On Being a Mentor: the mentor/mentee relationship for Toastmaster Club Members

On Being a Mentor: the mentor/mentee relationship for Toastmaster club members

 

The Bridge Builder

 An old man traveling a lone highway,

Came in the evening cold and gray,

To a chasm deep and wide,                                        (ˈka-z^əm)

Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

 

The old man crossed in the twilight dim

For the sullen stream held no fear for him.

But he turned when he reached the other side

And build-ed a bridge to span the tide.

 

“Old man”, cried a fellow pilgrim near,

“You’re wasting your time with building here

Your journey will end with the ending day.

Why build you a bridge at the end of the day?”

 

The builder raised his old gray head,

“Good friend, on the path I’ve come,” he said,

“There followeth after me today

I youth whose feet must pass this way.”

 

This chasm that has been naught to me

To that fair-haired youth may a pit-fall be

He too must cross in the twilight dim,

Good friend, I’m building this bridge for him.

 

                                                Ms. Will Allen Dromgoole

 

 

This morning I wish to talk about the relationship between a mentor and a mentee.  A mentor is defined as a wise, loyal advisor.  A mentor shares their wisdom, knowledge and experience.  A mentor will help the new member (the mentee) learn, grow and achieve.

 Without a mentor program, new members either sink or swim without the guidance of experienced members. Coming through the doors into a Toastmaster’s meeting is hard enough without receiving guidance and support once you have joined.

The mentor-mentee relationship is designed to give the new member a positive experience from the beginning of their Toastmaster’s journey.

 

Responsibilities when mentoring a new member include:

1.      Conduct an initial meeting with the member to introduce yourself, offer assistance and define methods of communication. You want their contact information and the most effective method to get in touch with them.

2.      Find out what brought the new member to Toastmasters. What are their goals? Build your assistance around meeting those goals for the mentee.

 3.      Explain that the mentor/mentee relationship is a two-way street. The mentor can offer support but the mentee should call for support prior to assignments. A part of what we learn in Toastmasters is preparation. Lead the mentee to “prepare” for every assignment. This is an important skill for them to master.

 4.      Mentors should give their “charge” a copy of the TM meeting schedule and the explanation for the various roles of participation during a meeting.

 5.      A mentor should encourage a new member to read the manual job description for various assignments and also offer tips for the roles based on their own experiences. [offer Larry Epps’ insight]

 6.      An important point is for the mentee to look at next week’s schedule and to be thinking one week ahead.

a.       If they don’t have an assignment this week and are the Tabletopic Master next week, have them pay attention to how that role is led during the meeting.

b.      The mentee may contact your mentor for tips (for an upcoming assignment) so they have time to prepare and build their confidence.

c.       Another tip is to arrive early when you have an assignment.

 7.      Mentors should give feedback for each assignment a new member completes to encourage them and help them get better at fulfilling the roles. Focus on the positives with suggestions for improvement.

 8.      Other mentoring tips include;

a.       Help the new member set a date for their Icebreaker. Our club has a 6 to 8 week schedule but folks have speaking conflicts. A new member that is already working on their Icebreaker could be ready to jump into an open slot.

b.      Provide helpful materials from our website such as:

 

• The Goal Setting worksheet,
• Timer’s Report,
• The generic Evaluation form,
• Role of the mentor,
• New member profile and
• Ask them to log on the website and input their contact information.

c.       When we have a number of new members joining in a short time, suggest we operate our meeting as a “demonstration” meeting where each participant briefly explains their role as they come up to the lectern.

 

9.      At the conclusion of my speech today, we will pass around a Mentor Interest Survey and ask you to briefly fill out if you wish to become a mentor to someone in the club or wish to be assigned a mentor. [explain the sheet as they are passed around] Please give to Phil Brady.

 10.  I am wrapping up part one of the mentoring information. In part two, we will get into more detail and those of you who have requested to be mentors or to get a mentor to help you will have your assignments.

 

Conclusion:

A mentor is a wise counselor, a loyal advisor. A mentor is someone who wants you to succeed and will commit their time and talent to help you. A mentor has traveled before down the road the new member is taking and is willing to help them meet their goals.

 In this journey we call Toastmasters, let us support one another. The world needs more effective communicators who can build bridges of understanding, bridges of peace, bridges of hope and bridges of love. Be a mentor who builds up our club and in turn, our world.

 Mr. Toastmaster.

Hurricane Tips from a Category 5 Blowhard!

Hurricane Tips from a Category Five Blowhard!

Having endured many a hurricane, I have come to take the news media’s analysis of storms with some skepticism. It takes work to get to the truth when a storm is headed to the coast. The following is my attempt to give you good information based on experience. It is in speech format and was delivered to my Toastmasters Club.

Mr. Toastmaster, Fellow Toastmasters and Guest.


Opening:
After listening to my speech today, it is my hope that should we get hit by a major hurricane, I will not see you out on the street, destitute waiting for help and acting the fool. Or perhaps on TV saying something like, “I just didn’t know the storm was going to be that bad!”

