Area 6

Energetic Hala: An Aspiring Toastmaster

Interviewed by: Saleh Abdullah Alkhamyasi

Hala   is young, energetic and passionate Toastmaster. She had a humble beginning just like most of her fellow toastmasters around the world but the leap and progress she has made is phenomenal.  From a member, to a sergeant at Arams and now at the helm of her club as president of Omantel Toastmasters Club  CC/CL Hala  Albalushi is an attestation of what toastmasters can bring about in an individual’s life.

As a mother of two lovely kids Alqaisar 8 years old and Mays 5 years old, she firmly believes in the importance of work- life balance.TM Hala works as Business support manager in  the Human Resources Division at Omantel. She takes pride to be the founder and creative director of Hala Trading which has been operating for the last 8 years.

Let us Talk met this energetic and passionate and took a chance of her presence at OTAC 2013. We approached her for an interview so that she can share her toastmaster’s experience. She smiled and welcomed our invitation wholeheartedly. Our conversation with this achiever delved into many directions and proceeded as follows:

 

·        I was really intrigued by the supportive and positive learning environment. It was a place where no one laughs at you and all are keen to support you. I liked the idea and joined on same day to initiate a journey towards excellence.

·         In toastmasters it seems that you are consistently doing something new which means embracing the spirit of continuous learning and growing.

·        This role made me realize that to be as sergeant at arms or president you are someone important for the club and  its members and you have to live up to their expectations.

·        The opportunity has given me an opportunity to listen, plan, work in team set targets and achieve them. The feeling of “Waw” we made it is certainly rewarding.

·        Our efforts are for the benefits of our members, club, our beloved Company Omantel and the toastmasters’ community at large.

·        Without challenges we never feel that happiness of any achievements.

·        Our efforts did not go in vein our club was announced as one of the winning club in the “Beat the Drum Award AT DTAC 2013 Dubai.

·        Through the soft skills that our leadership manual advocates, a toastmaster emerges as a more confident and competent person.

·        This theme “Touch to Transform” is really inspiring and it makes you look beyond your own self. It is as if someone whispering in your ear saying hey you look around there are people who need your attention.

·        It’s never late so go ahead and be part of this amazing platform, now not tomorrow! Believe it or not your life at large will go from good to great.

·        A big round of applause for the division PR team you guys are doing great show for our division God bless you all.

 

     When  and why did you join toastmasters?

I was destined to join this nourishing incubator called Toastmasters on 1^st of April 2012. She stared and elaborated yes it is real not a mere April fool. I have honored the invitation of our VP education then and reluctantly dragged my feet as a guest in Omantel Toastmasters club.  I was really intrigued by the supportive and positive learning environment. It was a place where no one laughs at you and all are keen to support you. I liked the idea and joined on same day to initiate a journey towards excellence. I must admit that prior to that I had always avoided public speaking particularly in front of stranger.

 

·         What  are some milestones you have achieved in toastmasters?

I expanded my network, learnt a lot from senior Toastmasters, build my communication skills. I started as a sergeant at Arms and here I am today I am the president of the club. This year I was a contest chair for our area’s humorous contest. In toastmasters it seems that you are consistently doing something new which means embracing the spirit of continuous learning and growing. I have also finished my competent communicator & Competent Leader Manuals and now focusing on advanced manuals.

 

·        What roles did you serve earlier? And what are the lessons learnt from that role?

From a mere member I was elected to be part of my club executive committee for sergeant at arms ,  I started with this role but I added a lot of value  along with the other officers and helped them whenever I have an idea to add something to the progress of  our club. This role made me realize that to be as sergeant at arms or president you are someone important for the club and  its members and you have to live up to their expectations. Besides the need to keep club items and requirements from venue and snack always ready whether I am on duty or on leave things have to be taken care of to ensure smooth session.

 

·        Tell us about your role as the president of your club?

Yes Thank god I pushed myself out of the comfort zone and gave it a chance to stretch because it is worth it indeed. I am grateful for all my colleagues, mentors for believing, supporting and motivating me. The role has given me an opportunity to listen, plan, work in team set targets and achieve them. The feeling of “Waw” we made it is certainly rewarding. It has made me belong to a wide circle of friends whom I do respect and appreciate. It goes without saying our efforts are for the benefits of our members, club, our beloved Company Omantel and the toastmasters’ community at large.

 

·        What are some of the creative ideas you introduced along with your team?

Umm, yeah I take creativity as a mission always therefore; along with the team we have taken the following initiatives:

Ø Intensive in house marketing campaign get more members in our club we promise each other that we never attend a session without a partner.

Ø Conducting orientation sessions about Toastmasters at Omantel Head office and invited employees from all the departments.

