Interviewing Preetah Bolaky

Financial Toastmasters has had the pleasure of welcoming new members lately, and among them is Preetah Bolaky, a gorgeous young lady, full of dreams and aspirations...I have decided to interview her to get a piece of her mindset and to get to know her a little more...

1. Who is Preetah Bolaky, what makes Preetah such a loving person?
I would describe myself as a very ambitious hardworking and sincere girl. I am enthusiastic about taking new challenges in life. Friendly, caring, and joyful is what my friends would describe me as.

A good friend of mine always tells me that I am a loving person because I always compromise my own position for the good of those around me.

2. Why to have chosen a career at Deutsche Bank?
Deutsche Bank being a leading global provider of financial solutions was among the banks I wanted to start my career at that time being a degree holder of Banking and International Finance and I got the opportunity to form part of the Passion to Perform Team.

3. Tell us about your feelings and experience of your first Financial Toastmasters meeting and how your expectations have grown or changed after having attended subsequent toastmasters gatherings?
The first time I went for the meeting I did not know what Toastmaster meeting was really about until I stood up and talk about the table topics on the day itself. This was the time I realised that it is the club I want to join to build my self confidence and communication skills. After having attended subsequent toastmaster gatherings, I started being more confident and comfortable in front of an audience.

4. Barack Obama said in his acceptance speech as President of the US "America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century, what change will they see?"...Preetah, tell us, what change would You want to see in the next 10 years in Mauritius and what change would You want your children to see?
I will definitely not want the next ten years to look like the last ten.
Technology gives Mauritius, an island described as being "In the middle of nowhere on the way to everywhere". So I hope to see Mauritian Economy to continue to prosper and to manage the transition from a high growth textile exporter to a successful high technology service industry country. Personally, in ten years I just want Mauritius to be well known around the world.
I want my children to shift in the mindset from "the world belongs to man" to "humanity belongs to the earth".

5. Preetah, we know you are a football fan, in the context of the world cup, what team are you supporting and what are your guesses of the 2 teams playing the finals?
France was the team I was supporting. I think Germany and Netherlands will be playing the Final but everything can happen as with the World Cup 2010, Expect the Unexpected.

An Iron Fist In A Velvet Glove

On Wednesday 09 June 2010, the Executive Committee of the Financial Toastmasters Club unanimously decided to entrust the future of the club in the hands of Ms Ouma Cuniah. Ms Cuniah will take office as from 1st July for a one year term. She will be the third President of our club.

Ms Cuniah is a seasoned toastmaster, she is a competent communicator who has served the club in the past two years as treasurer and vice-president membership respectively. She was voted 2009/2010 Toastmaster of the year by fellow members.

The outgoing President says of her that she is passionate and committed to the highest standards. He added that she is the right person in the right place, an iron fist in a velvet glove.

Outside of Toastmasters, Ms Cuniah is the Chief Internal Auditor of a well-known listed company, she plays tennis and practises yoga. Her perfect English stems from the long hours she spends reading.

She is also known for the charming smile that she wears in all circumstances................. "Smile at life, life will smile back at you".

She shares her views below......................have a pleasant reading.

1. Who is Ouma Cuniah?

This simple question generates quite a very strange feeling actually… as I realise that I don’t actually know the answer to that! You can never be sure what image you are projecting, don’t you agree? You feel and act in a certain way but then the feedback that people give on you throws you off track sometimes. Well… since I can only speak for myself, I would say that I’m a very outspoken and honest person. My fundamental values would be sincerity, integrity and a passion for excellence.

2. Why did you join a toastmasters club, what were your objectives?

Two years back a friend of mine advised me to join or create a toastmasters club and that stuck in my mind and then one day, by sheer coincidence I learnt that Dario Adolphe belonged to one and this is how things got started. And I must confess that I didn’t have any clear or defined objectives as such. I just came to the club one day and I got such a warm welcome by everybody that I decided to stay on.


3. Have the objectives been met?

Since I came in with an open mind, what I have gained from the club far surpasses what I could have had as expectations. The Toastmasters experience has enhanced all aspects of my life – you definitely cross to the next level once you’ve faced an audience. You learn all the small synchronising details which make or break an event. You even become a humorist, despite yourself! And also, as a committee member, it has been a fantastic journey with a lot of exhilarating moments.

