The time has come to wrap up my term as Area Director and bring an end to this personal account.
While it would be nice, and perhaps expected in political correctness, to become a cheerleader encouraging all members of Toastmasters International to take on the Area Director role, this would be far from the truth.
I recommend approaching the Area Director role with extreme caution for all members, regardless of their experience level, personal interests, or professional development goals.
In sum, it is a poorly structured, largely unsupported, and almost completely thankless job in the Toastmasters International hierarchy.
Should you become an Area Director, it is important to know what you're getting into. Historically, no Area Director ever has been told the truth or been given a decent idea of what to expect before taking the role. That's one of the major reasons I wrote all of these experiences down this year. I want future members to have at least one perspective to refer to.
Most Area Directors are either pressured into the role or simply want to get their Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award, making this is a box they have to check off. Similar to leadership roles at the club level, many people feel that since they are volunteers, they aren't obligated to perform.
However, it is important to note that it always reflects well upon you as a professional to treat people with respect and perform to your highest ability, regardless of your position. The converse is also true. If you perform poorly in an unpaid volunteer role that has no tangible consequences, you actually prove yourself untrustworthy in the eyes of your peers. Those peers aren't going to say, "Oh, he was just lazy, because it was a volunteer position. I'll still rely on him with my real super important business outside Toastmasters." In contrast, your deeds as a volunteer permeate all aspects of your professional life with those peers. The lesson is this: if you take on a volunteer position, be sure to perform at the same level as you would in any other important task in life.
Keeping this in mind for yourself, accept that the average person taking on a volunteer role still thinks it doesn't matter if he performs well. It must be noted that your fellow Area Directors and your team leader (Division Director) will have an impact on how smoothly your year as an Area Director goes. If you're the only person on the team who is committed to serving in your role, it will be a nightmare. If you happen to get one or two other partners who get their work done, the impact will be tremendous. In addition, hopefully you have an organized Division Director who is good at fostering a positive team spirit and keeping people informed. When it comes to things like organizing massive contests and training events, the collective effort of your team makes a big difference. If everyone shows up and makes a decent contribution, these events can be put together efficiently and engage local community members. If too much work falls on too few people, they end up shabbily thrown together with much stress and frustration without much to show for the pain.
Nevertheless, it isn't all about your local team. There are also factors far beyond anyone's control that will impact you. The culture your District has a direct impact on everything that happens within it. Furthermore, from the very highest levels to the very lowest, Toastmasters International generally lacks coherent and efficient communication channels. This means that anywhere, at any given time, a large number of people aren't informed on what they need to do. Hence, most situations are chaotic and most decisions are made without ample consideration. There is no escaping this reality when you take on the role of an Area Director. It is the lowest level of leadership (above the club level) in a massive worldwide hierarchy.
There's one thing I wish someone would tell all incoming Area Directors. Your entire purpose is to be a communicator of information between your club leaders and the massive worldwide hierarchy of the organization. If you focus on doing this well, you will serve your purpose as a leader, develop excellent relationships with your clubs, and save yourself a lot of unnecessary stress. Keep in frequent contact with your clubs. Feed them the myriad deadlines and requirements imposed by the parent organization on a just-in-time basis. Recognize their efforts and make every visit a positive celebration. Advise them when they ask for assistance. By keeping your clubs informed, you make it easier for their leaders to prolong their clubs for another year. Don't worry about anything else.
While I've noted the imperfections and challenges of the Area Director role, I also want to share the greatest part of being an Area Director. This was found in building relationships with club leaders and members throughout the year. Personally, my clubs were very welcoming to me, which I am grateful for. On visits, you get to meet many different club members, see how clubs struggle with different aspects of quality management, and how clubs express their unique identities (no two clubs are very much alike, even though they all operate within the same framework). You also get opportunities to recognize and complement clubs on what they do well, which motivates their members. Your communication and positive presence allow you to form relationships with your clubs that make the Area Director role worthwhile.
This post officially concludes my term as Area Director. While my personal account ends here, let these experiences inspire future leadership candidates by providing insights into the life of an Area Director.