Etisalat Lanka Employees form Toastmasters Club

In an official ceremony held recently, 24 Etisalat Lanka employees were inducted as members to the newly-formed Etisalat Toastmasters Club. The Executive Committee of Etisalat Toastmasters Club was also installed into office by Zarah Jurianz – Area Governor of Area A2.

The Charter Certificate, issued by Toastmasters International recognizing the club as part of the international Toastmasters fraternity, was ceremonially handed over by the immediate past District Governor Z.M. Saleem to the Toastmaster Club President Anuranga Wijesinghe of Etisalat during this event.

The Etisalat Toastmasters Club was inspired by a Speechcraft program, conducted by the Etisalat HR Department with the help of the Toastmasters Club of Nations Trust Bank back in 2010, as part of the soft skills development programme for Etisalat staff. In order to develop their public speaking skills and further enhance their leadership skills, the employees soon decided to form their own Toastmasters Club which became a reality in March 2012.

Speaking at the event, Director/CEO of Etisalat Lanka, Dumindra Ratnayaka stated: “It is indeed an honour to be a part of the first installation and charter ceremony of the Etisalat Toastmasters Club.” He added that clubs such as the Toastmasters Club are ideal for young individuals who are ambitious and passionate to learn and excel in public speaking while also developing their leadership skills.

“There is never a lost opportunity to learn leadership skills. This is the ideal platform for all young executives and managers to develop their leadership skills, to become the business leaders of tomorrow. It will also provide them with opportunities to interact with other Toastmasters Clubs and enhance their knowledge even further,” Ratnayaka added.

He also pointed out that he was happy that three key departments of the company HR and engineering along with customer operations had joined hands to make this a club a reality.

Addressing the audience, Head of HR of Etisalat Lanka Srinath Fonseka stated: “I was very keen to form a Toastmasters Club for our company because, not only does it provide a meaningful diversion from work, but it also has numerous benefits for our valued employees. I witnessed how our staff was highly motivated after being exposed to Toastmasters Clubs of other companies and realised how much potential there is in having our own Club.”

He added that now Etisalat employees can excel in public speaking and develop their leadership skills – two elements that are so vital for today’s competitive business environment. “I was more than happy to have conducted speech training for the members of the Etisalat Toastmasters Club for one year,” he further stated. The Toastmasters program is designed on two pillars to develop its members in communication and leadership areas. Members develop their skills by completing a series of projects. At the end of each project they get constructive feedback from fellow members in order to improve further. Members can simultaneously work on both the routes and once all the projects are successfully completed, he or she will be recognised as a “Distinguished Toastmaster”.

The Mentor of the Etisalat Toastmasters Club Chandramani De Silva also shared her sentiments: “This is an excellent initiative by Etisalat Lanka and I am happy to be a part of this team effort. I am thrilled by the enthusiasm shown and excited by the potential of the club members.”

She added that so far there have been a lot of interesting discussions as she tried to learn more about each individual’s skills and expectations. “What we must all understand is that the skills learned in mastering public speaking and leadership are core skills needed in our day-to-day lives. You should not only think about a big presentation or speech that you have to make in your offices. These skills are very useful when doing something simpler and more straight-forward – like talking to a group of friends,” she added.

De Silva, who is the Area Governor of C4 and also an English Literature teacher from Lyceum International School, further stated: “In the past, I have seen people who considered themselves to be ‘introverts’ or ‘lacking social skills’ finding Toastmasters a great place to rapidly improve their all-round communication skills. So, it’s a great opportunity for everyone, not just the individuals who want to learn public speaking or leadership.” Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Toastmasters International has 280,000 members world-wide, across 13,500 clubs in 116 countries. The organisation provides all members with a cooperative and friendly environment to develop their communication and leadership skills. The founder of Toastmasters International Ralph C. Smedley formed the first club in 1924, while Toastmasters International was incorporated under California law in December 1932.