4. How do you fit toastmasters in your already packed schedule?

I like this one! It actually doesn’t fit in!!! I have to sacrifice on other activities each time I’m in a Toastmasters meeting.

5. How does it feel to be president of Financial Toastmasters?

It is the nicest and warmest feeling to form part of the dream team.

6. What’s your views on the club?

This club is going places! As the youngest club on the island, our track record is impressive. The only DTM on the island is our founder president, we bagged the Select Distinguished Club award at the end of our first year itself and we are well on track to obtain the highest award from the Toastmasters International this year, the President’s Distinguished Club.

We have unfailingly held our two monthly meetings for the past two years. We love to advertise the fact that at Financial Toastmasters we talk about anything and everything under the sun except financial matters! We have a fantastic mix of members – coming from different lines of profession, countries and age groups. So, it is a very buoyant club with lots of freshness, new ideas and energy.

7. What are your objectives for 2010/2011?

The past two years have been focused on setting up and strengthening the foundations of the club. This year, in consensus with the IPP and the committee members, we are going to apply a particular focus on the performance and track record of each and every member. Clear targets will be set, there will be ongoing monitoring with the help of the mentors and at the end of the year we want to see these set hurdles already crossed and goals attained.

Notwithstanding our internal objectives, we are also going to open up externally. We will maintain our commitment to promote our club externally and we also intend to encourage more members to participate as speakers or Emcees in real life situations.


8. What’s your views on level of attendance at meetings?

I have to confess that a lot of efforts is devoted in contacting and encouraging members to come and participate at the meetings. I understand that professional or personal obligations sometimes come in the way but our biggest source of strength is our members. As it is, our committee members volunteer a lot of their time and other resources in keeping this club together and making things happen and it would really mean a lot to them if our members could show their support by participating more in the club’s activities.

9. How do you plan to deal with this?

I believe that we have to go out and discuss with our members and learn more about their aspirations about the club and their own targets. This will help us to align our club’s activities to satisfy our members’ needs more efficiently.

10. Any message for the members?

It is a prestigious reference to be known as a Toastmaster. But this designation comes with a lot of responsibilities too. We have a duty to continuously maintain and improve our speaking and presentation skills and this can only be done with practice and more practice.




Best of luck to Madam President.


D.

Interview Of Our President

Ricardo Freyneau, is completing his one year term as President of our club and we wanted to find out how he has lived this experience. Ricardo is a Vice-President at Deutsche Bank. He is married with three children and resides in Pointe-aux-Cannoniers. Please read on to catch an insight about Ricardo.

Ricardo, you are completing your one-year presidency at the club. How did you live this experience?

The experience was earth shattering for me, you see I remember telling a member who invited me that I would only join the club if I could be involved in the committee... little did I know that it meant I would be president one year later. I believe that Financial Toastmasters club is a great club with many members who are extremely capable people. The club also has a few firsts - for example the only club in Mauritius to have produced a DTM. I am a firm believer in achieving high objectives and one of the goals that I set for myself was to achieve the President's Select distinguished club award, this looks within our grasp as we have two tasks to achieve.

Any lessons you have learnt?

I have learnt to value the opinions of others. My personality was one where I always wanted things done my way. Another weakness I had was never being transparent about goals and objectives and what brought me back to reality was when one of our toastmasters decided to approach me and very gently give me a piece of his find, he expressed his exasperation, he helped me remove that opaque veil around me to become more transparent both within the club and in my professional life. As President this year, I have learnt empathy.

You are a Vice-President at Deutsche bank. Tell us about the man behind this title.

Actually job titles are irrelevant and mean nothing much if you don't love what you do. I love leading a young, pro-active and high performing team at the bank. All of us focus on the business's interest, innovating and finding ways to do things more efficiently and effectively. A lot of what I have achieved is because of the hard work from my team. I am specially fond of technology and project management and thrive when under pressure from our very demanding management. Everyday is a learning experience and I make an effort to spend at least an hour a day reading as it helps me to keep mentally stimulated.

What are the fundamentals which help you to stay grounded?

Keeping my truth as my priority in my life, doing whatever I can for the good of those around me and putting myself to the service of others. Focusing on the big picture without wavering integrity.

What message would you like to send across to all our members?

