EFFECTIVE EVALUATIONS
BY: PAT GRANT, ATM -S, CL
BEDSTONE OLYMPICS
"Evaluations are the fertilizer for our growth and development both in Toastmasters and in our everyday life."
EFFECTIVE EVALUATIONS
Highlight and help build on our strengths
Provide positive feedback and suggestions on how to improve
Used in Everyday life
Help grow and maintain your Club Membership
TYPES OF EVALUATIONS
- Whitewash: Useless
- Cut Throat: Destructive
- Constructive: Sensitive, helpful and honest
HOW TO DO EFFECTIVE EVALUATIONS
PREPARE:
- Read the manual - know the objectives
- Talk to the speaker
- Listen carefully and watch the speaker
- Take brief notes
- Watch for audience reactions
- Be aware of good speakers who say nothing
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR EVALUATION:
- Must be a 2 minute mini speech: opening, body, conclusion
- Open with a strong statement
- Format: Use the sandwich approach: Thin slices of meat (areas of improvement) sandwiched between thick slices of positive feedback)
- Be very specific when talking about areas for improvement and always offer suggestions
- Close with encouraging statement
- Complete the manual
STYLES/FORMATS FOR EVALUATION
1. Sandwich Method: Thin slices of meat (areas of improvement) sandwiched between thick slices of positive feedback)
- Open with a strong positive statement
- Highlight two areas for improvement and provide suggestions
- Areas of improvement sandwiched between positive feedback
- Positives should outnumber areas of improvement
- Close with words of encouragement
2. GIFT Evaluations:
- Good: Mention the strong points of the speech
- Inform: Tell how the good points come across
- Fix: Provide constructive advice on how to improve specific aspects of the speech
- Thank: Identify how the presentation helped the audience
3. Other versions:
- As I saw you, As I heard you and As I reacted to you
EVALUATION DO’S AND DON’TS
Do:
- Keep the evaluation in first person - I thought, I felt
- Share your thoughts and feelings on evaluation
- Keep your evaluation addressed to the speaker
- Remember the purpose - to provide feedback to the speaker
- Encourage and motivate the speaker
- Remember the level of the speaker
- Be honest and sincere
- Keep within your time limit
- Complete the written evaluation after you have given the oral evaluation
Don't:
- Say what the audience did or felt
- Suggest an improvement unless you can suggest how it should be done
- Use false praise
- Say you should, you must, never
- Read from the manual
- Reiterate the speech contents
- Offer more then 2 areas for improvement
WHAT TO EVALUATE
- Organization of speech: Opening, body, conclusion
- Opening: Draws in the audience
- Conclusion: Draw’s the speech together
- Title: Short, attention getting, not revealing
- Purpose: Was the purpose clear - Meets objectives
- Eye contact: Looks into the eyes of the audience
- Gestures: Natural and unrehearsed
- Voice Modulation: Powerful vs. soft
- Pacing: Pause or rushed statements used effectively
- Use of notes: Used appropriately
- Length of Speech: Within time limit and not too short
- Use of humor and personal stories
- Appropriateness for the audience
EVALUATION CONTEST
Do:
- Prepare for contest (arrive early, check speaking area, note taking etc)
- Clarify how the contest will be run at the briefing
- Use preparation time wisely (5 minute note taking, speaking order)
- Provide suggestion for improvement and how to improve
- Have a mini speech - opening, body and conclusion
- Be brief and concise
- Use notes appropriately
Don't:
- Reiterate speech contents
- Provide no suggestions for improvement
- Change your style of evaluation as you move up levels.
- Be unorganized
- Go overtime
- Use a canned presentation