Ø  Invite someone a guest from outside our club to address our members and inspire them.

Ø Invite one vice president from our company to attend and motivate our members.

      These are few examples to show that we are taking our task seriously to see our club progress and flourish as the days pass by.

 

·        What are some challenges you are encountering?

 

      Without challenges we never feel that happiness of any achievements, last minute.com cancellation from speaker of the session so we decided always to be informed before 48 hours and we added more speakers for every session as a backup to ensure enough role players are available for every session, we are getting more members to enroll in our club. You could say we are busy spreading positive word of mouth about toastmasters as an education program. We have already publicized in local media about the program. Our efforts did not go in vein our club was announced as one of the winning club in the “Beat the Drum Award AT DTAC 2013 Dubai.

·        Toastmasters, is where leaders are made relate this to your experience as president of your club?

 

Yes abilities may differ but in toastmasters you learn by doing and inculcating certain positive habits that make a person have a competitive advantage. Through the soft skills that our leadership manual advocates, a toastmaster emerges as a more confident and competent person. Likewise in my case the opportunities I got as speaker, role player and leader particularly in my role as president gave me opportunities to develop untapped potential and stretch to excel. In addition, participating in organizing events and planning for contests at club, area and division made me learn new skills. I have always made it a point to involve the officers in any new idea so that we achieve further success through listening to each other.

      Thanks god that our club officers are committed and everyone is doing his/her role and more to support the team and serve our members.

     Our Theme this year “Touch to Transform” how did you reflect this in your club?

This theme “Touch to Transform” is really inspiring and it makes you look beyond your own self. It is as if someone whispering in your ear saying hey you look around there are people who need your attention. Having such understanding at heart we made a lot of marketing to attract a lot of people to realize that there is something called toastmasters and will introduce positive changes in your lives. We encouraged our members to stretch and take ownership in their own development and advance in their manuals.

We have recommended toastmasters members of our club to take parts in many events that the company has embraced to boost their morale and help them excel. Besides our club members in coordination with the area and division carried a demo session at Sultan Qaboos University to encourage the student segment to benefit from toastmasters.  We also intend to sponsor one club in Salalah in the days to come.

Our club officers and I are proud to have positive members and each one have creative and new ideas. They always make it a point to share them with the rest of us. I must admit some of these stories are really inspiring. Besides, I insist, in our weekly session to share with our members and guests through my address other club initiatives and news to let them aware and inspire them to realize how we all  could change and be like other clubs and even better !

Omantel Toastmasters club in coordination with the division team has hosted the world Champion of Public Speaking DTM Lance Miller who shared his rich experience in an evening that touched almost one hundred and twenty participants.

Tell us about your reading habit & what are you reading at the moment?

I love reading and I don’t have specific rituals or set a particular time. In my case I let my passion for reading take me forward. I read daily about the impact of passion. Currently I am reading a book called “Flow psychology “  yeah don’t be  surprise!!

 

What other approach do you follow in developing yourself?

I insist on being creative in doing anything either in my work, business even with my kids. I listen to other people and learn from their approaches but I always make it a point to raise the bar. Listening and asking have been a great formula.

 

What is your advice to the budding toastmasters?

It’s never late so go ahead and be part of this amazing platform, now not tomorrow! Believe it or not your life at large will go from good to great. You should realize that life shrinks and expands in proportion to ones’ confidence.

 

A last word you want to conclude with?

I want to express my special thanks to you TM Saleh (Smart-Amazing-Live-Elegant-Helpful) you have always been there for us at Omantel toastmasters whenever needed. Also a big round of applause for the division PR team you guys are doing great show for our division God bless you all. Thanks a lot for all the Toastmasters community in Division D- Oman.

 

A Toastmaster with an Out of the Box Solutions

Interviewed By: Saleh Abdullah Alkhamyasi.

CC/CL TM Sajan Nair

CC/CL TM Sajan Nair is serving as a President of NTI Toastmasters. A  Trainer by profession with a rich and extended experience of  22 years chiefly in soft skills. He started his career in the Indian Air Force as a Ground Training Instructor where  he trained cadets, officers and men.

 Sajan’s personal mission is, "to inspire love for learning by constantly delighting people with the joy of a new perspective"

His dream is to start a chain of coffee joints called Perspective Coffee or Freedom Coffee. He stressed the difference is that it would be a place where debates, brainstorming and panel discussions take place on a regular basis. His dream discussions’ corner will be a platform to share opinions that challenge assumptions and beliefs. There would be coffee and live music too.

TM Sajan reiterated that it was his dream which has tempted him to select the Facilitating Discussions manual in Toastmasters. Currently he is a Manager with Expert Learning.

