April 2024 Leader Letter
Corporate Clubs: Boost Teamwork!
Recommend Toastmasters in the workplace to help build much-desired soft skills.
Do your teams and colleagues collaborate well; could they use a refresh? Consider that soft skills (otherwise known as people or interpersonal skills) are key ingredients to boosting teamwork—and these skills are rightly earning a more important place in today’s fast-paced, quickly evolving workplace.
The good news for you and other leaders you influence: corporate clubs are the perfect place to hone soft skills such as communication, teamwork, creativity, adaptability, problem-solving, time management, impromptu speaking, speaking under pressure, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and conflict management.
The even better news is that at a corporate club, where members are likely working together professionally, the value to the organization is expanded beyond each individual’s communication improvements; put another way, the corporate club whole is greater than the sum of its members.
Here are a few additional benefits to tout when promoting corporate clubs:
Company culture/mission will be better understood. For any organization to function effectively, its own set of internal knowledge needs to be shared and comprehended. It can take time to learn how a company does things; the corporate club will help employees learn this information faster.
Team members and managers will have time together on equal ground. Leadership vulnerability is a big topic today, and corporate clubs facilitate this and improve how team members and managers connect with one another. This will likely transfer to projects in the workplace.
A forum for open dialogue will be created. The corporate club can help keep employees up to date on company changes, progress, and future plans in a way that company newsletters and emails can’t.
Online corporate clubs will create proficient online workers. With fully remote and hybrid workforces becoming the norm, online and hybrid corporate clubs will facilitate and streamline the new way of working together.
Outside events will be fun, less awkward, and more frequent contributors to internal cohesion. Nothing hinders company communication more than when employees don’t really know or trust one another. The corporate club will likely lead to more “out of office” mingling and events, which can facilitate improved engagement and stronger communication when working together.
Additional Resources:
Toastmasters Corporate Clubs Webpage