Term 2, Issue 6. June 2010 Newsletter

Manama Toastmasters Club Newsletter— for internal use only

It Takes a Little MAGIC

Keep Your Evaluations on Target

Unravel the Knots

Completing Your CC

The New Competent Leadership Manual

Tackling TABLE TOPICS™ Consider Speechcraft

The Art of Mingling and Networking

Creating a Speech on Short Notice

DTM Khalid AlQoud Division Governor of the Year

Manama Toastmasters Club - Club No. 2916 . Est: 01.07.1964

Toastmasters International From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 250,000 members in more than 12,500 clubs in 106 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to prac-tice and hone communication and leadership skills. Most Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a mem-ber in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be im-proved. Good communicators tend to be good leaders. Some well-known Toastmasters alumni include: • Peter Coors of Coors Brewing Company • Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies

Manama Toastmasters Club Formed in 1964, Manama Toastmasters is the first toastmasters club in all of Arabian Gulf. Since then, for over 46 years, it has been helping people to become better leaders and better communicators wherever they are - in their organiza-tions, schools, universities, businesses, social networks and many other areas. Hundreds of members have gone on to lead, or form, huge organizations in Bah-rain and abroad. Many toastmasters clubs in the Gulf too, owe their birth to Manama Toastmasters Club, which is why it is often called 'the mother club' of District 79. District 79 - of Toastmasters International - comprises 275 clubs in the GCC Countries and Jordan and Lebanon.

President Message

Dear Leaders

When I attended Toastmasters International Conference last year, I heard a quote by one of the international directors who said: at the end of everything it’s going to be OK, and if it’s not OK, that means it’s not the end. I’m very happy and proud of my Excom team, each one of them did his best to sustained and foster the quality of our club, and they did work hard to implement the theme of the term “Toastmasters: Quality and Leadership Redefined” and make it a reality that can change our meeting atmosphere to a Professional Family atmosphere meeting, and my Excom showed me with there commitments a new way of looking into our club,

• Shaikha Abdulla Buti taught me that Achievements on the golf course are not what matters, decency and honesty are what matter.

• Neelesh pradhan taught me that if you call failures experiments, we can put them in your resume and claim them as achievements.

• Mona Ali taught me that after her first EXCOM role, all great achievements require loyalty. • Gopan R. taught me that when we celebrate our weekly achievements we should remember our

membership commitment to the club. • Pamela Birungi taught me that cherishing your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of

your soul; are the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. • Jaber Al Rowaie taught me that in time of difficulties, we must not lose sight of our achievements. • Osama Baha taught me that all great achievements require time.

I dedicate all the term accomplishments to my club Excom as they were the leaders in building the blocks of achievements. Also with a great pleasure, I would like to Thank our Immediate Past District Governor TM Radhakrishnan Karantharath and the District Excom for the term 2008 – 2009 for awarding me with the Di-vision Governor of the Year Award for the term 2008 – 2009, it’s a great pleasure and joy when I received this award and I promise you all, more and more commitments for the Toastmasters movements not only in district 79 but in the world, and I dedicate all the year achievements to my Division Excom as they were the leaders in building a quality Division achievements.

With warm regards, Khalid AlQoud, DTM President Manama Toastmasters Club District 79 – Toastmasters international

Creating a Speech on Short Notice

Consider the 3 P's: Purpose, Practice and Polish

Toastmaster Angela Libby Jankousky from a club in Southern California gives these tips... Your purpose for each speech is dif-ferent. Are you proposing a course of action, entertaining, inform-ing or inspiring your audience? Make sure you can state your pur-pose in one sentence. If you have only a few minutes to prepare, concentrate only on achieving your purpose. Write a sentence that describes your purpose. Then organize your thoughts on that topic on your computer – or on the back of a napkin, if that’s the only thing available to you. As you write, restrict your information to what directly relates to your purpose. Try to use a story or personal experience to illustrate each point you want to mention. “One well-illustrated point is stronger and more memorable than multiple points that are explained but not illustrated,” says Jankousky.

