Reflecting on "Coffee with Chuck"
Over the recent holiday break, I relistened to the ten interviews in the Coffee with Chuck series. There were glitches that my subjects took in stride with good humor: audio connections which suddenly went mute, or sound levels that we could adjust in the editing process. The most embarrassing was my first interview with Brian Hinton, which in fact, failed to record on my end. Brian took it in good humor and graciously agreed to a second attempt. What struck me most, however, were the voices of each of the remarkable Toastmasters that I interviewed. They spoke to me of the deeply held value each perceives from their clubs, as well as, finding new ways to sustain membership, charter a new club, adapting to the constraints of the COVID pandemic. In short, Coffee with Chuck has been a great opportunity to showcase program quality and club growth, the core mission of the Public Relations in District 6.
Some Themes Emerged
Some Themes Emerged from these conversations:
Finding renewed value in Toastmasters Journey
“My confidence has skyrocketed.” This was how one of the club officers described her experience, now meeting line. Several individuals mentioned that they had visited a number of clubs before deciding on a club that worked best for them. Interestingly, “zoom fatigue” was never mentioned once (I admit a small sample so far). Rather, online meetings have served to expand networking opportunities, even outside our local communities. With members joining meetings who are themselves located out-of-state or even in other countries, the idea of an audience has greatly expanded and diversified – to the satisfaction of many. One person who is an attorney by profession and writer in his spare time, emphasized the importance of learning to appeal our messages to a wide and diverse audience.
Making it work
The new world of online meetings has motivated clubs to fine-tune the logistics. Some examples are: how to simplify meeting invites, the use of social media to publicize, and how best to position oneself while speaking. One club is using an innovative ‘hybrid’ approach with some members meeting in person and others participating via laptop webcams in the same room. This may indeed be a model for other clubs post-COVID.
Building new
Brian Hinton joined me for a second interview to describe the experience of chartering a new club in recent weeks. He talked of the inspiration from his close friend, Rich Andresen, to create a specialty club with a focus on those interested in all aspects of Public Relations: ‘PR of the North’. Brian’s message to those who might think the chartering process is daunting was to the contrary. His key message to others thinking of chartering a new club: It is possible, you can do this.
If you are interested in joining me in future conversations in Coffee with Chuck, let me hear from you!
Chuck Brunnette, DTM
District 6 Public Relations Manager