Category: Workshop

Linda White top tips for speech evaluations!

Post author By London Victorians
Post date August 12, 2015

During our recent speech evaluation workshop, our Trainer Linda White shared a number of tips and tricks to improve our speech evaluations. While speech evaluation is more of an art than a science according to her. Some general guidelines should nevertheless be followed for delivering effective evaluations:

Evaluate to encourage and motivate.
Evaluate the speech and how it was delivered. You should not evaluate the content!
Give specific feedback and back it up with examples.
Evaluate the speech. Don’t retell it!
Evaluate the speech. Don’t tell your own story!
Watch how you say it. Use positive and encouraging language.
Use the commend, recommend, commend structure. Aka the “evaluation sandwich”.
Speak for the benefit of the whole audience. Use third person when doing evaluations!
Refer to the speech objectives in the manual. Plus any personal objectives the speaker may have!
Balance the evaluation depending on the level and experience of the speaker.
Prepare your evaluations in advance. Read the speech objectives!
End with a summary.
Writing notes is often a challenge for speech evaluator.

The general advice is to write as much as you can and to select anything relevant later for when you’ll deliver the evaluation. Speech evaluators might find it beneficial to use a “saw, heard, felt” grid or a simpler grid divided into commendations and recommendations.Onwards with your evaluations!

Past meetings Toastmasters International Workshop

Evaluate to Motivate – 4th August

Post author By London Victorians
Post date August 8, 2015

We were thrilled to hold our first ever workshop during our last meeting. Speech evaluations are an essential part of the Toastmasters educational programme. Indeed, it is the feedback from these evaluations that enable speakers to develop an awareness of what they are doing well and what they need to improve.

Our Toastmaster of the meeting was Vice-President Education Fahad and he quickly introduced our trainer this evening, Linda White. We started off with an interactive session on what constitutes the key ingredients of an effective evaluation. In no particular order. An effective evaluation, should be encouraging, complimentary on what the speaker did well, give specific recommendations and not digress. It is also important not to forget that evaluations are for the benefit of the entire audience and not just the speaker!

We only had two speakers this evening, both of which received several evaluations and an interactive evaluation from the audience. Our first speaker, was Stephen ‘The Emergency Plumber’. Stephen shared with us his work as an emergency plumber, including how his very first intervention, tightening a tap pipe, went and the fact that he so far “never flooded the same room twice!” The audience enjoyed the sharp conclusion to the speech, the confidence projected by Stephen and his vocal variety. His three evaluators, Natalie, Eleanor and Edem. Provided further feedback on eye contact and how to introduce the speech’s topic.

Stephen 'The Emergency Plumber' — Stephen ‘The Emergency Plumber’

Speaking second was Vice-President Mentorshop Edwin ‘An Inspiring Speech’. Edwin began his speech by recounting JFK’s 1963 civil rights address and how this was the perfect speech at the perfect time. This speech also ties in with the three core principles by which Edwin’s wants to live his life, namely treat others as you would want to be treated, be responsible and give equal opportunities to all. A better structured was recommended as feedback by the audience. The three evaluators, Yvonne, Eddie and Ayokunle then suggested more eye contact, a slower pace to let the words sink in and enable more empathy.

Edwin with 'An Inspiring Speech' — Edwin with ‘An Inspiring Speech’

The workshop was then wrapped up was more feedback from the audience on speech evaluations and on the workshop itself. The workshop was thoroughly enjoyed by all including our numerous guests from other Toastmaster clubs!

Announcements Toastmasters International Workshop

Evaluation Workshop – 4th August

Post author By London Victorians
Post date July 28, 2015

Special guest coach: Linda White

A crucial part of the Toastmaster educational program are speech evaluations. Every speech and every role is followed with an evaluation of how the speaker or role taker did. This offers them and everyone in the room the ability to know what they are doing well and what they could do even better next time.

Providing a thorough evaluation of each speech helps the speaker develop their skills, the audience to learn communication tips and the evaluator to develop prowess in providing feedback for others.

The technique behind giving a great evaluation isn’t limited to Toastmasters! Indeed, listening carefully to a colleague, customer or friend and offering constructive commendations and feedback is a great skill to have in all areas of life.

London Victorians is pleased to be hosting a workshop for members and guests to specifically learn how to give fantastic evaluations.

The workshop will be led by advanced Toastmaster and professional coach, Linda White.

This is a free workshop for anyone who would like to develop their evaluation skills. It will be on Tuesday August 4th starting at 6:30pm sharp.

All guests are free to come along without prior arrangement. More detail on our venue can be found here.

This evaluation workshop will enable you to develop these key skills:

Listening
Note taking
Effective speech structure
Giving specific praise and commendations
Delivering constructive feedback
Providing advice and offering suggest actions
And much much more

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Announcements Toastmasters International Workshop

FREE Workshop: The Characteristics of Effective Leaders

Post author By London Victorians
Post date May 11, 2015

Have you always wondered what it takes to become a leader? What traits, habits and characteristics effective and inspirational leaders have that makes them stand out from the rest? Leadership is fundamentally a skill that can be learned like many others.

On Wednesday 20^th May, London Victorians will be holding a FREE “Success Leadership” workshop on the characteristics of effective leaders. This interactive one hour workshop will explore the qualities, values and styles effective leaders display. Participants will be able to identify their own leadership styles and to develop self-awareness of any gaps that might require attention to become a more effective leaders.

Exercices will include:

Determining your leadership style
Identifying team leadership need
Discussing leadership gaps and leadership matches

The session will be facilitated by Sergey Karassov, ACS, CL. Sergey is a successful trainer, coach and facilitator. He has a special interest in leadership and enjoys developing others to become better leaders and public speakers.

The event will take place between 12h and 13h in the Concert Artistes Association in 20 Bedford Street. Places are limited and prior booking is required here.