Oath of the Pathways Warriors!

Acclamation for the new way echoes throughout Outland as the warriors step up to take their oath of allegiance! Teams of strong leaders have emerged and their mission is to create legions of Pathways Champions. They will do this through their support for the Base Camp Managers and in particular the VP Education in clubs throughout their areas.

Pathways Champions are the first wave of early adopters who ensure that the ‘change’ is embedded throughout the world of Toastmasters. The embedding of a new program of education usually takes about three years in large educational institutions. In the Pathways rollout, we are now in the second year of the embedding process, since the first District embraced it last year.

In their role as a Pathways Warrior, each is giving a valuable service – their time and their skills – in preparing the champions for their roles. Their vision of achieving The First Wave of Embedding is well under way! The emergence of the Legion of Pathways Champions, is dynamically influencing its progress.

Legion of Pathways Champions

Think of this emerging group as the eager followers who have listened to the words of wisdom from the Pathways Warriors (Guides) and the early adopters  (the Base Camp Managers) and embraced the new way on a personal level. BCMs watch closely for the first footers; the ones who select their Paths early. Watch as they spruik among their peers about their latest achievements. Reward them in special ways within your kingdoms.

BCMs take time to encourage and build this legion within your club; they are the ones who will have the most influence on the rest of the members. (They are like the troops in the trenches – their stories of experiences will echo in the halls, and be written on the walls of glass for years to come.) Choose this cascading model of leadership, one that the Toastmasters in Outland are well versed in – the model that we use every year when they elect new club officers – and build your legion of champions.

Support your own legion of pathways champions!

BCMs as your legion emerges, be sure to support them in meaningful ways. Here are a few practical ways you can provide this support:

• ask the President to include some updates on Pathways in business segment of meetings – special rewards, acknowlegement of progress etc.
• ask the VPE to provide one-on-one coaching in their initial steps in their Path and encourage the VPE to use in person and online strategies
• provide the Champions with opportunities to complete their Path related project speeches – enable 50% of speaking time at meetings to Path projects
• ask the Pathways Champions to give feedback on their progress at meetings
• suggest that the Champions trial the Pathways Mentoring project with suitable mentors and proteges in their club
• ask the Secretary to ensure that they keep up-to-date with the VPE about level completions – they could be the one to apply for that award at Club Central
• ask the VPPR to spruik about the achievements of their pathways champions in their club media spaces and in the District level social media
• ask for assistants to help the VPE in particular and take care of some of the other VPE tasks to ease their load – a good strategy for Role succession planning
• include discussions of Pathways in the ongoing Club Success Plan at committee meetings

Supporting the champions is one way a club can enhance their own ability to embed Pathways into their normal activities. Another way to embed is to Forward Plan for Pathways excellence in the DCP award system.

Pathways and the DCP

Help individual members to be aware of the impact of their own achievements in their Path, on the club in general. Explain the Distinguished Club Program and how the Pathways embedding will enhance opportunities to earn points.

Did you know that Two Level completions in any Path will earn the club one DCP point?

Think ahead, say 5-6 months, as to what the club hopes to achieve in their DCP and help the VPE keep track of the likely completions of Level 1’s and 2’s in 2018.

Help individuals with the process of planning their Paths and projects over the next few months. Suggest the use of simple to use planning tools such as a spreadsheet of their own Path showing levels, required projects, chosen electives, dates for delivery of speeches, indication of evaluations received and level completions verified.

Encourage them to notify the VPE in advance of their request for speeches.

Notify the club members of the need for advance requests to suit the meetings scheduled and also when they wish to complete a project outside of a club meeting. Yes there is a process for that in Base Camp – check the resources and advice on that process in Tutorials and Resources library.

What’s In It For Me?

Embedding Pathways into your club through your legion of Pathways Champions, might just help with establishing a strong membership who self-direct their own learning and pre-plan their journeys to benefit themselves in their busy lives.

After all Toastmasters is just one part of our lives, right? Embracing the new way of learning about Toastmasters curriculum through Pathways might just save us a great deal of time.

The enthusiasm of the champions will be infectious! Their tips for success will be sought after! Their own progress will inspire others!

Guides, reassure your Base Camp Managers that eventually their club will be sailing smoothly into Pathways and members will be skillfully and confidently navigating Base Camp. It won’t happen over night! But it will happen with attention to the embedding process and support for their legion of Pathways Champions.

Segue to Chapter 11: Champions of Relearning