Giving Effective Evaluations

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Giving Effective Evaluations

• Presented by Joy Lewis, M.Ed., DTM
• Revised by LaShae Primus, M.Ed., CC

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OBJECTIVES

• To help recognize the purpose and value of
  effective speech evaluations
• To discover ways we can improve our evaluation
  skills
• To apply various evaluation techniques based of
  understanding and tools provided

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PROGRAMS OFFERED BY TOASTMASTERS

• EVALUATE TO MOTIVATE
• THE ART OF EFFECTIVE EVALUATION

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EFFECTIVE EVALUATION BENEFITS EVERYONE!

• THE SPEAKER
• THE EVALUATOR
• THE CLUB

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BENEFITS TO THE SPEAKER

• GOOD EVALUATIONS
• foster personal growth
• encourage the speaker to do more speeches, tryout
  out suggested techniques
• foster improved, active listening skills
• give immediate feedback making it easier to
  remember suggestions for improvement

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SPEAKERS RESPONSIBILITIES

• Communicate your goals to the evaluator
• Prepare your speech in advance
• Empathize with the evaluator
• Prepare to change

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THE EVALUATOR

• MOTIVATES
• FACILITATES
• COUNSELS

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10 BEHAVIORS OF AN EFFECTIVE EVALUATOR

• 1. Show you care
• 2. Suit your evaluation to the speaker
• 3. Learn the speakers objectives
• 4. Listen actively
• 5. Personalize your language

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10 BEHAVIORS (cont.)

• 6. Give positive reinforcement
• 7. Build a motivational climate
• 8. Evaluate behavior, not people
• 9. Nourish self-respect
• 10. Show the speaker how to improve

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WHO EVALUATES THE EVALUATORS?

• The general evaluator, of course!
• What we are going to do now?

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HOW DO WE DO IT?

• BE GENUINE
• RECOGNIZE IMPROVEMENT
• AVOID VALUE JUDGMENTS
• PROVIDE POSITIVE DIRECTION

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EVALUATION METHODS

1. Tell and sell
2. Tell and listen
3. Problem solving
4. Open forum

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TELL AND SELL

• Most common method used by clubs
• Evaluator talks speaker listens
• - assumes evaluation is on target
• - brevity
• - most effective when evaluator is experienced
• - can put the speaker on defensive or create
  animosity (then the speaker will have little
  opportunity for improvement)

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TELL AND LISTEN

• Evaluator gives appraisal and recommendations
• Speaker responds feedback on feedback
• ADVANTAGES
• Removes defensive feelings
• Builds positive interpersonal relations and group
  unity
• Helps the evaluator improve

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TELL AND LISTEN (cont.)

• DISADVANTAGES
• Takes more time
• May make a newer speaker nervous
• Could lessen impact of recommendations

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PROBLEM SOLVING

• DifficultTime ConsumingEffective
• Before the speech, the evaluator asks the speaker
  to share concerns.
• After the speech the evaluator identifies the
  speakers strengths and problem areas by asking
  non-threatening questions
• - do you feel you met your manual objectives?
• - why did you select this topic?

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PROBLEM SOLVING (cont.)

• Together, evaluator and speaker build mutual
  agreements on what improvements the speaker has
  made strengths problems. Other members may
  comment.
• Evaluator asks speaker how he/she feels problems
  can be solved. Evaluator steers the speaker
  toward selecting actual methods for improvement.

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PROBLEM SOLVING (cont.)

• DISADVANTAGES TO PROBLEM SOLVING METHOD
• Takes more time
• Risky with an inexperienced speaker
• Because it lets the speaker ultimately decide how
  they will improve, it can stimulate changes that
  are different from those the evaluator might have
  suggested

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OPEN FORUM

• Often used in advanced clubs
• Allows for group participation
• May be intimidating for less experienced speakers

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A Step-by-Step Approach to Speech Evaluation

• 1. Step 1 - Understanding the Fundamentals of an
  EvaluationThere are two fundamentals to bear in
  mind when you are giving an evaluation.
• First, imagine the person you are evaluating has
  been asked to give the same speech again in the
  near future.
• What can you say to help them do it better next
  time round?
• What aspects worked well and should be kept, and
  what could be improved on?
• And secondly, evaluations are given to help both
  the speaker and all other club members. By giving
  feedback, you are one of the 'teachers' for the
  meeting, and are helping members improve their
  speaking skills.
• To support this, try to expand some of your
  commendations or recommendations into a
  mini-educational to get your point across to the
  whole audience.

