Toastmasters Evaluation: 4 Steps to Crafting the Perfect One

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares valuable insights on how to craft an effective and constructive speech evaluation. They emphasize the importance of understanding the speaker's needs before the speech, focusing on both content and delivery during the evaluation, and providing actionable feedback. The evaluator should connect with the speaker's message, give specific recommendations with examples, and engage the audience while addressing the speaker. The video also highlights the importance of post-evaluation discussions to ensure clarity and improvement. The speaker aims to help viewers become more effective evaluators in Toastmasters and public speaking.

Takeaways

• 😀 An effective speech evaluation focuses on understanding the speaker and providing valuable feedback to help them improve, not just giving generic praise or encouragement.
• 😀 Before the speech begins, it's important for the evaluator to meet the speaker and ask if there's anything specific they want feedback on, or if they prefer a general evaluation.
• 😀 Evaluators should consider the speaker's experience level. For beginners, focus on content and avoid overemphasizing areas like body language or eye contact, which may be harder for them to improve right away.
• 😀 During the speech, evaluators should avoid focusing solely on obvious elements like body language or voice modulation. Instead, assess the clarity of the message and whether the speech was engaging, concise, and unique.
• 😀 Evaluators should take notes on their thoughts during the speech, writing everything down before organizing them into a structured evaluation later.
• 😀 Focus evaluations on the content of the speech as much as the delivery, as the content is often easier to improve and more impactful for speakers at any level.
• 😀 When delivering an evaluation, start by mentioning what resonated with you personally in the speech to build a stronger connection with the speaker.
• 😀 Always provide reasons and examples when offering commendations or recommendations. This makes feedback more actionable and valuable for the speaker.
• 😀 When presenting feedback, address the entire audience, not just the speaker. This benefits both the speaker and the rest of the audience, as many principles can be applied in different contexts.
• 😀 After the evaluation, engage with the speaker by asking if your points were helpful and fair, and if there is anything else they'd like to discuss. This ensures the evaluation is as effective as possible.
• 😀 The process of giving a speech evaluation requires continuous improvement and reflection from the evaluator, and feedback should always be tailored to help the speaker grow.

Q & A

What is the main goal of a speech evaluation?

The main goal of a speech evaluation is to truly understand the speech and the speaker, providing feedback that will help the speaker improve rather than just offering generic commendations or thoughtless encouragement.

Why is it important to ask the speaker about specific aspects they want feedback on before the speech?

Asking the speaker about specific areas they want feedback on helps narrow down the focus of the evaluation and ensures that the feedback is relevant to the speaker's goals, allowing for more targeted and useful suggestions.

What should evaluators focus on during the speech, beyond the obvious points like body language and eye contact?

Evaluators should focus on the nuances of the speech, such as whether the message is clear and easy to understand, if the speech was engaging or repetitive, if the information was unique or generic, and whether the main message was effectively communicated.

How should an evaluator begin their evaluation?

An evaluator should begin by highlighting the part of the speech that connected with them the most. This establishes a personal connection with the speaker and sets a positive tone for the evaluation.

What is the role of delivery in a speech evaluation?

While delivery, such as hand gestures and facial expressions, is important, it should be balanced with the content of the speech. Evaluators should remember that content is often easier to improve than delivery, especially for speakers at any level of public speaking.

Why is it important to provide reasons and examples when recommending improvements?

Providing reasons and examples for recommendations helps make the evaluation more valuable. It gives the speaker clear, actionable steps to improve specific aspects of their speech rather than just general advice.

What should an evaluator do after the speech evaluation?

After the evaluation, the evaluator should approach the speaker and ask if the points were fair, if all necessary aspects were covered, and if the speaker has any further questions. This ensures the feedback is well-received and provides an opportunity for further clarification.

What should evaluators avoid doing during their evaluation?

Evaluators should avoid focusing on impressing the audience or making the evaluation about their own performance. The evaluation should be focused on providing constructive feedback to the speaker, not on the evaluator's personal performance.

Why is it important to address the entire audience during an evaluation, not just the speaker?

Addressing the entire audience during the evaluation allows others to learn from the feedback as well. Many principles of public speaking can be applied to different situations, so it benefits both the speaker and the audience.

How can evaluators ensure they are being as valuable as possible to the speaker?

Evaluators can ensure they are being valuable by engaging in pre- and post-evaluation conversations with the speaker. By asking the speaker for feedback on the evaluation itself, evaluators can refine their approach and improve the quality of future evaluations.