CMA Speech Craft Communication and Leadership Program batch 24 completes course online successfully

Yet another batch of students of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka completed the Toastmaster Speech Crafter course comprising 12 sessions online. 

The weekday preference of batch 24 participants were highly committed to follow every session conducted from 6.45 p.m. to 9.45 p.m. sometimes extended depending on the increased number of speeches and opportunities enthusiastically grabbed by the participants. 

The Speech Craft mandatory course in communication and leadership skills to obtain CMA membership has been tailor-made on the guidance of Professor Lakshman R. Watawala to include specific topics required to empower the CMA management accountant referred to as professional accountants in business by the International Federation of Accountants, the global body for the accounting profession of which body CMA Sri Lanka is a member. 

“The CMA qualified management accountant who receives the CMA membership is equipped with the ingredients required by a chief executive officer of any corporate organisation since the speech craft course enables the students to become confident speakers, communicators and leaders,” said Professor Watawala at the certificate awarding ceremony.

Batch 24 comprised students of varied age category in different stages of their educational and career path but their attendance, participation, enthusiasm and teamwork as a group was well reflected in the Final session completed on Friday, 9 April. Batch 24 is probably the quickest to complete the 12 sessions commencing on 5 March and receiving their certificate on the 35th day, attending sessions back-to-back, achieving the highest attendance percentage of all batches so far.

The performance in the Final was remarkable with three level 2 speakers and one level 3 speaker completing the line-up speaking on ‘Life before Social Media, ‘A friend in need, is a friend indeed,’ ‘Die with memories’ and ‘Your failures do not define you,’ respectively.

The impromptu speeches were the surprise of the evening with seven speeches delivered, the highest number of speeches ever delivered in all speech craft batches, in the Two-minute Table Topics speech segment.

Professor Watawala, Founder President CMA and the Chief Guest on the occasion, and President of CMA Toastmasters Club TM Mayuran Ramanathan commended the performances of all speakers and Role Players and encouraged the students to continue their journey as talented speakers by joining CMA TMC and become members of the Toastmaster family.

The students expressed their deep gratitude to Prof. Watawala for making the speech craft course mandatory to get their membership. Many recipients of the certificate stated that they joined the course only to qualify for the membership, but on the very first day realised the value of the course and the life changing experience to become a fluent speaker and top professional leader.

A participant from Maldives thanked Professor Watawala and the CMA for conducting the Speech Craft program online as he had completed all the examinations by 2018 but he couldn’t get the membership until he fulfilled the mandatory requirement of following this program which could not have been accomplished if there wasn’t an online course.

The awarding of certificates was conducted by Course Director Dian Abeyewardene whilst the certificates were ceremoniously presented by Professor Watawala.

TM Mayuran presided over the awards ceremony segment and all participants expressed their gratitude, appreciation and thanks to the CMA Institute, President Watawala and the Council of Management, Administration Head Shanthi Maheswaran and the team, the IT support coordinated by Tharindu and the Mentor and Course Director Dian Abeyewardene, for providing the opportunity, facilitating the program enhancing the soft-skills essential for career progression  in the corporate ladder in the highly competitive world of uncertainty.

The next two batches comprising a weekday and weekend batch has commenced registrations and students applications should be sent on or before 30 April to Shanthi via email [email protected] or call mobile 0714705536.