that help leaders engage guests, grow the loyalty of members, and develop brand recognition.
我曾教练和培训过世界各地的各种组织，以帮助他们设计客户体验。最好的使每个成员的体验都引人入胜。如何做到？我了解到有六个通用元素可以帮助领导者吸引客人、提高会员的忠诚度和提升品牌知名度。
1 Respect
Respect for members seems like an obvious choice when talking about creating an engaging experience. It’s one of the four Toastmasters International core values, along with integrity, service, and excellence. Certain factors are universal—like being courteous and listening attentively—but respect is also personal. How you show respect for members and guests requires careful consideration about the type of experience you want to deliver.
I surveyed some Toastmasters recently about their best and not-so-best experiences. The less-than-positive responses were often about respect: Meetings started late; members didn’t feel welcomed; they didn’t feel heard. Take the time to learn what matters to your club members—why they show up, what they want the experience to be like—and use that knowledge to show understanding and respect for their expectations. Toastmasters has many resources to help with this—the Member Interest Survey, the New Member Profile Sheet, the Club Quality Checklist, and the Moments of Truth module in the Successful Club Series.
1 尊重
在谈论创造引人入胜的体验时，尊重会员似乎是一个显而易见的选择。它是 Toastmasters International 的四大核心价值观之一，以及诚信、服务和卓越。某些因素是通适的——比如礼貌和专心倾听——但尊重也是个人的。您对会员和宾客如何展现出尊重，需要对您想要提供的体验深思熟虑。
我最近对一些 Toastmasters 会员进行了调查，了解他们最好的和不太好的体验。相对负面的回应通常是关于尊重：会议延迟开始；会员没有获得欢迎；他们觉得没有人聆听。花时间了解对您的俱乐部会员来说重要的事情——他们为什么出现，他们想要什么样的体验——并利用这些知识来表达对他们期望的理解和尊重。 Toastmasters 有很多资源可以帮助解决这个问题——会员兴趣调查、新会员信息表、俱乐部质量检查表和成功俱乐部系列中的关键时刻模块。
2 Develop
When it comes to creating engaging meetings, club leaders would be wise to focus primarily on two elements of development: club culture and the meeting process.
Toastmasters meetings follow the same guidelines, but not all club meetings are the same, nor are the experiences of members and guests. What kind of personality does your club have? Are you formal? Are you casual and relaxed? Is there a wide range of ages and professions? Every club has a unique flavor, which is why Toastmasters encourages people to visit clubs until they find one that resonates with them.
Examine how your meetings are run. Walk through the experience of a typical meeting—from the attendee’s perspective—step-by-step, paying attention to the details and the transitions. Are guests greeted and introduced? Do some members always speak, while some never open up? Do meetings begin and end on time? By understanding the culture of your club and the process of your meetings, you can cultivate an engaging experience for everyone.
2 开展
在创建引人入胜的会议时，俱乐部官员最好主要关注拓展的两个要素：俱乐部文化和会议过程。
Toastmasters 会议遵循相同的准则，但并非所有俱乐部会议都相同，会员和宾客的体验也有差异。你的俱乐部有什么样的特质？你们正式吗？你们休闲放松吗？是否有广泛的年龄和职业？每个俱乐部都有独特的氛围，这就是为什么 Toastmasters 鼓励人们访问俱乐部，直到他们找到与他们产生共鸣的俱乐部。
检查你们的会议是如何进行的。从与会者的角度逐步了解典型会议的体验，注意细节和过渡。是否迎接和介绍宾客？是不是有些会员一直说话，而有些会员从不开口？会议是否准时开始和结束？通过了解您的俱乐部文化和会议流程，您可以为每个人营造一种引人入胜的体验。
3 Connect
As a club leader, fostering a friendly and welcoming atmosphere is how you create community and grow your membership. But real connection takes focus and effort.
Some clubs assign a greeter for every meeting. Some create a buddy system, pairing new members or guests with established members to help them feel comfortable and connected at meetings.
Connection is also a personal objective. Leaders might feel so busy during meetings that their interactions with members become superficial. Sometimes they aren’t entirely present in conversations. Before the meeting, set an intention to focus on each person you talk with, shutting out all of the distractions and building a true connection.
