I attended a Toastmasters International Mid-Year Training in Muscat, Oman this past weekend for District Trio members from across Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. It was one of the best trainings I have attended so far in my career.
The District Trio are the three highest ranking officers in a District and carry a lot of responsibility, including leading the District, supporting our clubs in achieving excellence and starting new clubs. Toastmasters International is a global volunteer organisation where members develop their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Since July 2025, I have been serving as the Club Growth Director for District 95 Toastmasters, responsible for growing membership and building new clubs in Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden.
One of the focus areas of the training was accountability. In a volunteer organisation, it can be difficult to hold others accountable since members volunteer their free time. We can inspire, encourage and focus on the environment but we cannot change or force a person to do something. The person I hold most accountable is myself.
Another session focused on setting 90-day goals. The Toastmasters program year runs from 1st July to 30th June. During our first training in August, I set a goal for our District to charter at least two new clubs within 90 days, which we achieved. This role has challenged me to grow, make faster decisions and communicate more effectively to keep things moving forward.
My next 90-day goal is for our District to charter at least seven new clubs by the end of April. Saying goals out loud and sharing them with others creates accountability. During the training, we shared our goals at a table with other Club Growth Directors, as shown in the pictures, before sharing them with the wider group. Our District is now on course to achieve Distinguished, something we have not achieved in the past 5–6 years.
One of the reasons I got so much from this training is that I gained more self-belief, ideas to continue growing the District and inspiration from my fellow Club Growth Directors.
As the former professional tennis player Billie Jean King once said, “Pressure is a privilege.”