Today I am going to give you some tips for enduring hurricanes that may not only save your life but help you enjoy yourself during the storm. So let get started.

Body:
First things first.
1. Number one, get the hurricane guide from the newspaper or a TV station and read it. Now throw it away! Just kidding! There is some good stuff in it. Hold on to it. You will need it later.
2. Your first major decision when a storm is coming is; to stay or go. I am going to give help with this. The answer is in the Bible! The scriptures tell us that if your house is built on the sand, GO. If you house is built on the rock, you can stay or you can go. If you live below sea level, go. If you live in the “sketchy” part of the floodplain, go. If you live above the 100 year floodplain, you can stay or you can go. If you live in a mobile home, for the love of God man, GO! If you live in a new up to date home constructed to withstand hurricanes, you can stay or go. I have never left when a storm hit but I will leave if a big one comes if only to keep from ending up on TV “acting the fool!”
3. Do all the things ahead of time in the hurricane guide and have a “ready to go” kit prepared.
4. If you do all those things in the guide, you will not have much left to do when a storm is eminent but don’t let that stop you from going to the store at the last minute. It is fun to go to the grocery store and watch the mayhem as people scamper for a few scraps of bread. I recommend you fight tooth and claw for the last 5 cans of Vienna Sausages even if you have sworn off canned mystery meats. You can always trade them for other goods if the big one hits. The cans even float! Let me be clear about this; if you aren’t willing to come out of the Food Lion with a black eye and a mangled loaf of Wonder Bread, you don’t love your family enough!
5. At home do not tape up your windows. You’ll thank me for this later. If you have a concern about windows or sliding doors, have someone make up plywood covers which you can set in place should you feel the need to cover up the east or northeast sides of your home. You can see me about this later for details.
6. You need enough gas in your gas grill to cook the contents of your freezer.
7. There are two things vital for your survival during a storm; a votive candle, matches and a deck of cards. Now don’t burn down the house with the candle! Put the candle in a jar so blowing sections of the newspaper don’t catch the house on fire. There you are, not only blaming the newspaper for your lot in life but you are the lead article because your house burnt down! Personally, I don’t know how the newspaper gets away with it? Each day they deliver a flammable material coated with a hazardous substance to every home in town while writing about the evils of companies polluting the environment.
8. Actually, a pen and paper are good to have as well so you can write a speech about your hurricane experience. Again, don’t let the paper get near the candle and burn your house down! That is a different speech entirely!
9. You will want to have the TV on the national weather channel ONLY just to keep track of the storm. Local TV will lie to you, they can’t help it. It’s their 15 minutes of fame. Liars, every last one! Go national.
10. Do not, I repeat, do not listen to the TV but mute the sound. You just want to keep track of the longitude and latitude not what is being said. The barometric pressure is good to know as well. Plot the storm on the hurricane map in the guide.
11. No one really cares that some fool weatherman is standing outside in the storm being blown all over the place and telling you at the same time to stay indoors. “Look, there's Al Roker, acting the fool!”
12. Storms make you sleepy, so sleep. Look out the windows often and comment on the big branch that just fell with comments like, “I told him he should have trimmed up that tree” or I knew that tree was too close to the house!”. “No one listens to me.”

After the Storm
13. After the storm, if you have to drive, don’t drive through water unless you can see the pavement through it. Drive slowly in the middle of the road and open your door if necessary to look at the payment. Do not, I repeat, do not drive fast thinking you are just going to push through a flooded street! You’re going to be on TV!
14. Most importantly, after the storm, be cautious about inspecting the damage. Avoid power lines, outdoor electrical boxes, etc. Now don’t go wading through the water up to your behind! That’s just silly.
15. Don’t feel you have to clean up everything as soon as the storm leaves. Relax. More injuries occur after the storm than during it. Chain saw mishaps, heat exhaustion, bee stings. Bees get confused and angry during storms, a lot like your neighbors.
16. Take your time cleaning up. The government is going to take their time in hauling away the mess. You can take your time in moving debris to the road. Let me say that another way, there is no prize for being the first one in your neighborhood to clean up your yard.
17. If you are really bored after the storm, go down and sit in the emergency room waiting area. It is air conditioned. When someone ask if the can help you say, “No, I’m just here for the speech material.”
18. After the storm. Kiss your loved ones. Check on your neighbors. Share your resources. Thank God almighty and let us celebrate that we have survived another storm and live to fight Mother Nature another day.

Closing:

If you will follow my advice before, during and after the next storm you will be able to:
Most likely survive the storm,
Have some fun in the process,
Get a good speech out of it and most importantly,
Avoid being caught on TV, acting the fool!

Let’s all pull together this year and have a safe and entertaining hurricane season.

Mr. Toastmaster.

Please help me welcome….