We are an amazing club, an amazing group of people with diverse backgrounds and we are all unique and special in our very own way, this makes our club Financial Toasmasters a unique and special club. As we move ahead in the years to come let us build on the solid foundations left by our founding president to consolidate our club. Every member has something to give and every member has something to learn, let's be a club par excellence where there is that mutual interchange.

The Unsustainable Leader!

By James Benoit


There's no such thing as "sustainable" development or leadership.

Human progress and individual liberty have advanced on the backs of one unsustainable development after another: When we needed trees for heating and transportation, we chopped 'em down. Then we discovered oil, and we built internal combustion engines to use the oil so we could drive cars. So then, the trees grew back. Now we are fearing the time when the oil is all drilled from the ground. But likely we won't notice because our cars will be powered by something else. We used to wait days even weeks for mail to arrive, now we get it in a nano second. Earth's most valuable resource is us and our never ending ability to adapt. Most things we use today did not exist a century ago, even decades ago.

Nothing we have in this physical world is sustainable or meant to last forever. But yet here we are. Mankind is stronger, healthier, more informed than ever. We are a global success story. But it requires us to constantly rip up the status quo. That means you and me and all that aspire to lead must be indepensible, unsustainable and downright unreasonable at times!

And yet we continue to doubt our ability

To spontaneously self organize ourselves in a voluntary way
To solve our problems
To improve our lives

Instead we have such insecurity in ourselves that we build huge governments corporations, religions even all in a bid to "protect us" in the name of sustainability. Stability. A comfort zone. This then results in something said a long time ago by Ben Franklin at the founding of the American republic. He said "that those who give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety." I think he is right. In most parts of the world people are highly indebted and overtaxed and overregulated thereby giving up their essential liberty. But what has the last two years shown us? That when we really needed the safety we thought we had bought, that companies are laying people off, govts say they have no money to spend on our essential services. And still We think we need big government and big companies to do anything of importance. Sometimes, to do anything!

But think instead of another way

Think Google, Apple, Facebook and that whole Silicon Valley area. Think Bangalore. No centrally planned bossy boots government planner came up with that. Those businesses were set up my men of passion of great leadership and have brought more smiles and service to more people in the world than any government plan has. Yet we think that relentlessly handing over education, health care, price of rice or sugar, the post office and other services to the government or corporate monopolies is a good thing. Really, do you really want your next iPod designed by the Ministry to Telecommunications?

But how has it come this reliance? Sadly too many people accept a day's pay for a day's work. They clock in, do their work like good little boys and girls and clock out. Most businesses never tap the creativity or passion that people have.

Think of Passion

My experience of working around the world is just the opposite. The truly indispensable people are .ones who bring all that passion and energy to work, and deliver incredible experiences for their partners, customers and compatriots. I think many people are unsatisfied at work because they aren't willing to tap into their real energy and passion, and don't believe that that work would be rewarded and valued.

And that is where this massive period of industrial, technological and financial change all happening at once is I think a turning point in human history. We now live in a time when everything can be outsourced and made nearly anywhere else on the planet. If you do something that can be done by a machine, then really soon it's going to be done with a machine. If you do something that can be done for a quarter of the price by someone in Bangalore, then what are you doing that can't be done by those alternatives? Your current job, your current life is unsustainable.

Creating a network
Doing art,
Contributing emotional labor
Being culturally sensitive to the work that you do and the people you work with

Decision Time

This then is where you, the speakers, the leaders, the passionate ones in this room make the difference. You have decided already to do what is needed. I was really touched by a comment at our last TM meeting. One of the guests said she really likes TM since it was her first time to meet a CEO. That would be me. It’s not important that it was me per se but I hope she decides to stay in TM for she is going to continue to meet people, passionate, pioneering people in associations like TM that give her that network. That is how she will help develop her feeling of being indispensable.

The antidote to massive corporates and governments exercising unhealthy control over so many aspects of our lives is by becoming "indispensible". can become indispensable not because of their power or position, because their "emotional labor", But becoming indispensable is scary because it requires personal leadership.

Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.

It's uncomfortable to stand up and speak in front of strangers.
It's uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail.
It's uncomfortable to challenge the status quo.
It's uncomfortable to resist the urge to settle.