Practice ideas, not words. A memorized speech is dangerous: Lose your place and you are in trouble. You want to be spontaneous enough to be able to insert comments about something from earlier in the meeting, such as “This is consistent with the point Bill just made.” Having examples planned for each point will make it easier for you to remember what to say next. Create an attention-grabbing opening and a concluding statement that summarizes your main point and

call to action. Try to memorize these. Be sure to practice your speech out loud, in addition to revising your written notes as much as time al-

lows. If you miss a point, keep going. Then go back to the section you had trouble with and work on it until it’s smooth. If you have only a few hours to prepare a short speech, this is as much as you’ll ac-complish. Practice your speech a few times in the car on the way to the meeting, and remember: When you give the speech, state each point clearly and sit down. Don’t ramble! And never apologize for your lack of preparation or nervousness – chances are good no one will notice.

Polish. Contest speeches or important presentations to large audiences merit the highest level of respect to the audience and therefore, the most preparation. You polish your speech by working on finer points such as gestures, inflection and pacing. Angela Jankouski points out: “Focus on one aspect of delivery at a time. First, work on vocal variety. Next, practice gestures that enhance your meaning. Then, experiment with pacing.” If possible, rehearse your speech in front of different audiences, prior to the one that really counts. Each audience is different, and you’ll learn something from each.”

So, if you have only a few minutes to prepare a speech, focus hard on your purpose, your single most impor-tant point, and the opening statement. Also practice a strong ending to help your audience for a favorable final impression of you. If you have several hours to prepare, develop a focused speech that really illustrates and supports your main point. Practice conveying your ideas without memorizing the speech word for word. If you have adequate time before a major presentation, make sure to polish it with gestures, vocal variety and pacing until it shines!

Remember Winston Churchill’s advice: “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use the pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tre-mendous whack. “

The Art of Mingling and Networking Don't fall flat when it's time to chat. How you communicate informally at events is every bit as important, if not more so, than how you come across when you’re in the spotlight giving a speech. In fact, knowing how to mingle and network may be more important to your overall success in life than anything else - which is why a Toastmasters club offers many opportunities for informal gatherings.

Do you avoid occasions where you think you may not know many – or any –of the attendees? Do you tend to speak only to those you already know or do you wait for an introduction? If this describes you, you may be missing many interesting and beneficial opportunities.

It can help to know that others appreciate someone who takes the initiative to approach them. Here are some networking tips from an article in the Toastmaster magazine by Katherine Meeks: Start by saying “Hi, my name is….” to a person standing alone.

Talk about the food when you are standing in the buffet line or seated at the table. Approach a small group by reading the body language of participants to see if they are open for newcomers. Do they smile at you? Or do they lean toward each other in deep conversation? Ask about the person’s connection to the individual or organization hosting the event. Try to find something in common. Be pleasant and curious. Ask questions! Avoid controversial or negative comments or topics with people you don’t know well. Bring your business cards! Read the complete article.

Mingling creates new connections and possibilities. Professional networking is about meeting people and let-ting them meet you. This is what communication is all about. Like anything else, it takes practice. That is why Toastmasters International has created multiple online social networks for its members: So they can practice the art of mingling and networking with other members from around the world.

Be sure to check out our complete listing of official Toastmasters social networking groups.

Consider Speechcraft

This program helps others, yourself and your club. By Kate Parker, ATM-B

Joining Toastmasters was a smart move. As professional speaker Patricia Fripp says, “If you can stand up and speak eloquently, or even stagger to your feet and say anything at all, you are heads above your competition.” Have you given any thought to your next step in personal growth? I suggest you become a mentor to many by starting a Speechcraft program within your company or organiza-tion.What is Speechcraft? It is public speaking immersion training of limited duration. It is the most efficient vehicle I know to promote personal and professional growth while helping others. Facilitating this training will uniquely pre-pare you for increased and broadened responsibilities in the workplace and in your community. Businesses and or-ganizations seek out and promote individuals with good communication and organization skills. The Speechcraft participants you mentor will also experience fast-track growth with their new skills and confidence.

Sounds like a great program, you say, but isn’t it complicated? A successful Speechcraft is not difficult, but it does require basic organization. With the simple steps outlined below and Toastmasters’ time-tested Success/Communication Series Speechcraft guides, the format is easy to follow. Just add your own brand of enthusi-asm for guaranteed results.

