Two heads are always better than one but not every heads can always understand.
I joined TDB last April and Leadership last June. Apart from the stage that I was longing for, I was attracted by Toastmasters mentorship. I admire many experienced Toastmasters and couldn't wait to choose some of them as my mentors.
However, i forgot that I was a bit shy and self-conceited from time to time.
After I asked Helen to be my mentor when I newly joined TDB, I actually was quite hesitated whether the mentorship counts. There’s no ceremony. No commitment. I used to show her my ice breaking speech manuscript. The comments I got from her was: "good job","great ice breaker". After that, I didn’t bother to bother my mentor since I was already good enough. As a result, I chose everything I wanted to talk about for a prepared speech. As to speech objectives? Just randomlhy choose one when VPE push me for my speech level. One time, I made a passionate speech about how I lost my thyroid and how I won the speech champion. With my loud voice, exaggerate body languages, I made a rather successful motivational speech. Even the TME praised me as a future TED talk speaker. However, when it came to evaluation session, I realized that the speech was nothing to do with the speech objective. I felt my cheeks burning. I wanted to huddle up in a hole somewhere under the carpet.
Two heads are always better than one but not every heads can always understand. How I wish I could talk to my mentor before I made that speech. But I didn't have a mentor there.
Several weeks ago I heard that Xiaobai had learned a lot from her mentor Ouyang. I heard that Prianna has learned a lot from her mentor Damimi. So I complained to Helen: you haven't taught me enough. But what do I need from her? I never bother to think.
I could hardly realize the benefits from mentorship until I served as the president of TDB. Helen, my mentor, taught me everything about making TDB prospering as well as of my own growth. Despite her busy schedules, she spent time to guide me, encourage me, push me and snag me to think, to lead, and to execute. Under her guidance, I set up an action plan to complete 2 speeches each month and before giving a speech, spend 3-4 hours preparing for it, such as read through speech objectives, modify manuscript to refine my speech. For this speech, I took over 4 hours from reading through pathways on Toastmasters international to writing the speech manuscript until modifying it to better connect with the audiences. gradually, I felt the joy of preparation, the joy of the journey itself.
Apart from the preparing speeches, I also learned a lot from my mentor on leadership. I have never been leading a team in my life but I faked as a leader from Jan. 2021. And I am gonna fake it throughout my life till I make it.
So dear toastmasters and guests, two heads are always better than one. You could learn from every Toastmasters as long as you are open minded and ask questions. Two heads are always better than one and I hope I could always keep that in mind.
