Since I started my Area Governorship much later than most of my colleagues, I was given the opportunity to participate in phone versions of Enhance Club Quality and Develop Successful Teams trainings. These trainings are usually offered at in-person trainings for District officers during June or July, but since I wasn’t even appointed until July 31st (one day after I discovered the possibility of the K52 Area Governor opening), the phone versions were my only chance to be exposed to this training before the end of August.
I found the Enhance Club Quality training to be good, but I wouldn’t call it “life-changing”. Mostly, it seemed to be just common sense when it comes to dealing with clubs. I may review the training workbook (PDF) later in the year (after getting the Area Contest out of the way on September 17th), to see if I get anything more out of it when I’m not as pressed for time.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t say as much for the Develop Successful Teams (PDF) training. I rushed to get home from work last Tuesday (after rushing back and forth to visit one of the clubs in my Area at lunchtime) to get on the conference call with the other Area Governors.
Develop Successful Teams was not about helping clubs turn their club officer executive committee into a well-oiled machine, as I had hoped. Rather, the Successful Teams referred to are the Assistant Area (or Division) Governors for Education and Marketing.
Say what?
Apparently, on top of everything else we Area Governors have to do, we also have to find, recruit, and train Assistants – at least two of them.
Now, I’ve been in Toastmasters for over ten years, and I’ve known a number of Area Governors in that time. I’ve never heard one of them talk about their Assistant Area Governors, or give them any credit in emails. I’ve never read about Assistant Area Governors on any District or Toastmasters International webpage.
I have seen a couple of Area Governors ably assisted by spouses or significant others, but that’s all. No Assistant Area Governors, no Assistant Division Governors, nada.
I don’t know whether most AGs don’t have official assistants, or if those AGs that have them just don’t talk about them.
Hey, if I’d known the job was even available before last Tuesday, I probably would have tried to get a gig as an Assistant AG or DivG back in June, so I would have a better prepared to be an Area Governor in my own right come June 2013.
But look for someone like that now? At the same time I’m putting together an Area Contest? No way.
I might could have found an assistant or two by now if I’d had a chance to take the training in June. I might try to recruit some Assistant AGs in time to help me for the Spring Area Contest and similar events after December 1st, so they can do some on-the-job training before they campaign for an Area Governorship of their own in April or May next year.
But I think August 28th is WAY too late to do the Develop Successful Teams training for this year.