Prepare your support system. Familiarize yourself with the Speechcraft Coordinator’s and Speechcrafter’s Handbook from Toastmasters International. Gather your helpers. Although the facilitator carries the lion’s (or lioness’) share of responsibility, a quality Speechcraft program will involve club members participating in various meeting roles. Why not involve other clubs in your area? Everyone will benefit. Choose your format. Our club has chosen a 10-week structure outside of our regular club meeting with partici-pants practicing all the regular Toastmasters club roles.

Find an “inside” connection. Look for someone in the target organization who is interested in promoting im-proved communication. Try personnel, the director or owner, or perhaps a department head. With his or her help, determine the employees’ interest level. Discuss financial arrangements. Our club charges $25 per person for the entire 10 weeks. Find an appropriate location, day, time and date to begin. Produce a flier promoting your event and distribute it at least one month before the actual starting date. Request an RSVP so you can plan adequate space and re-freshments.

Gather your materials. I supply each Speechcraft participant with a folder containing: a Speechcrafter’s Handbook, the A Toastmaster Wears Many Hats pamphlet, an invoice, a meeting outline, a weekly schedule of duties, a group contact list and my business card. I also make available topical articles gathered from the Toastmaster magazine as an additional resource material.

Hold a demonstration meeting. Our first Speechcraft session is a non-threatening, “come-and-watch” oppor-tunity where Toastmasters and former Speechcraft graduates enact a typical meeting before the potential Speechcraft participants. This is a critical step for turning interest into commitment. Have a variety of skill lev-els represented, run a tight ship, and show how learning can be a lot of fun! Allow plenty of time for questions at the end, and finally get a commitment from 12 interested attendees. Hand out the folders and let new Speechcrafters choose their roles for the next class. And we’re off… In our format, nine Speechcraft meetings will follow. Although each group is unique, here are a few tips for a high graduation rate:

Remember to breathe! Keep the meetings instructive, professional, positive and above all, have fun! Adapt the curriculum to your needs. In nine weeks, our participants speak three times and evaluate three

times. Most will also serve as Toastmaster, General Evaluator, Grammarian, and Table Topicsmaster. Speechcrafters give an Ice Breaker, an “Organize Your Speech” and “Show What You Mean” speech.

Touch base with each participant between meetings as needed. Be flexible. If someone cannot come one week, reshuffle your schedule. Consider hosting a potluck or brown-bag dinner before each meeting. Breaking bread together promotes

bonding and improves after-work attendance. Graduation. Celebrate success! We begin our last meeting with a special meal and end it with a certificate presentation ceremony to which friends and family are invited. This is a perfect time to promote Toastmasters club membership as the next logical step. Provide a list of all area clubs and bring a stack of membership ap-plications. Consider taking a group photo, providing a copy for each participant. It doesn’t matter whether you are a domestic engineer, computer technician, bus driver, customer service rep-resentative or retiree, facilitating or participating in a Speechcraft program will improve your communication and leadership skills. Helping others to improve their abilities could be the next step in your own personal growth. Are you ready to mentor others? Try Speechcraft!

Are you ready to get started? Order the Speechcraft Starter Kit today!

The New Competent Leadership Manual I Completed the New Competent Leadership Manual in Six Months! What were the pluses and minuses? From an article in the September issue of the Toastmaster by Bonnie L. Maidak, ATMS/CL. When the newly-minted Competent Leadership (CL) manual arrived last year, I dove in and followed a plan to complete it before anyone else in my district – I wanted to complete it by July 1, 2006. I’ve learned from the experience and can now report some pluses and minuses that you may want to consider for yourself and your club.

Here are some of the pluses: It will make the High Performance Leadership (HPL) project less daunting. I worked on the CL manual simultaneously with an HPL project. By practicing specific leadership skills in a supportive meeting environ-ment, I gained more confidence to carry out the HPL project. The new CL manual identifies what a Toastmas-ter needs to break the HPL project down into smaller “digestible” bits.

As the only club member working on the new CL manual at the time, I had the luxury of completing a project at every meeting. It’s important to determine your club’s policy about the number of speakers al-lowed in one meeting. Some clubs might support verbal evaluations for all individuals while others must limit theirs to three per meeting.

