What’s your thoughts on the link between Pathways and Mentorship?
Last Monday, October 23 2023, DTM Guerdah Felix, District 86 Pathways Chair, joined the Mentor Monday team and presented her passionate interconnection between Pathways and Mentorship.
At the outset, Guerdah asked, “How are we sharing our knowledge of Pathways with our members?”
Attendees voiced their opinions on how each were sharing their Pathways knowledge.
Guerdah delved deeper, explaining that Pathways offers to all members, a perfect opportunity to achieve their goals and get where they want to go.
She asked, “Are we, as mentors, encouraging our proteges to see how each Pathways project moves them from where they are now, to where they want to go?”
Guerdah clearly and effectively expressed that when a member follows and completes a Pathway, they take a direction that leads them to practice the tools necessary to master their communication and leadership skills and become an expert. Therefore taking them from where they began to a point farther along in their desired journey.
Do you recognize and share the vast opportunities that Pathways offers?
Guerdah recommends to ask members, who say they are simply doing a 5-7 minute speech and not using a Pathways project, ask them “Why are you in Toastmasters? What do you expect to get out of Toastmasters? What’s your motivation to be a Toastmaster?”
Would it be safe to ask the member if they are merely content with speaking in public and not interested in enhancing skills to gain an expert perspective?
If they are interested in upgrading their knowledge and their skills then it’s time for them to sit down and discover or even re-discover Pathways Program.
The Pathways Educational Plan Pathways helps members learn communication and leadership skills that are needed to succeed. Pathways is designed to assist in fine-tuning public speaking, communication, and leadership skills.
There are 11 Pathways, each offer these five core competencies:
- Public Speaking
- Interpersonal Communication
- Strategic Leadership
- Management
- Confidence. (Confidence is unique because it cannot be taught, but is
gained in every path.)
An individual Pathway has Five Levels
Level 1: Mastering Fundamentals: Recognizing the elements of a basic speech structure. Writing an engaging speech that clearly maximizes the audience’s understanding. Guerdah says, “We are learning how to tell better stories.”
Level 2: Learning Your Style: Understand different leadership and communication styles. She reiterates, “We learn how we can better relate to our audiences”.
Level 3: Increasing Knowledge: She underlines the fact that, “Through actively working with others, we gain new knowledge.”
Level 4: Building Skills: Guerdah clarifies, “We are becoming experts and our mindsets begin to shift.”
Level 5: Demonstrating Expertise: Guerdah emphasizes, “In our hearts and minds, our execution of Level 5 projects, gives us the confidence to feel we are now experts.”
Confidence cannot be taught, only gained.
Use Pathways to your advantage and watch your mastery and confidence soar.
In Mentoring Co-Chair Gillian’s words, “Make Pathways Work for You.”
Here’s a challenge from District PQD Anne:
How do the five levels in each Pathway relate to mentoring?
Let’s hear from you.
Created by Teresa Carolan Mentorship Co-Chair, Top Drawer Toastmasters