After three years of feedback from members across the ASC I set out with a team of contributors, editors, and advisers to rewrite the Speakers Guide. After two rounds of open feedback from members by Zoom and email, and targeted feedback from NEC, corporate clubs, non-ASC members and previous National Educational Directors, we arrive at draft version 8 that is now ready to go to our design partner. Alongside this new guide, a range of supplementary tools have been created and work on a brand-new website is almost complete. Please find below a summary of all the work:
- The Speakers Guide – Completely re-imagined 50 page guide (down from almost 250), contains all the updates and improvements from the last six years, is structured under “Better Speaker, Better Presenter, and Better Leader”, and will be professionally designed and printed.
- Suite of 1-page tools – Several resources have been produced to support the new Speakers Guide. There is the “Public Speaking Cheat Sheet!” for the first assignment, “ASC Speech Construction Guidance” for the second, “Body Talk” for use of gestures and “Using Language Creatively” for vocabulary and word pictures.
- Materials from old guide – The “Further Assignments” for advanced speakers, evaluation advice, general evaluation template and other information is being transferred to the new WordPress based website which is currently being finalised.
- Evaluation Forms – All updated to reflect the improvements that came out of member engagement with the “National Conversation on Evaluation”. A greater focus on practical advice, more evaluation process options, and more flexibility for the evaluator in how they effectively analyse the speech and speaker.
- Record of Achievement – A new resource designed to help members capture their accomplishments. This tool should also allow members to reflect on progress and reassess their learning and development goals.
- Contest improvements finalised – All contest rules and guidance documents have been updated, Chief Judge and Timekeeper contest sheets have been revised and a new ‘Notice and Appeals Procedure’ has been created.
- Speaking of Impact – This is a new resource designed to allow members running any kind of event (online or offline) to capture evidence of change. Drawing on best practice and creative approaches, it allows anyone to engage in effective self evaluation for gathering impact evidence and learning from what works.
- New WordPress based website – All the new and updated electronic resources will be housed on a professionally designed and completely accessible website. This work has been delivered by your National Vice President Catherine Williamson, National Secretary Paul Taylor, and your new National Development Officer Lucy Pitts.
The one difficulty in all of this has been communicating a clear timeline to members. This is because of the Covid situation leading to the postponement of National Conference. This has in turn prevented us from completing the ASC reorganisation process (boundaries, leadership terms, member involvement and constitution). We will be coming to members again to discuss all the above across Facebook, Zoom, LinkedIn, the Speaker Magazine, and Email.
It is becoming clear that we won’t be getting back to normal anytime soon. This is a difficult time for members and for the ASC but it can be the start of growth that our change journey has been working towards. One of the amazing things I have picked up on is a renewed sense of community in the ASC… a connection to the group and to each other. That is something that we can build on and we now have the tools to do it.