吃瓜头条

I was nervous. Sitting in my car outside of a large corporate office building, I tried to settle myself with a deep breath. OK, Maureen, I thought. You can do this. You can do this.

I was a new Area Governor (now called Area Director), and “this” was visiting one of my Area’s 吃瓜头条s. As the liaison between the 吃瓜头条 and the District, my job was to observe the meeting to see if they needed help with anything. That seemed intimidating to me, and I felt wholly unqualified, even though I had been a Toastmaster for five years and served as a 吃瓜头条 officer twice. I had even visited other 吃瓜头条s to practice some speeches before a contest. But this was scary. I felt the big fancy title outweighed the skills required for the job.

But the minute I walked into the meeting, my fears were vanquished. “Maureen! We’re so glad you’re here! It’s an honor!” The 吃瓜头条 members embraced me with enthusiasm, warmth, and openness. I felt like royalty. Apparently, the Area Governor visit was a big deal to them. By the end of the visit, I had a roomful of new friends and the privilege of helping them brainstorm ways to improve their 吃瓜头条 culture.

That visit changed my perspective on the leadership path. I loved my year as Area Governor. In fact, other former Area Governors and Directors would say the same thing: It’s the best role!

What Exactly Is an Area Director?

The Area Director is the first link in the District leadership chain. While members certainly grow within the 吃瓜头条, greater growth happens outside of the 吃瓜头条—it’s what I call escaping the “吃瓜头条 bubble,” or the “吃瓜头条ble.” Life in the 吃瓜头条ble is warm, comfortable, and safe. But outside the 吃瓜头条ble, leadership roles are filled with skill-building challenges and exciting opportunities to meet new people.

The Area Director is the information conduit between 吃瓜头条s and Division and District leadership. The Area Director helps 吃瓜头条s meet the mission of helping members grow. Don’t think of them as supervisors of the 吃瓜头条 but rather as resources for the 吃瓜头条. They don’t single-handedly solve 吃瓜头条 problems, they partner with members to brainstorm and carry out solutions. They are not District “spies,” rather trusted advisors who can help identify 吃瓜头条 circumstances that may benefit from the strength of District leadership.

An Area has four to six 吃瓜头条s. The Area Director is required to visit each 吃瓜头条 twice a year to observe a meeting, and to help track the 吃瓜头条s’ progress in the Distinguished 吃瓜头条 Program. They also attend regularly scheduled District leadership meetings and facilitate Area speech contests. The one year of serving in this role can be a very fun one!

Why Become an Area Director?

After surveying dozens of current and past Area Directors, I identified four primary reasons why people take on this District leadership role.

1. Someone asked them or challenged them to do it. 
2. It fulfilled the DTM requirement.
3. They desired stronger leadership skills.
4. They loved and wanted more of 吃瓜头条.

Most Area Directors will say the experience was much better than they expected. Leah Cox, DTM, of Crosswinds 吃瓜头条 in Marshalltown, Iowa, says, “I met some of the best people in Iowa. I gained more confidence than I ever thought possible. After Area Governor, I became Division Governor, District Secretary, conference chair, assistant to the District Governor, and then District Director. Now I am a Division Director again, looking forward to doing it all over.”

She cherished the camaraderie she built with District leadership members. “We bonded. It was like high school again, studying and working together, discussing the work, seeing progress. I think being an Area Governor is the most honorable role in 吃瓜头条.”

As Area Director, Elizabeth Jordan, DTM, of Hertfordshire Speakers, in Hatfield, United Kingdom, enjoyed watching others flourish. “My favorite responsibility was visiting 吃瓜头条s and getting to know members,” she says. “I’d listen to their issues and work to help them as individuals as well as 吃瓜头条s. It was terrific to see 吃瓜头条s thrive. We ended the year with four President’s Distinguished 吃瓜头条s and two Select Distinguished.”

Distinguished Toastmaster Gwyn Pinto-D’Mello of Advanced Royal 吃瓜头条 and Royal Lunch’N’Learn 吃瓜头条, both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, points to the dramatic personal growth she experienced. “I grew as a speaker because, when visiting 吃瓜头条s, I could fill in if they needed [a speaker],” she says. “I learned delegation and time-management skills. I learned how to set small goals to reach larger ones. It expanded my network and I made friends all over the world. I took on new challenges and stepped out of my comfort zone.”

Overcoming Challenges

The job of an Area Director is not complicated, but it’s not without challenges either. Common struggles include:

• Lack of confidence and fear of failing
• Difficulty getting Area contest volunteers
• A large geographic area that makes 吃瓜头条 visits difficult
• Uninterested 吃瓜头条 leaders or weak 吃瓜头条s not committed to 吃瓜头条 growth
• Dealing with personality conflicts
• National politics or local issues that affect 吃瓜头条 or Area operations

In 吃瓜头条, you learn by doing, so when it comes to this leadership role you develop the skills to overcome such challenges with minimum risk. Ask for help. Be bold and creative as you find your own solutions. Don’t stay in the problem—seek to solve the problem.

