Our First Experiences With Evaluation

How many of you remember giving grade school book reports, perhaps a jumbled telling of a favorite story, and then hoping the teacher would be generous? How many of you cringed during the teacher’s critiques in high school speech classes?

Here at Toastmasters we’re a bit more user-friendly. Rather than an authority figure handing down criticisms from above, we take turns evaluating each other’s speeches. That’s an important distinction. In Toastmasters we don’t criticize; we don’t critique; we evaluate.

As speakers, we receive three benefits from evaluation:

1. We get to hear the listener’s perspective so that we can recognize and solve our presentation difficulties.
2. Because the feedback is nearly immediate, we can focus on areas that need work while reinforcing our strengths.
3. Finally, through the evaluation process we build and maintain our self-esteem.

"It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him." - John Steinbeck

The Sandwich

A classic evaluation technique is called "the Sandwich." This is where you first tell the good news, then the bad news, and then more good news. The bad news is sandwiched in between the good.

This technique is slightly better than random talking. At best, the person being evaluated forgets the good news, and starts dwelling on the bad. At worst, you end up looking like you're applying sugar-coating and not being sincere.

The Modified Sandwich

The first step to rectifying the situation is to change "good news" and "bad news" into "strengths" and "weaknesses." During the beginning of the evaluation, you point out the person's strengths, and how they were manifested during the speech. In the middle, you point out one flaw or weakness that detracted from the speech. At the end, you point out a couple more strengths that you feel the person already has, that they should develop.

This is much better, because now you've identified strengths that the speaker can work on.

This technique, however, is not yet perfect. Here's why. You've pointed out a weakness that the person can work on, but not a way to overcome it. I've blown many a speech working so hard to overcome a weakness, stumbling and stammering while I forced my way through my weakness, that my strengths never had an opportunity to shine through.

The Modified Modified Sandwich

The last modification is to give the speaker a way to overcome the weakness you pointed out. Here's how you might do it.

First, you point out the person's strengths, using examples of how they were manifested in the speech (as in the Modified Sandwich.) Then, you point out one weakness that detracted from the speech, and how it detracted (again, as in the Modified Sandwich.) Finally, you show the user how they can use one or more of their strengths to overwhelm or overcome the weakness.

Here's an example, illustrated recently in a speech by one of our members. Have you every heard a charismatic speaker speak? They move you, they inspire you. But if you listen very carefully and technically, you find that there are plenty of errors in their speeches. Did you care about these errors? No. The content and the speakers focus on their strengths carried them far above and beyond any errors or speaking weaknesses they might have had.

Let's suppose that the speaker you're evaluating made pretty good use of hand gestures, but spoke much too quickly. You noticed that whenever they used their hands for a grand gesture, their speaking slowed down somewhat. Here's how an evaluation might go.

"Today Joe wowed us with a great speech. Did you notice how his presence is one of his strengths? His use of gestures helped make the connection between Joe and the audience.

"Joe, however, sometimes speaks very quickly, which detracted somewhat from his speech.

"However, I noticed that whenever Joe used gestures to make a point, his speech slowed down as he moved his hands to augment the point he was making. Joe, I'd suggest that rather than worrying about speaking too fast, simply make use of your presence and hand gestures as a way to naturally meter your speech."

Here, you've complimented Joe and pointed out a natural talent that he should further develop. Then, you point out a weakness. You did not say very much about it, because Joe and the audience already know this is a weakness, and neither need to be beat over the head about it. Finally, you not only complimented Joe's strengths again, but you pointed out a believable way for him to improve his speaking ability without spending any more time beating himself up about a weakness.

Tips for Making Your Job Easier

One thing you should always do is ask the speaker this question before listening to their speech: "What do you consider to be your strengths?" Some people give glib answers, or immediately focus on their weaknesses, so press them for an answer. Rephrase it: "What strengths have people pointed out to you on the evaluation slips you got from previous speeches?" or "I've noticed that you have a tremendous presence, would you consider this your strength?"

This question has two benefits: it tells you what the speakers strengths are before the speech, so you can focus on finding examples of this strength in the speech. It also gives you something positive to talk about in your evaluation. Of course, if you find a strength that the person did not mention, point it out!

Don't then ask "What are your weaknesses!" Instead, you might ask, "What one thing are you trying to improve most in this speech?" At the end of the speech, you'll find either that it wasn't a problem (in which case you should definitely point this out so they can move on!) or that it was. Either way, knowing this ahead of time will allow you to look for strengths in the speaker's style that can be used to mitigate the weakness.

Additionally, the speaker is supposed to meet some of the goals stated for that speech in the manual, and if there is a divergence, this is another opportunity for you to point out strengths that can be used to help the speaker better meet those goals.

Evaluating an Icebreaker

The Icebreaker is no place for negative reinforcement. It is the first few speeches where the new member is most "fragile" and needs a supportive environment the most. Therefore, focus on finding budding strengths and any gems encountered while enjoying the speech. Focus on the speaker's strengths instead.