Let us Talk knocked his door and asked him to share his toastmaster’s experience and shed light on the key lessons gained in his quest for personal development & growth. He welcomed our initiative wholeheartedly and opened his heart and our discussion revealed a toastmaster who is so passionate and burning with a desire to keep the breeze of learning be a positive catalyst of change for as many people as he can.

I fell in love with the format the moment I attended my 1st meeting as a guest in 2008.

Despite my intense experience in Training I have not seen a more effective system to bring about a positive change in an informal-non threatening setting.

As president I facilitate smooth conduct of business in our club. It is a tough challenge since members come in with varying degrees of commitment and differing agendas and goals.

My role as a President has been an opportunity to practice selflessness.

The stint as president has hopefully helped me understand people more, brought focus on my need to be authentic, developed empathy, patience and such other perennial values.

Touch to transform is honestly an inspiring theme and we have been busy just doing that.

I attend webinars, watch videos and listen to audio books. I also strive to keep my prayer and goal clarification habits in good stead.

We have to learn to forgive ourselves as much as we must forgive others.

Ask "why am I here" constantly. Spend time doing those things that add maximum value to your long term goals. Do something chiefly for the learning.

 

When and why did you join toastmasters?

I fell in love with the format the moment I attended my 1st meeting as a guest in 2008.  Despite my intense experience in Training I have not seen a more effective system to bring about a positive change in an informal-non threatening setting.

 

What are some milestones you have achieved in toastmasters?

Started  a New Club at my organization, organized a contest participated by 38 people despite being a 6 month old club, CC, CL.

 

What roles did you serve earlier? And what are the lessons learnt from that role?

Great question! I have served as a VP Education and President. I've learnt the value of patience and commitment time and again.

 

Tell us about your role as the president of your club?

As president I facilitate smooth conduct of business in our club. It is a tough challenge since members come in with varying degrees of commitment and differing agendas and goals. There is the need to identify and encourage those which are aligned with club goals and to ignore or intervene with those that do not necessarily add value or with those that are detrimental. And these are to be done in cordial atmosphere. My role as a President has been an opportunity to practice selflessness.

 

What are some of the creative ideas you introduced along with your team?

We started by adding value to the format of meetings by having the meetings guided by a power point offering info about toastmasters. Also I've always discussed member development and executive committee engagement issues in my speeches to bring focus on personal responsibility and accountability to enhance the club climate.

 

What are some challenges you are encountering?

To tell you the truth the main two hurdles are member commitment as well as work life balance. This is where we need to stress that we are taking the horse where the water but it remains the responsibility of the horse to drink. Members have to embrace an attitude of ownership of their own personal development & growth. With such perspective they will reap the fruits of all the efforts extended to them.

 

Toastmasters is where leaders are made relate this to your experience as president of your club?

The stint as president has hopefully helped me understand people more, brought focus on my need to be authentic, developed empathy, patience and such other perennial values. These are values that we all respect. We find it easy to follow people with these values.  Therefore I may now be a in a better position to influence when in a leadership role.

 

Our Theme this year “Touch to Transform” How did you reflect this in your club?

As you once beautifully put it, in NTI we nurture our Talents Inspiringly. Touch to transform is honestly an inspiring theme and we have been busy just doing that. We are Increasing members and thriving on our diversity. We have invited many seasoned toastmasters as well as experts to share their experience in an attempt to raise the bar and improve our quality standards consistently. Not only that but we have motivated budding Toastmasters to stretch to excel and spared no opportunity to engage them in all teams.  We remained focused on our deliverables as a President Distinguished Club. In fact we also remain a club of choice for maintaining that mutually supportive and positive environment.

 

Tell us about your reading habit & what are you reading at the moment?

I have a deep respect for books but have not been able to read many.  I'm an audio book, and video kind of person. I'm presently reading "the 6 principles of breakthrough learning"

 

What other approach do you follow in developing yourself?

I attend webinars, watch videos and listen to audio books. I also strive to keep my prayer and goal clarification habits in good stead. Honestly I have a long way to go and fall down often. But I think we have to learn to forgive ourselves as much as we must forgive others.

 

What is your advice to the budding toastmasters?
Ask "why am I here" constantly. Spend time doing those things that add maximum value to your long term goals. Do something chiefly for the learning. The CC, CL, ACB, ALB etc are by products of the striving not the purpose.

 

A last word you want to conclude with?

Thank you.

Area Governor

AG Mahmood Ismail

Area 6 Clubs

NTI Toastmasters

NTI Advanced Toastmasters

Omantel Toastmasters

New Tracks Toastmasters

Sohar Toastmasters