The CL manual encourages members to sign up for different meeting roles. You need to fulfill each typi-cal meeting role at least once. Roles such as general evaluator or Toastmaster need to be performed multiple times. Doing the same role counts for credit only once per project per meeting.

The overall quality is high. It will be easy to sell the Toastmasters program to organizations when club mem-bers explain and demonstrate the practical leadership skills that can be learned and developed by completing the new manual.

Three minuses:

I had difficulty finding evaluators familiar with the projects. Because the manual was new, most club members were unfamiliar with it. So I often relied on the same individuals to serve as evaluators. No doubt this decreased their enjoyment of club meetings, as each evaluator was forced to read the project description while attempting to participate in the meeting. As members become more familiar with the manual, this problem will be minimized. However, to avoid asking the same individuals to serve as evaluators for CL manual projects, the VPE might want to keep track of who serves in this role for each meeting. Working through the new manual in such a condensed time took its toll. Though the new manual helped me conduct my HPL project better, I had to postpone some efforts for the HPL project in order to finish the new manual. I encourage anyone who is starting the new manual to recognize that the length of time to achieve other concurrent projects or goals might need to be extended. Unless you’re a member of multiple clubs or a club that meets weekly, it is more likely that it will take closer to a year to complete this manual.

I also wanted more specific information regarding some of the project or role descriptions. For example, how long do you need to mentor someone in order to complete project number 9? I hope that future versions of the manual will address this and other questions. I achieved my goal to complete the new CL manual in six months. I learned a lot from the experience, which is exactly what we wish for in our Toastmasters activities.

Do you have any good tips for leadership? E-mail your story to us and it could be published on this Web site. Send it to letters@toastmasters.org (subject: What Works for Us). If you are interested in the Leadership Track, pick up the New Competent Leadership manual and track your six month progress with an Achievement Chart today!

Tackling TABLE TOPICS™ Toastmaster Rajiv Ramaratnam of Quincy, Massachusetts shares these tricks for taking the terror out of TABLE TOPICS™ – or any other impromptu speaking situation:

Begin by greeting the audience. Smile. This buys you time to think about the topic at hand. Avoid apologies or comments like, “I’m not good at this,” or, “Gee, I don’t have a clue.” Don’t say anything that lowers the audience’s expectations. Buy yourself time. Repeat the question or topic. “What do I think of the soccer World Cup?” Take a deep breath and speak slowly and clearly. Or include a comment like, “I never considered that question until now.” Be careful not to overdo this step, however. Stay informed. It’s impossible to be knowledgeable about every topic under the sun, but a little preparation goes a long way. Stay on top of current local, national and international news. Be familiar with issues in poli-tics and the economy, new trends, the latest movies, plays and books. To find information, use the Internet, newspapers, the bookstore or library, and listen to TV or radio talk shows. Create a repository of topics. Build a list of topics that you are comfortable speaking about, and try to use them whenever possible. Also keep them in mind when it is your turn to be the Topics master. Segue from the presented topic to one you can talk about. For example, “I don’t have an opinion on the World Cup in soccer, but let me tell you about my recent mountain climbing experience…” Be careful not to make this one a habit though. Use your imagination. During Table Topics, you develop the necessary skills to think on your feet. For this, a fertile imagination is vital. You could use your imagination to create a tall tale, contemplate the future or for-mulate an opinion on any topic. Have fun! Relax! What’s the worst thing that will happen if your Table Topic doesn’t win an award? Remem-ber, the audience is in the same boat as you! Use these tips and you will become a more confident communicator – both in Toastmasters and in your career!

Completing Your CC A Practical Guide to Getting it Done For many new Toastmasters, the first compelling goal of the educational program is the Competent Commu-nicator award. It’s clearly defined in the Competent Communication manual that’s included in the New Member Kit, and it’s a requirement for most of the advanced awards that Toastmasters offers. But what’s the best way to earn your CC? How can you harness your initial enthusiasm and complete those ten speech projects with a minimum of hassle and procrastina-tion?