So when you identify the discomfort, you've found the place where a leader is needed. If you're not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it's almost certain you're not reaching your potential as a leader.

So, have you traded your passion, your liberty, your ability to be indispensible for a promise of temporary safety and security from a govt or company? You may be safe for now, but not for long I think.

Keep on investing in yourselves, in your networks like TM. As I said at the beginning, the smart bet is always on human ingenuity on human leadership. Earth's greatest resource is us. Not oil, not gold, not money, not a nice job, not a government handout.

GB Shaw, said that "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world . The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. All progress, therefore, depends upon the unreasonable man."

So go on.
Be unreasonable
Unsustainable and
Indispensable.
Be a leader.

OUR TOASTMASTERS MAKE US PROUD!

Sabrina Hanoomanjee
Our Fellow Toastmaster, Sabrina Hanoomanjee, excelled in the 2010 JCI National Debate Competition!

As its captain, Sabrina drove her team composed of three other members into the finals and onto the No 1 position on the podium. Representing the JCI Curepipe, they successfully defended the Best Loser System in our country in the 1st round and the Project, Maurice Ile Durable in the 2nd one. They kept their winning edge right till the end of the final round where they had to, and indeed did, convince the jury that Mauritius is ready for its ageing population.

Well done Sabrina!

Damien Veerapatren
Damien Veerapatren, also a Jaycee, tried his hand at the Public Speaking Competition organised by the JCI Beau Bassin in April 2010. All the participants had to talk on the topic “Let us be the change” and while delivering his speech in the semi-circular auditorium of the Municipality of Port-Louis, Damien aptly gave the example of Mahatma Gandhi who drove India through one of its biggest changes in modern history, from being a country under the British Raj to become an independent land.

Damien obtained the runner up position in this competition. At the time of the competition, Damien had only completed his Level 1 and Level 2 Toastmaster speeches. This is indeed an achievement for this budding Toastmaster!

Good going, Damien!

What is your favourite touch, sound, sight, smell and taste?

• Ricardo Freyneau

Touch: Human touch


Sound: Children's laughter


Sight: My wife and daughters when they are all dressed up and pretty


Smell: Freshly cut grass and white roses


Taste: Kiwi and white chocolate

• Patrick Ah Vane

Touch: Small things


Sound: Love songs


Sight: Landscape


Smell: Vanilla


Taste: Salty food

• Padmini Lareine

Touch: Holding hands with a dear person


Sound: Laughter from her family


Sight: The sun going down on the beach


Smell: Roses


Taste: Chocolate

A journey into our senses

Last Wednesday Anna Hausser, our TM of the evening walked us through our doorways of perception and into a fantastic exploration of our senses. And with our heightened senses, Luc Merven’s word of the day, sedulous stood out and engraved itself on our minds. Incidentally, Luc also had his first experience as the Ah Counter and Listener Post and my God, trust an accountant to be so precise and accurate in his count of pause fillers. From my own experience, not only was his report the most complete one I have ever listened to in a Toastmaster’s meeting but it was also such a valuable help to us who are fighting so hard to improve our presentation skills.
Our hearty congratulations go to our French ambassador, Sylvie Moonsamy, who delivered her last speech to become our latest Competent Communicator. Sylvie Moonsamy had chosen to comment on the Information Systems environment of our club, and intelligently used a Powerpoint Presentation to guide us through this technical subject.
Ricardo Freyneau touched all our hearts with a true episode of his life in Botswana. Damien Veerapatren gave us an insight into Churchill’s life and Shaffiq told us the SMART way to obtain the best results from your team - you should give them tasks which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.
Our round of evaluations was smoothly and expertly handled by Karen Alexandre, Patrick Ah Vane, James Benoit and Padmini Lareine.
I, myself, as the Table Topics master, made our participants dive into the depths of their senses by making them close their eyes and comment on an object which they could explore only by the feel, smell and touch of it.
We were happy to welcome back Robin Appadoo among us as the Timer. Robin, due to his frequent professional trips abroad had not been able to participate actively last year but he is back this year with lots of enthusiasm and ready for a taste and experience of the life as a Financial Toastmaster.
Sabrina Hanoomanjee was our last speaker as the General Evaluator. That was her very first attempt in this role but those who know her well will not be surprised to hear that as usual, she gave us a crisp, articulate and poised performance.