Introduction to RDG Meetings

1. Get Started

In the summer of 2008, I became an area governor (now known as an area director) and made visits to my clubs. They all went pretty well, but one club visit really stood out at the time: Voice of Moses. They had a theme of "Battle of the Sexes", and during their theme segments, had two people, in boxing gear with a (simulated) ring. Given I remember that meeting over a decade later, it definitely left an impression.

You don't need to go that far to have great Toastmasters meetings (but hey, it can't hurt). This course will show you how to have Really Dang Good meetings by reviewing how to prepare for and execute meeting roles well, then put it all together. You'll get plenty of tools and resources to print and use at your club so you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You'll also get some solutions to common issues.

This program is intended to dovetail with my other RDG TM programs, and the RDG program is meant to be the culmination of over a decade of Toastmasters experience. If your club needs a supplement for teaching meeting roles, this is it. You should still have mentors teaching this material, but this can be a source book of sorts. If your club doesn't have mentors or teaching materials, this can help accelerate your learning curve and cut down on frustrations. In this course, we'll first go over the roles one at a time, then pull them together to show you how to setup and perform the standard meeting. Afterward, we'll cover how to handle special meetings, such as contests.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about the material in this course, make sure you post in the forum above about it so that the program can be improved. One of the values of RDG is that "nothing's perfect, but we're getting there".

DISCLAIMER: This material is not Toastmasters International-produced or endorsed. The "RDG" label is not an official Toastmasters designation of any kind. This material represents over a decade of Toastmasters experience that is made available here to help members and clubs shave months if not years off their learning curve. 

2. What's a RDG Meeting?

Timely

Meetings start and end on time (or early). Each meeting segment maximizes its use of time not by taking up more time, but by being efficient with the time it has. Role holders are aware of how much time they are allotted and stick to it, though adjust as needed if more time is needed in other segments. Members show up to the meeting on time.

Educational

Prepared speeches advance the speakers toward educational goals. Role holders earn credit toward educational goals where possible. Evaluations provide insightful, actionable feedback. The meeting theme teaches valuable tips or lessons when applicable.

Entertaining

Speeches and table topics are interesting and engaging to the audience. The meeting theme provides a chance for interactivity.

Challenging

The word of the day and table topics questions make us step just outside our usual routines to be creative on the fly. Evaluators give opportunities for growth for the speakers. Educational moments provide skills to learn to grow our talents.

Organized

The meeting roles are set ahead of time; there is no scrambling at the meeting to fill roles. Transitions from role to role are smooth. All meeting role holders are prepared ahead of time to execute their role. Materials such as cheat sheets, worksheets, checklists, ballots, and evaluation forms are all provided prior to the meeting start.

Some extra elements to RDG meetings are:

• Consistency. The above isn't done just once (e.g. for a Golden Gavel attempt) but every time.
• Building excellence over time. It's important to do the above well, find gaps in performance, and take steps to improve the quality of the meeting.
• Variety. It's important to have a break from the normal "PIE"-style (Prepared speeches, Impromptu speaking, Evaluations) meetings on a regular basis to interrupt monotony and keep things fresh.

The end result of this is you have meetings that are:

• Efficient: They pack in value for each minute spent at them.
  
• Effective: People learn and reinforce real world skills and build valuable connections.
  
• Entertaining & Engaging: Members have fun and the meeting has excitement, whether that's humor or other experiences. 
  
• Executed Well: Roles are filled, planned for, and done well; materials are made available, etc.
  

3. Some Assumptions & Expectations

In this program, as elsewhere in the RDG TM lesson series, there are some assumptions and expectations present:

• You are in a club that follows a "standard" meeting format (that is, prepared speakers, Table Topics, then evaluations); some differences about order and role responsibilities will likely be present between what this program presents and what your club does. Adjust as necessary.
• Your club uses a system like Easy Speak or FreeToastHost to manage meetings, members, etc. (preferably Easy Speak)
• You are looking to improve your club's meeting experience - if you're not, you don't need this program. 😀