Brenton Hilaire, of Nature Isle 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Roseau, Dominica, faced a unique challenge that did not deter him. “I had a logistics and language barrier because I had two French-speaking 吃瓜头条s in different territories,” he notes. “My solution: I took a delegation of French- and English-speaking 吃瓜头条 from SXM [Sint Maarten] to Guadeloupe. They conducted a 吃瓜头条 visit and officer training for me. It truly felt like a 吃瓜头条 family.”

Linda Anger, DTM, a Pathways Ambassador and member of the Optimistic Orators Advanced 吃瓜头条 in Warren, Michigan, faced resistance from 吃瓜头条s when she wanted to create an Area Council of 吃瓜头条 leaders to help them. Her solution was pragmatic: “I decided to visit each 吃瓜头条 more often, about once a month. I was visible and available. I built relationships with members and 吃瓜头条 leaders and emailed all Area members with news of upcoming events. … A corporate 吃瓜头条 told me they wouldn’t have survived without my consistent involvement.”

The challenge that Leonard Scuderi, DTM, of Leading Edge 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Brisbane, Australia, faced when he was a 23-year-old Area Governor in 1999 was his age. He says, “Some members were 30 or more years older than I was. I wasn’t sure how they’d respond to someone so much younger. But I reminded myself that everyone can learn something from everyone regardless of age or experience. I was there to serve the members, but I realized I could learn just as much from them.”

Advice for the New Area Director

If you are a new Area Director and you feel a bit overwhelmed or unprepared, relax. You are neither alone, nor unusual. Any transition to a new role brings trepidation and fear. It just means you want to do a good job.

Area Directors past and present have advice to share to help make the job smoother and more enjoyable. For example, Tasha Hart offers this simple guidance to a nervous new Area Director: Don’t think you have to know everything from the start. Hart, now the President of the Daybreak 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Jackson, Tennessee, says at first she was daunted by the idea of serving in the role.

“I was afraid about becoming an Area Director. Could I handle it? Would I be effective and helpful? Then I realized that I didn’t have to figure it all out at once. On your first day of 吃瓜头条 you didn’t know that 10 speeches later you would be a better communicator. You just did one speech at a time.

“Same thing with Area Director. I took it one step at a time. I thought, It may take me 10 speeches, 10 steps, 10 days, or an entire 10 months to figure it all out but I will not give up. In the end you will be further along than on the day you started.”

Mala Balasubramanian of Trichy 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条, India, emphasizes a softer side of being Area Director. He says, “Know yourself first, as a Toastmaster. Know your goals and your personality. Then you can help others grow. Be considerate in your communications and meticulous in your planning. And be empathetic and aware.”

Clear, concise, and complete communication is the foundation of success for Area Directors. With some Areas being geographically large, or having a large number of members in many strong 吃瓜头条s, keeping information flowing smoothly is essential. Ragnhild A. Sunde has decades of 吃瓜头条 experience as a member of several 吃瓜头条s and the founder of the Toastmaster Academy 吃瓜头条 in Naples, Florida. As a first-time Area Director, she says, “After my first District Executive Committee meeting in June, I wondered how to communicate necessary information to the 吃瓜头条s. I decided to produce an Area newsletter. I also forwarded it to District leaders and individual 吃瓜头条. Overnight it went viral on Facebook.

“It was copied and forwarded left and right. It was fun! Everyone loved having all the information they needed in one place.” It’s a simple idea, but getting the word out is so important.

Here are some other useful tips from seasoned Area Directors:

• Plan your Area contests early! Get help and be as organized as possible. 
• Delegate! Annete Mayfiend of Adventurers 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Brisbane, Australia, says, “At my Area conference, I was trying to do five things at once, and none of them well. One of my team members asked ‘Is this the best use of your time?’ Right there, I started to delegate so I could focus on the things only I could do.”  
• Read all training material provided by 吃瓜头条. Don’t miss the District Executive Committee meetings or the training opportunities. Never use the excuse that you are not adequately trained. Take the burden upon yourself to learn the role.  
• James Dent, DTM, from the Fort Worth, Texas, area, says, “Don’t think of it as a requirement for your DTM; think of what leadership skills you will develop, and how you can help your 吃瓜头条s grow.” This is most significant because the skill of influencing a group of people over whom you have no authority is valuable. It’s a truer indicator of your leadership than situations in which you do have power. 
• Visit 吃瓜头条s more often than the minimum, if possible. Any effort to build rapport will not be wasted. 
• Remember, you don’t supervise or lead the 吃瓜头条 itself. You are there to guide, not be the boss.  
• Be accurate and truthful with your Area Director's 吃瓜头条 Visit Reports (Item 1471) but never harsh or disrespectful. Remember, we’re all just volunteers doing the best we can.

The role of Area Director is so important to the mission of 吃瓜头条 because it measures the heartbeat of the member experience at the 吃瓜头条 level. It may be a big fancy title, but it’s a fun and richly rewarding role. Embrace it. You won’t regret it.

Learn more about the Area Director role in the manual Serving 吃瓜头条s Through Visits: A Guide For Area Directors, Item 219. In it you’ll find more tips, the Area Director’s 吃瓜头条 Visit Report, and a list of additional resources.