Evaluations are 100% subjective, as simple as the project’s evaluation guide; need to be meaningful, honest, and specific; and focus 1000% on the speaker, 0% on you.

Effective evaluation is the key component for a successful Toastmasters Club.  This is how members can extract value from their stage time, learn to be a good listener and observer, and understand about their own communication styles.  It is my opinion that a club must have at least one very skilled evaluator, from whom everyone else can learn from.  Good evaluators in a club are informal leaders for TM clubs:  they're the beacons, without which the members will be sailing in the darkness, without any direction.  That is why the booklet Effective Evaluation is included in the new membership kit.  It is my hope that this article will be a faster read, and highlight the main points with commentaries from my own experience.

An evaluation of a speaker’s performance is essentially how you, as an audience member, feel about the total impact of the speech.   Therefore, it is 100% subjective.

It is important to realize this point, and the related corollaries:

1. Whatever facts that you have read or heard about how to do a speech, those are still subject to your experience, your interpretation, and the current situation.
2. There are no absolutes, except for how you feel about the speech
3. What you feel does not necessarily apply to how other people feel.  Different people have different perceptions.
4. Because this is only your opinion, the speaker needs to weigh how others may feel about the speech, and decide whether to accept your suggestion

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about how to prepare your evaluation

1. Read the Project. Is this a no-brainer?  Every project has a specific focus.  Every speaker should focus on these objectives (and also keep in mind the objectives of the prior projects) when preparing their speech.
2. Read the evaluation guide for the project. I had the rare opportunity to sit with Lance Miller, champion of the TM International Speech Contest, and learned tremendously about his experience in evaluation.  And one of the most startling facts is that you can base the entire verbal evaluation on the evaluation guide.  The more you read and reflect on this guide, the more valuable insights you’ll get.
3. Talk with the speaker.  Because other than the objectives from the assignment, there might be additional areas that the speaker is working on.  However, these considerations are secondary to the primary assignment objective.  Make sure that speaker keeps the focus on the primary objective.

When giving your evaluation: Be meaningful, honest, and specific

1. Pay attention.  Listen carefully, and watch attentively.
2. Begin going over the evaluation guide, as this would be the basis of your evaluation.  You are NOT compelled to address every question.
3. Prepare your verbal evaluation:  focus on 2-3 points only and elaborate on them deeply so the speaker can remember.  Reinforce these points with examples.  It will have more impact on the speaker to remember these points.
4. Be honest!  And be kind.  As the club members develop deeper fellowship with one another, it will be easier to be honest about your opinions, when you need to give constructive feedback.   Speak as friends who want them to succeed.
5. Be specific:  If you’re confused about the structure, where specifically in the speech are you confused? Point out the passage, and if possible, offer recommendations.  If you cannot offer recommendations, be honest about that:  As you have more experience giving evaluations and speeches, this skill set will improve. If the speaker did something well, also be specific.  If it’s the hand gesture or vocal variety, or the color usage of words, tell the speaker what emotional or intellectual (aiding in your understanding) effect did it have on you?

When giving your Evaluation:  It’s all subjective

1. Remember to refer to your evaluation as your own opinion.  Avoid saying things like “we”, “people”, “the audience”, or “everyone”.
2. Try not to say words like “However”, “But”, “Unfortunately”, right after you give a good point.  It totally negates the good point you gave.
3. Because evaluations are subjective in nature, do not give absolute statements, such as “Always”, “Absolutely”, “Never”.

Your delivery:  Forget about yourself.  Encourage the speaker

This is a personal evaluation, and 100% about the speaker, and 0% about you.  Do not deliver it like a speech:  don’t worry about hand gesture, body movement, stage movement, vocal variety.  Those are secondary.  Just let your thoughts and emotions come through naturally.

Conclude the evaluation with an encouraging and positive statement.  If you see a small improvement, talk up the effort that the speaker put into it.  And encourage the speaker to do that even more next time.  If it’s a big improvement, give the appropriate congratulations.