Confidence, leadership and communication have long since shed their classification as traits that are inherent and subjective from person to person. Today, these are skills considered essential in anyone who is courting success, and — judging by the vast demand for motivational speakers and management coaches — the courters are many.
Among the more successful organisations to have tapped into this growing need for guidance is Toastmasters, a non-profit that identifies itself as an educational organisation. The outfit, which has branches across the globe, recently introduced an online programme — Pathways — to meet this demand, and its international president Balraj Arunasalam visited the city for the Chennai unveil of the programme being simultaneously rolled out in over 140 countries.
Though over 90 years old, this is the first time that Toastmaster has come up with a programme which “includes modern technology”, says Arunasalam. “For 94 years, we had a conventional programme which has worked well for us and helped more than six million people. But the world is changing, technology is evolving fast and has to be adapted to. We also have to be relevant and current, to attract today’s millennials and young adults, and provide value to our older members, who have been with us for 30-40 years. So we had to have a technology-driven model, that also includes the skill sets needed to operate in today’s global village,” he says.
The customisable module covers over 300 skill sets like negotiations, conflict resolution, team collaboration, networking and even setting up a podcast, with each skill aiding the achievement of five target competencies: public speaking, interpersonal communication, strategic leadership, management and confidence. “Self evaluation and pre-assessment tool kits added to the programme,” says Arunasalam, “So you can measure your progress. Then, you have video tutorials to learn from.” There are also on-site projects for practical training, he adds, “With enough and more people to help you and give you in-depth evaluation.”
With over 130 clubs in Tamil Nadu alone, the organisation has a strong presence in the country, with quite a focus on rural areas as well. For instance, the Sri Lankan national reminisces, “I embarked on a project named ‘Rural Voices Unlimited’ in Sri Lanka to train rural children in the art of English speaking and public speaking. We have done the same in and around Hyderabad, Delhi and Chennai as well. This year, the same programme is being extended to another 1,300 children: we have designed a three-month course for it.”
It is witnessing the transformation process of these children that keeps Arunasalam going. He recalls with particular fondness a “troubled 19-year-old, who I worked with for 10 years.” That young man delivers TED talks and has begun guiding people on his own today, and Arunasalam’s pride as he describes this is palpable.