Evaluations

March 2005 - Focus on Evaluations
By Vanessa Au

How to prepare to evaluate

Read the speech's objectives and list of criteria in the manual

Talk to the speaker beforehand about special things they want you to look for

Review the feedback from the speaker's last speech so you can comment on progress/improvements made since then

Make time for a 1:1 discussion after the meeting

Parts of a speech to critique

Delivery - clarity, vocal variety, pacing, volume, body language, humor, drama, effective use of pauses

Preparation - ideas, grammar, organization, research, knowledge on the subject

Closing - summary of objectives, summary of key ideas, prescribed actions

Tips

Do not repeat or summarize the speech; we all heard it already, use the time for the evaluation

Be positive and constructive but be honest too; don't say it was an amazing speech if it wasn't; focus on a few things they did well and offer suggestions for improvement

Start off with personal impressions, thoughts and visual perceptions e.g. "I was immediately struck by your depth of knowledge on this subject and your use of space on the floor"

For beginners, focus on just a few key areas and elaborate on them; do not deliver a laundry list of improvements needed as that is demotivating for new speakers

Speak for yourself; do not say "we", say "I"

Avoid judgement words e.g. "if you want to do it right, you must...", "good speakers don't..."

Don't say "but" as it negates all the positive things preceding it; instead use 2 sentences or "and" e.g. "the introduction was captivating BUT the body didn't support it" vs. "the introduction was captivating. I would have loved to see more supporting examples in the body"

Avoid words like "never" or "always" (exaggerations detract from the message)

Once you've made a point, don't repeat it or it sounds like nagging

Be specific e.g. "The intro was weak" vs. "The introduction could benefit from a more attention-getting first sentence and a clearer outline of all the interesting topics you discussed in the body"

Give specific suggestions for improvement e.g. "instead of wringing your hands, try keeping them at your sides"

Note areas of potential e.g. " you have a lot of enthusiasm for sheep farming. I would have loved to hear more personal anecdotes"

Try to give a unique ending, not just "I look forward to your next speech"

End on a positive note by pointing out what you liked most or how it affected you emotionally or behaviorally e.g. "your research was thorough and interesting and has inspired me to learn more about the rights of animals"