As I flipped through the pages of Thisday Newspaper on the 21st of June 2005, I saw it: an advertisement for vacancies from Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG). For the first time in my career, I was seeing an advert on the dailies that fits my job description perfectly. After 4 years of dedicated career to an oil & gas services company, it was time to earn a better salary. The contest Chair, my fellow career builders, I was sure I had the requisite skills for this opening so I sent my application.
A month later, I was invited for an aptitude test: I passed. After that I was invited for three successive technical examinations at different dates. As the examinations progressed and the shortlists got shorter, I aced them all. Now the 5th and final interview was here. I had come close to actualizing my aspirations. I was excited. As I entered the interview room that day, 5 panellists motioned me to a chair facing them. Soon the questions started coming. As I attempted to respond, my mind went blank; my tongue literally clung to the roof my mouth. This was stage fright, no doubt. I couldn’t speak coherently. My heart was doing a somersault. The more I tried to speak, the more nervous I became. Have you ever felt that way? My ordeal is better imagined than experienced.
I got a letter from NLNG two weeks after the oral interview with a message I had expected. I have flunked the interview. What happened to me? Why did I lose my voice when it mattered most? This was an opportunity for good career advancement with a lot of money to go with. I was devastated. It took me a while to get over that failure but not without a resolve to build my public speaking skills. Never again will I be tongue-tied when I’m expected to speak. I started reading books on public speaking and attended seminars with a conscious effort to hone my public speaking skills. My major progress came when in 2015; my colleague Chinedu invited me to Lighthouse Toastmasters Club meeting. As I witnessed the table topics, the prepared speeches and the entire evaluations, I knew this was what I had been looking for. This was where I belonged. The feeling was more like that of a “welcome home”!
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A few weeks after that I joined the club, attended meetings regularly, played roles and presented a couple of prepared speeches. I was having a good time. Then my career demands set in and my attendance to the Club meetings became irregular. Today, you may have other ties that will discourage you from undertaking a self development venture like joining the Toastmasters Club. Don’t be deterred. Take deliberate steps to hone your speaking skills. With time your speaking ability will improve beyond your expectation.
You won’t realize this improvement until you have been put to the test. I realized this at my workplace, 6 months after I joined the club when Mark, our General Manager, was being hosted to a send-forth party. When it was time for the attendees to talk about their experience with Mark, the MC decided to hand the microphone to whoever picks his fancy. After a few speeches from my colleagues, the MC stopped in front of me and hesitated, as if to say: “do you want to do this”? Then the toastmaster in me arose. I stretched my hand, collected the microphone and said:
“A lot has been said about Mark already, but I just want to talk about a great man. A great man is one who, when he comes to our office we’ll all be on our toes just to answer his many questions. A great man is one who has taken the Interns from their raw state and turned them to juggernauts of presenters. A great man is one who will always ask me if I have made the switch from MS Project to Primavera and will not stop asking me until I make the switch. A great man… is Mark! Mark you will be sorely missed. Accept my best wishes in your future endeavours and may you continually find your ‘cheese’ in the ‘maze’ of life”.
Do you like that speech? It wasn’t a prepared speech. It was off-the-cuff. It was impromptu! This can only be “Toastmasters”! Thanks to Toastmasters Club, I made a bold statement that day.
Improving your ability to speak in front of others and to do it with natural grace and authenticity can help to enhance your influence, expand your social circle and build strong relationships with people. Isn’t communication the vehicle for diplomacy between individuals, between nations? Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States of America said that “nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively”.
Ladies and gentlemen, it would be much easier to speak with one person at a time. However, there comes a time in our lives when we have to promote, persuade, influence, inspire or make a good impression on a much larger scale than the safety of a coffee room. When life calls you to the stage, will you be ready? Are you willing to say your say clearly? Are you willing to make whatever you say count? Are you willing to build your speaking prowess through creativity, strategic planning and consistent practice? Then join my boat: be a toastmaster!