Schedule It One very important step is to give yourself a set of deadlines—one for the completion of the entire manual, and one for each of the 10 projects. Without deadlines, tasks of this scope usually move to the bottom of the priority list, where they have a tendency to stay for a long time. Strict deadlines aren’t for everyone. As Doug-las Adams, author of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, puts it: “I love deadlines. I like the whoosh-ing noise they make as they fly by.” But the important lesson here is to decide how much time you want to give yourself to complete the manual, and monitor your progress as you go. Break it Down Feel like you’re too busy to work on your speech projects? It may help to think of each project as a series of small, discrete tasks, and devote whatever time you have to completing those tasks whenever you can. You don’t have to complete all of the preparation for a speech in one sitting; often, five or ten minutes are enough to make significant progress on an upcoming speech. Taking a break at work? Jot down a few ideas and then send them to your home e-mail address. Practice your speech in the car on the way to work. As soon as you finish a speech, immediately begin writing down ideas for the next one. Ask for Help Ask your mentor for advice. Seek out other club members who have completed several Toastmasters awards, and find out how they got the job done. Also, the club’s vice president education will be particularly interested in helping you complete your educational goals. Other club officers also have a stake in your success, so be sure to ask them for help if you need it, too. Have Fun! Membership in Toastmasters reaps many rewards, not the least of which is the pure enjoyment of sharing your ideas, making connections and improving your speaking skills. So remember to have a good time planning and delivering your speeches, and before you know it you’ll have that CC award you’ve been dreaming about, and be well on your way to the next goal

Unravel the Knots…. Joann M. McCabe, ATMB, Toastmaster in Hilo, Hawaii.

Preparation is Key Do you get nervous before a speech? Your heart pound? Your stomach turn to knots? Do you wonder how other speakers deliver speeches so effortlessly? Some even seem to en-joy the experience. Here are some tricks they have learned to free themselves of that fistful of knots in the stomach.

Before Speech Day

Organize your speech logically so you can move smoothly from one idea to the next without relying heavily on notes or memorization. If the flow of the speech makes sense to you, you are less likely to forget or worry about forgetting what comes next. Memorize the opening and closing. Have a strong opening and closing and use them to build confidence and effectiveness in your presentation. Open with a punch and end with a bang. Commit the beginning and ending to memory. Concentrate on the message. Make the subject of your speech the most important idea that you must tell the audience. Focus outward, not inward. Picture success. Before you fall asleep at night, imagine yourself giving a successful, confident speech to an enthralled audience. Envision the room, the listeners, the words you speak – even the applause at the end. Use visual aids to prompt you through your speech. Whether you have a low-tech blackboard or a high-tech computer program, use visual aids to walk you and the audience through the presentation. Express your main points with visual prompts such as a simple outline or a triangle that shows the three main points of your speech. Befriend the three P’s: practice, practice and practice! There is no substitute for the confidence adequate preparation gives you. On Speech Day Wear clothes that help. Choose clothing that is comfortable and professional looking. Feel good about how you look so when those eyes are on you, you can be sure that nothing takes away from your message. Find a quiet place to gather your thoughts and relax. Your last chance to do this may be in the car driving to the venue. Take the opportunity. Turn off the radio and practice one last time out loud, at least the opening and ending. Familiarize yourself with the room, then find a quiet place. The less outside stimuli, the easier it is for you to focus on your message. If it is not possible to isolate yourself for a few minutes, regroup mentally wherever you are, even in a crowd, and gather your energy. While you wait to give your speech, clench your fists and hold for 3-5 seconds, then release. Repeat 3 times. Notice how releasing your hands relaxes your shoulders and jaw. Before the introduction, breathe deeply three times. Try it right now. Inhale slowly, exhale completely. Feel your belly rise and fall. Let your whole body relax. Is the nervousness still there? Use it to give an enthusiastic, high-energy speech! One last hint: If direct eye contact breaks your concentration, focus just above the heads of the people in the audience. It will appear as though you are looking directly at them., They will wonder how you untied those knots and turned them into beautiful bows.

Keep Your Evaluations on Target To many novice speakers, the word “evaluation” brings back painful memories. Images of brutal remarks from schoolteachers and smirks from fellow students can pull a potentially great speaker away from the lectern. Yet, give that speaker one ex-perience with a helpful, positive and motivating evaluation…and you’ll see the speaker work, progress and grow to realize that potential. Effective evaluations benefit the speaker by:

Providing immediate feedback. Supportive commentary and helpful suggestions can reinforce positive speaking behaviors and point toward areas that need work.

