Introduction to RDG TM Officers

Back in 2005, my club at the time (HP Houston Toastmasters) had a vacancy for its VP of Membership position. I decided to step up for it, and subsequently helped get membership in the club from the low 20s to around 30. From there, I became president, and I've ended up being an officer in my clubs almost every year since. Being a club officer has dramatically improved not only my leadership skills, but also my speaking skills as well. I know I'm not the only one; several others I've known have improved as well as a direct result of being an engaged, active officer.

In that time, I've seen (and delivered) training and mentoring for club officers. Because there's often only one day of official training most officers receive, many struggle with what they're supposed to do, when to do it, and so on. I've seen strong officers, and I've seen weak ones. I've been both, as well -- VP PR is not my strong suit. This training is meant to be a supplement that all of your officers can use so your club is stronger and your members are better served (and you don't have to keep doing the same office year after year if you don't want to, because there will be replacements ready and able to serve).

My goal with any of the RDG series is to cut your Toastmasters learning curve so you can have a better club quicker. Whether you were "voluntold", whether you stepped up into the role, or you were simply the only one left, this course is for you. This course is meant to turn you from an "ordinary" officer into a RDG (Really Dang Good) one. What do I mean by RDG in this case, though?

Even in strong clubs, many officers suffer the following symptoms:

• Only a vague, generalized idea of what they're trying to accomplish, but little in the way of concrete plans 
• Scrambling in the last few months of the year to secure the last few members and goals for DCP that they need
• Officer meetings happen almost randomly or not at all
• Mentoring of new officers by the old officers is inconsistent
• VPs don't have their own committees to support them
• People (usually other officers) have to pick up the slack constantly on dropped officer duties

In contrast, RDG officers have the following traits:

• Month-by-month plans and objectives with consistent, quality action to meet these goals
• Consistent involvement of the club's members in working on the club to continuously improve it to better serve everyone
• Ongoing mentoring of old to new officers
• Consistent executive meetings, as well as one-on-ones between the president and the other officers, with the members invited
• Officers take initiative to develop improvements for the club, whether or not their field of responsibility
• Officers keep each other encouraged, honest, and on-track, and communicate early and clearly that they need help with their goals
• Serve as role models by completing educational goals and by being outstanding members
• Make serious improvements in their leadership and speaking skill

The goal of this officer training program is to turn regular officers into RDG (Really Dang Good) officers, by providing the knowledge and motivation needed to do so. It does require you to step up, however - you'll need to plan, strategize, and execute consistently. The results will be worth it: a better club, and a better you.

Please note: This is NOT a substitute for club officer training; it is a supplement. If you would like to use this material in your club officer training, feel free to do so; all I ask is for your feedback on the material presented here. Also, clubs have different ways of doing things; this is meant to be a broad-based program that can apply to several clubs but has room for modification.

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.