Giving Voice to Our Corporate Clubs

My central goal this year as Public Relations Manager of District 6 is being mindful of our District mission of promoting excellence and supporting club growth. There are so many directions in which the world of public relations can serve this purpose: publicizing District events, speech contests, important deadlines, as well as finding ways to bring forth the voice of our clubs, to highlight unique members. “Getting Real with Ravi” and “Coffee with Chuck” are two ways to give voice to our District, member by member.

I have come to wonder, however, whether our PR efforts are giving due attention to the uniqueness of our clubs with restricted membership, including some of our specialty or advanced clubs, and corporate clubs. Finding channels to publicize and solicit members will differ from organization to organization. For organizations with multiple clubs there may well be specific boundaries, which, in our new COVID-19 world, have admittedly become blurred and expanded far beyond the original geographical boundaries when those clubs were first formed. Indeed, it is no longer surprising to hear of clubs that have members from distant states and even countries. It will remain to be seen how future hybrid clubs that combine the in-person with the virtual will shape corporate clubs.

Other aspects of the corporate clubs will certainly remain constant. Demonstrating to senior management the value of the education and leadership programs of Toastmasters. Finding a corporate champion within the organization that will encourage employee engagement. Club officers who continue to brainstorm for club improvements (think Moments of Truth). How each club approaches these aspects, and promotes itself within its organization and continues to grow, is reflected in its own unique culture.

We can all benefit from hearing how your clubs have grown and overcome challenges this Toastmasters year. I propose that we publicize these best practices in our newsletter and other PR channels – sans anything that identifies your club name or members for privacy. Share your corporate experience so we can all learn and grow together.

An active corporate member, Kathy Davis, from CH Robinson – On the Road Again Toastmasters, shared her tips on the Toastmasters – management relationship at the recent TLI. Check out this great resource on the District 6 site published on our TLI page.