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A Step-by-Step Approach to Speech Evaluation

• Step 2 - Before the SpeechDiscuss the speech
  with the speaker beforehand. You can start the
  evaluation process at this stage by finding out
  what they plan to work on, and offering advice.
• Read the speech assignment and find out the
  manual goals, and the speaker's personal goals
  (if any).
• Write these goals down on a sheet of paper (your
  Evaluation Sheet), which you will use at the
  meeting. Write them on a single piece of paper,
  one underneath the other.
• Step 3 - During the SpeechYou are looking to see
  if the speaker met their goals. If they did why?
  if not why not, and how can it be improved?
  Using your Evaluation Sheet, listen to the speech
  and write C for Commendation or R for
  Recommendation against the goals listed (you may
  not have time to cover them all), plus any notes
  or comments. At the end of the speech determine
  which Commendations and Recommendations would
  most help the speaker move on, and only
  concentrate on these in your feedback. Choose the
  most important and helpful issues to comment on.

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A Step-by-Step Approach Contd

• Step 4 - Giving the EvaluationUse the C-R-C
  Method
• Give one or two Commendations
• Then one or two Recommendations
• Then a final Commendation 
• An Evaluation Formula

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Step 4 Contd

• An evaluation is a mini speech. It has an
  Opening, a Body and an Ending. The opening is an
  introduction to the evaluation, for example,
  setting the scene. The ending is a summary of the
  main points you have made, and the body is where
  you concentrate on the commendations and
  recommendations.
• Commendations have 2 components State an issue
  that went well, ex speech structure, explain why
  it worked.
• Recommendations have 3 components State an issue
  that could be improved on, eg use of notes
  Explain why it didn't work Make a suggestion for
  how it could be improved.
• So written as a formula, this is what the
  evaluation will look like
• Opening Introduction
• Body C Issue  Why    R Issue  Why 
  How     C Issue  Why 
• Ending Summary

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A Step-by-Step Approach to Speech Evaluation

• Step 5 - After the Speech Fill in the manual.
  Give it back to the speaker! Offer discussion
  with them for further feedback
• Step 6 - On a Regular BasisBuild up a bank of
  suggestions you can use in evaluations. Make a
  list of issues that may arise in people's
  speeches, eg variety of voice, speech structure,
  use of notes, and write down suggestions for
  improvement. Keep adding to the list, so that as
  issues crop up in speeches you are already
  prepared. And finally, remember that the better
  you become at evaluations, the more you learn
  what goes into making a good speech, and the more
  you learn how to improve your own speaking. 

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WHAT EVALUATION IS NOT

• NOT AN OPINION ABOUT THE TOPIC
• NOT A RE-TELLING OF THE SPEECH
• NOT A SPEECH OPPORTUNITY FOR THE EVALUATOR
• NOT A WHITE-WASH
• NOT AN ATTACK ON THE SPEAKER
• NOT A TIME FOR LENGTHY TELLING OF PERSONAL
  EXPERIENCE

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IS THERE A TRICK TO IT?

• Some people just wing it
• Some people use a form
• Some people have a formula
• Some people have a script
• Its always a mini-speech open, body, close

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Effective Evaluations

• Here are some ideas of things to look for, when
  you are the Speech Evaluator.
• Gestures (relaxed, natural, variety, appropriate
  to content)
• Vocal variety (relaxed, varied, not too loud/not
  too soft, appropriate to content, easy to listen
  to, can be heard)
• Eye contact
• Facial expression (varied, appropriate to
  content, pleasant - smiles, when appropriate)
• Body language (move around naturally, use body
  language to make points or demonstrate)
• Organization (Open/Body/Close)
• Lack of nervousness
• Improvement from previous speeches
• Specifics of content - for example
• Use of good examples to make a point
• Use of effective stories, to make a point
• Humor
• (Do not evaluate on whether or not you agree with
  the speaker!)
• Use of props (appropriate, used naturally,
  prepared, not distracting)

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• WITH PRACTICE
• AND GOOD FEEDBACK
• YOU CAN BE A GREAT EVALUATOR!

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Resources

• http//www.toastmasters.org.nz/index.cfm/Speaking_
  Resources/Evaluations.html
• http//www.geocities.com/ae688/tmevaluation.html