Why Evaluate?

OBJECTIVE OF EVALUATION

At Toastmasters clubs all speeches, Table Topic responses, evaluations and other Toastmaster roles undertaken are subjected to an evaluation by a fellow Toastmaster.

The objective of evaluation is to give helpful feedback to the speaker. The Evaluator is a member of the audience whose responsibility is to listen to the speech, analyse the performance and report on it so that the speaker will learn how well he or she communicated his or her ideas to the audience.

In short, the idea is, in a friendly and supportive way, to:

• Tell the speaker how well he or she communicated
• Suggest ways the speaker may improve next time.

An evaluation is always AN OPINION and it is up to the speaker whose performance is being evaluated as to what he or she does in response to the evaluation.   Evaluators will always have their own style, but it is most important that they make a point of being HELPFUL, CONSTRUCTIVE, TACTFUL, COURTEOUS and ENCOURAGING!

While there are many ways to conduct an evaluation, at Glen Waverley Toastmasters Club Inc. we prefer to use the Praise, Improvement, Praise (or PIP) method of evaluation.   We open our evaluation by acknowledging and praising the speaker's quality attributes, follow this with only one or two areas where a suggested improvement would enhance the speaker's performance and result in an improvement, then conclude strongly with a summary of good points. This provides all participants with honest, supportive and constructive feedback in a friendly environment.

People who are serious about improving their speaking ability don't want a 'whitewashed' evaluation. They want constructive advice or suggestions for improvement which can be addressed in their following speeches, thus fostering progress in their speaking skills. Even the most experienced speakers have areas where they can improve their presentation. They want to have these areas pointed out to them.

It is easy to pick out the good points in a speech. The sign of an effective evaluator is when you can deal sensitively with drawing attention to areas in need of improvement.

Be constructive, Don't demoralise, Don't patronise.

REMEMBER:

• An evaluation is a mini speech
• It is only one individual's personal opinion
• Use the PIP method - Praise, Improvement, Praise.
• Don't whitewash
• Always present one or two points of improvement - give examples if possible.
• Leave the speaker feeling positive and looking forward to presenting their next speech.

USEFUL PHRASES FOR POSITIVE EVALUATION:

• You're at your best when …………………………
• I particularly enjoyed it when you ………………….
• I liked it when you ………………………………..
• You gained audience attention by ………………….
• Your strong attributes are ………………….

Others present may not agree with everything that the Evaluator says, but most times evaluations help the speaker; thus evaluation is a key to how Toastmasters works - and it does work!

"If we should ever lose the fellowship of personal, friendly relationships, we might easily become just another high grade correspondence school."

Table of Contents

	The Aims of GWTM Club		When You Are Speech Evaluator
	You the Member		When You Are Table Topics Evaluator
	A Toastmasters Duties		Duties of the General Evaluator
	Duties of the Sergeant-At-Arms		Business Session Evaluator
	The Inspiration		When You Are A Mentor
	When You Are Chairman		Duties of the Time Keeper
	The Round Robin		Time Keeper's Schedule
	The Toastmaster for the Evening		Duties of the Harkmaster
	Introducing a Speaker		Duties of the Gruntmaster
	The Table Topics Master		Duties of the Grammarian
	Why Evaluate?		Back to Duties Index