Offering methods for improvement. It helps the speaker recognize and then solve any difficulties that may have been encountered during a presentation.

Building and maintaining self-esteem. Learn how to play up your strong points and correct speaking flaws and you can’t help but feel better about yourself. It stands to reason that the more effective we are in evaluating each other, the more each one of us will profit from the experience, whether we are delivering a speech, evaluating or sitting in the audience. How can you give a helpful and encouraging evaluation immediately after hearing a speech? There are several techniques available to help you master the art of evaluations.

First, it’s important to select your manner of delivering the evaluation. Though some evaluators use discussion as their process, the “tell and sell” approach is the most popular method of delivering evaluations in Toastmas-ters meetings, because it is the most efficient. This requires the evaluator to do all the talking while the speaker listens. An opinion is given in a few minutes, avoiding conversational digressions, and then the meeting con-tinues. Not having to worry about carrying a conversation with the evaluator also frees the speaker to focus directly on the advice being offered. This method works best when the evaluator has more speaking experience than the speaker.

Once you’ve chosen the method you’ll be using, use these guidelines to help:

• Show that you’re interested. Focus on the speaker’s needs.

• Consider the speaker’s objectives. Contact the speaker in advance to discuss the manual objectives as well as the speaker’s personal goals and concerns.

• Personalize your language. Avoid using advice that starts with, “You…” Instead, focus on the word, “I…” So that you give your personal reactions, rather than attempting to speak for the entire audience.

• Evaluate the speech – not the person! Do not impose your values on someone else’s speech. Focus on helping the speaker communicate those thoughts in a more effective manner.

• Promote self-esteem. Encourage and inspire the speaker to participate again by offering honest and sincere praise along with criticisms.

It Takes a Little MAGIC Rancho Speech Masters (Club 9113, Founders District) has achieved the President's Distinguished Club Award five years in a row. Membership is consistently in the 30s, club finances are sound and attendance at meetings is standing-room only. How has this been accomplished?

According to Rancho Speech Masters member and area G2 governor Patrick McClure, ATM-S, it’s simple: the club uses a little MAGIC to get the job done.

Make it Fun To keep things lively, Rancho Speech Masters schedules parties and get-togethers on a regular basis. Signifi-cant others, invited guests, new members and returning Toastmasters are all invited to these social events, which help build enthusiasm and keep new members coming into the club. Actively Work Together In Rancho Speech Masters, members work together to help each other become better speakers, better team members and better human beings. Without prompting, members meet outside the club to give private coach-ing or mentoring. When someone becomes ill and can't attend, they receive a get well card signed by everyone. When a member is trying to win a speech contest, they receive additional coaching, evaluation and tips from everyone. Genuinely Show Interest As all Toastmasters know, standing up in front of a group of strangers to give a speech can be very intimidat-ing. What helps Rancho Speech Masters club members gain confidence is the genuine interest and care they feel from—and for—their fellow Toastmasters. Delivering an effective speech evaluation requires concentra-tion, genuine interest and the absolute commitment to do the best you can to help your fellow Toastmasters improve. Improve Yourself and Others The members of Rancho Speech Masters make it a point to understand exactly what new members would like to achieve, and focus their efforts on making sure those goals are met. The emphasis is constantly on getting better. They don't accept the status quo. They constantly work to help improve the speaker by giving effective evaluations with tons of suggestions for improvement. Communicate With effective communication tools like the club’s very professional Web site (www.ranchospeechmasters.org), a regularly published membership list and a weekly one-page meeting recap, members of Rancho Speech Masters always feel as though they’re in touch with the club, even when they miss a meeting or two. Even former members and guests are kept in the communication loop, which helps the club bring in new members and facilitate re-entry for ex-Toastmasters. So there you have it. According to Rancho Speech Masters, the 5 steps to achieve Toastmasters excellence are: • Make it Fun,

Actively Work Together, Genuinely Show Interest, Improve Yourself and Others, and Communicate.

Add it all up, and it spells MAGIC!