Lilian Shaftacola, DTM

Member Since: 2000
Home Region: 10
Home District: 109
Supporting Districts: 59, 71, 91, 95, 107, 108, 109, 110

Toastmasters offices held and terms of service (international, region and District level):

• 2024-2025 Region 10 Advisor
• 2022-2023 Immediate Past District Director
• 2021-2022 District Director
• 2020-2021 Program Quality Director

Toastmasters honors and recognition:

• 2020-2021 Excellence in Program Quality Award

What key factors are most important as a Region Advisor to help the District achieve success:

1. Willingness to offer support wherever needed - a Region Advisor should "be there and care"
2. Empathy - This goes hand in hand with the above. The Region Advisor has to be able to really listen to the leaders and understand their concerns so as to see how to best support them
3. Flexibility - the Region Advisor should be ready (and willing) to adapt themselves to the different situations as they arise and the needs of the District teams
4. Objectivity - especially when there are disagreements in a District, the Region Advisor has to be able to calmly take a step back and offer an unbiased opinion.
5. Organization - the Region Advisor must be organized so as to be able to support the District leaders: reminding them of important deadlines, ensuring they receive their orientation training in good time etc.

What key strengths do you bring to the District leaders?

I genuinely believe in the core values of our organization and promote them at every opportunity to the District leaders, encouraging them to consistently apply these core values. I am dedicated and enjoy working to find solutions to any problems/concerns the Districts may be facing. I care about the people I am working with and never wish to see them demotivated. As a result, I always emphasize the importance of teamwork and ensuring that all the parties have been heard and their needs understood. I have also spent significant time honing my conflict management and active listening skills. I am comfortable training and coaching others and really enjoy helping them to bring out the best in themselves. I am always willing to put in that extra time to make sure everyone understands what they should be doing and why. I tend to be organized. I always aim to set everything up in advance - good preparation is key to success! I am enthusiastic - I really believe in "the magic of Toastmasters" and I have often been informed that my enthusiasm is contagious.

Why are you interested in serving again as a Region Advisor?

Even when a person is experienced, there is always a learning curve when taking on a new role. Part of my first year as a Region Advisor was spent understanding the procedures and processes, experimenting with different ideas and setting up my own best practices for the role as I better understood its demands and requirements. Now that I have gained insight into the role, I would be able to hit the ground running at the beginning of my second term. This would allow me to support the incoming District leaders even more efficiently. Furthermore, I would have the opportunity to support the new incoming Region Advisors and offer the benefits of my experience to help them adapt quickly. At the same time, I would gain from this second year: developing further as a facilitator and coach.