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Applause--it comes in many
forms…
-
Thunderous applause
-
Chorus of applause
-
A round of applause
-
A sudden outburst of
applause
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Foot-stomping
-
Standing ovation
-
Shouts of “bravo,”
“encore,” and “more, more…”
The
Thrill of Applause, and the Agony of None—is what this Tip is all
about.
About
a year ago, I invited my boss and a member of my workgroup to a lunch time Toastmasters meetings. After the meeting, one of them said, “You sure to clap a
lot at your meetings, don’t you?”
Yes,
we do! But why is
applause an important part of Toastmasters?
It’s
a demonstration of approval, acclamation, celebration, commendation
1.
APPRECIATION
– Have you ever been to a business meeting, gave a report that you
felt you worked really hard on, and after presenting it, there was
dead silence, and you wondered if anyone even noticed your efforts.
In Toastmasters, we APPRECIATE, all
contributions and efforts of our members and guests, and we show it
by giving each contributor a round of applause.
2.
ENCOURAGEMENT
– Have you ever received a hardy & enthusiastic applause and
felt energized by it? Sure
you did! It probably
gave you another spark just when you needed it; and you surged
forward in your quest for self - improvement, didn’t it?
3.
RECOGNITION
– Remember your Icebreaker? Were you nervous? Did
your palms sweat? Knees
wobble? Despite all of
your internal turmoil, didn’t it feel great, when you received an
enthusiastic round of applause?
There
are other reasons, too:
-
TRANSITION:
To provide a smooth transition from one speaker to the next. The
meeting "flows" better when we don't have gaps of
silence.
-
EXPERIENCE:
To give members the experience of being applauded. The noise and attention can rattle inexperienced speakers.
Our meetings season us so that we are poised and
confident in front of an audience.
-
ENERGY:
To energize the meeting. Just
as aerobics classes often include synchronized clapping in a
step pattern and clapping at the end, we put our hands together
to create an uplifting, energy-filled environment in which to
learn and grow.
-
SUPPORT:
To support each other in our quest for self-development
and to make Toastmasters membership a rewarding and fulfilling
experience. What
better way than to applaud one another?
Applause
shows appreciation, it encourages us, and gives recognition for
achievement. Everyone
enjoys applause! Everyone
deserves applause for their efforts.
Like
many things in our Toastmasters meeting, there is timing attached to
applause. It is not
based the timing lights, but rather on the depth of our appreciation
and the amount of time it takes a person to arrive at the lectern
and shakes hands with the person in control of the meeting.
Has it ever happened to you that
applause falls short of your arrival at the lectern?
Or you feel rushed to get to the front because you fear the
applause will stop before your arrival?
What if you are not able to physically run to the front?
What if you wanted to enjoy the applause on your way up?
No
matter how long it takes a person to reach the lectern, they deserve
the thrill of applause until they reach it.
A
couple of years ago in District 26,
The Public Relations Officer, who was known for his
enthusiastic presentations, wanted to enjoy the audience’s
appreciation of the presentation he was about to give.
While the audience was clapping, instead of heading straight
for the lectern, he turned and ran to the back of the room, then
around the perimeter of the room, and finally straight up the center
to the lectern—all the while the audience continued the applause!
They appreciated his enthusiasm and creative entrance.
It
certainly would not have been effective if the audience quit
clapping in the middle of his run.
Do
an “applause check”? Are you giving “The Thrill of
Applause"? How
better can we help support and encourage our members and guests than
with “The Thrill of Applause”?
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