3 连接
作为俱乐部领导，营造友好热情的氛围是您创建社群和发展会员的方式。但真正的连接需要专注和努力。
一些俱乐部为每次会议指定一名礼宾官。有些俱乐部建立陪伴机制，将新会员或来宾与资深会员配对，以帮助他们在会议上感到舒适和联系。
连接也是个人目标。领导者可能会在会议期间感到非常忙碌，以至于他们与会员的互动变得肤浅。有时他们并不完全出现在对话中。在会议之前，设定专注于与您交谈的每个人的意识，排除所有干扰并建立真正的连接。
4 Communicate
Improving communication is the only issue identified by every one of the organizations I’ve worked with over the years. Every single one. They know that great communication is the foundation of every success story.
Toastmasters is built on the goal of better communication. That includes communication with potential members as well as current members or guests. Make sure to follow up with people who have expressed an interest in joining or want more information.
Communicating with all members and guests—new and established—before, during, and after a meeting is one of the essentials of engagement. Timely information helps everyone feel confident and included. Do new members or guests know what to do after a meeting? Make sure they have information on how to join and who to reach out to with questions.
4 沟通
多年来，与我合作的每个组织都发现改善沟通是唯一需要面对的问题。每一个组织。他们知道好的沟通是每个成功事件的基础。
Toastmasters 是以成为更好的沟通者作为目标创建的。这包括与潜在会员以及现有会员或宾客的沟通。确保对那些表示有兴趣加入或想了解更多信息的人有跟进。
在会议之前、会议期间和会议之后与所有成员和来宾（新老客户）进行沟通是参与的基本要素之一。及时的通讯可以帮助每个人感到自信和归属感。新成员或来宾知道会后该做什么吗？确保他们了解如何入会以及有疑问可以联系谁。
5 Acknowledge
Everyone likes to feel that their contributions are seen and matter. Toastmasters rewards members with ribbons, pins, and Pathways badges, but as a leader, you can personally acknowledge the contributions of any member or officer. When you acknowledge accomplishment, you also support engagement.
Do you take the time to say a few words to members who offer valuable feedback about club operations? How about members who take the time to make a new member feel welcome? How about an officer who goes above and beyond to help a meeting run smoothly? Everyone contributes to an engaging meeting in their own way and acknowledging that helps ensure it happens again.
5 认可
每个人都喜欢自己的贡献被看到并发挥作用。Toastmasters以缎带、徽章和Pathways徽章奖励会员，但作为一名领导者，你可以亲自感谢任何会员或官员的贡献。当你承认成就时，你也支持投入。
你是否会花时间对那些对俱乐部运作提供宝贵意见的会员说几句话?那些花时间让新会员感到受欢迎的会员呢?如果有一名官员能够尽心尽力地帮助会议顺利进行呢?每个人都以自己的方式参与到一个有吸引力的会议中并获得认可，这有助于确保它再次发生。
6 Influence
Successful leaders positively influence people and outcomes by creating an environment of opportunity, continual improvement, communication, and service. Use your influence to do the same in your club.
How well are you delegating to help build the leadership skills of other officers? What can you do to help other officers play their vital role in creating engaging meetings? No matter what club role you play, all officers are responsible for respecting, developing, connecting, communicating, and acknowledging.
How do you encourage members to support each other and encourage them to grow? One good way is through mentorship. As a leader, try to team up more experienced members with newer Toastmasters whom they can guide and support. When you help members grow, you build a community that is more engaging, something that will permeate every meeting. Promote a united approach to engagement, and you will create evangelists for your club.
6 影响
成功的领导者通过创造机会、持续改进、沟通和服务的环境来积极地影响人们和结果。用你的影响力在你的俱乐部做同样的事情。
你如何帮助其他官员建立领导力?你能做些什么来帮助其他官员在创造富有吸引力的会议中发挥他们的重要作用?无论你在俱乐部扮演什麽角色，所有的官员都有责任尊重、发展、联络、沟通和认可。
你如何鼓励会员互相支持，鼓励他们成长?一个好方法就是导师制度。作为一个领导者，试着把经验丰富的资深会员和新会员组队，他们可以指导和支持新会员。当你帮助会员成长时，你就建立了一个更有吸引力的社群，这将渗透到每次会议中。推广一种团结的参与方式，你将为你的俱乐部创造传道者。
Take the time to learn what matters to people in your club.
A quality experience is part of your brand, and your reputation for delivering it is built in every meeting. Invite your members to help create it with you, for themselves and their fellow members and guests, and you will create a new level of enthusiasm in your club.
花时间去了解什么对你俱乐部的伙伴来说是重要的。
优质体验是您品牌的一部分，您优质体验的声誉是在每次会议中树立的。邀请您的会员与您一起为他们自己以及他们的会员和宾客创建它，您将在您的俱乐部中创造一个新的热情氛围水平。