Please help me welcome! The importance of a speech introduction

Imagine someone at home who has sudden chest pains and discomfort. They wait for a few minutes and then ask a friend or loved one to drive them to the emergency room. The “patient” enters the ER waiting room, signs in, waits to be called to the triage nurse and then continues to wait until they are called to the ER proper.

Now imagine a different scenario. The person with discomfort calls 911 and within two minutes from hanging up the phone, the firemen pull up in a “Hummer” carrying medical bags into the house and begin talking to the patient. They take information, calm the patient and soon the actual paramedics show up in an ambulance ready to take charge. In route to the ER, do they stop for traffic signals? Barely, if at all. With lights and sirens they proceed at great haste to the hospital.

At the ER, there is no waiting. In fact, there is a VIP entrance for the patient who is rushed in with great fanfare and given attention and treatment which the folks out front are still waiting. If you were having chest pains, which scenario would you prefer? The latter I suppose.

Now what does that have to do with introductions for speakers? The first person who came into the ER on their own is like someone coming to the lectern without an introduction. No one has any expectations from them and it will take some effort for their speech to be recognized and valued.

The second person who called 911 comes to the ER with “all the king’s men” and is treated as a valuable patient whose importance has been established. The right introduction can make a big difference in how your speech is received.

To be an effective speaker, you need to use all of the tools available. One of the most important tools is your own introduction, which the Toastmaster of the Day will use to introduce you.

An introduction is a mini speech:
· It has an opening to grab the audience's attention,
· A body, which may explain:
· Why this subject?
· Why this speaker, giving this subject?
· Why this audience?
· Why at this time?
· An introduction has a conclusion, which is the lead-in to actually presenting your speech.

Your introduction can:
1. Validate your expertise in a subject,
2. Give the audience relevant background information,
3. Bring on anticipation. This is especially important to the audience since they may not have heard a preceding talk which this speech continues.
4. "Reset" the audience's mood after the last speech.

Sometimes when I have too much material in my speech, I let the Toastmaster of the Day give part of my opening in the introduction. That’s a little sneaky but it works.

Generally, try to be as brief as you can. You want to set up your speech without giving it away. Don't overdo it!

Type out the introduction in a large font. That way the Toastmaster of the Day will be able to read it easily. Remember the success of the introduction is in their hands. If the wording is critical to your speech, ask the person introducing you to read the introduction verbatim and not ad lib. Contact them ahead of time to explain the importance of this.

Read your introduction out loud and make sure the words flow as well from your mouth as they do in your mind.

The closing of a speech is the most important part. It is a call to arms, the challenge to the audience or the wrapping up of an inspirational talk. It is the end of a journey with the speaker.

The body of a speech is the journey with the speaker.

The opening is the explanation of the audience’s upcoming journey with the speaker.

The introduction is the briefing before the journey begins. The introduction prepares us for the journey.

When you are preparing your speeches, make sure you include an introduction for the master of ceremonies in order to have them prepare the audience for your talk.

A well prepared introduction will set up the audience to receive the opening of your speech. Use all of the tools available to you when giving a speech, including a well planned introduction.

[Example of a speech introduction]
Introduction for Phil Brady’s speech

Our next speaker has been a Toastmaster for 17 years and enjoys speaking as much as he enjoys listening to other speakers.

Phil will be speaking from the Communication & Leadership Manual, speech project #2, Be in Earnest.

He will be presenting a talk on the importance of speakers bringing an introduction for the Toastmaster of the Day to introduce them and their speech.

The talk will examine:
· What is an introduction?
· How an introduction can make your speech more effective and
· Present various examples of introductions he has used in the past.

The time is 5 to 7 minutes.

The title of his talk is; Please help me welcome….

Please help me welcome Phil Brady.

The Community of Sunset Park

The Community of Sunset Park

Sunset Park, located in Wilmington, NC off Carolina Beach Road has origins going back almost 100 years. In 1912 the Fidelity Investment and Development Company bought a tract of land outside the Wilmington city limits just south of Greenfield Lake.

A contest was held by the investors for a community name and the winning name was “Sunset Park”. The investors promoted the modern “permanent improvements” which the community would include. Archived newspaper clippings show advertisements of “Parkways, Boulevards, Streets, Sewage, Artesian Water System, Sidewalks, Decorative Entryways, and Grading of Lots.” One of the taglines for the development was “Everybody’s Going South.”

Sunset Park begins west of Carolina Beach Road and parallel streets to that road were named after presidents beginning with Washington Street and proceeding on order to Taylor Street just before Riverside Drive at the bank of the Cape Fear River. At some point before World War II, the streets of Polk, Taylor and Riverside Drive were taken for use by shipbuilding companies. The North Caroline State Port Authority is situated on this property today.

Crossing these presidential streets in Sunset Park’s original layout are Northern, Central and Southern Boulevards which boasts wide medians. A streetcar track from town once ran down Adams Street to Southern Boulevard.

Sunset Park consists of 800+ homes and is accessible from Carolina Beach Road or Burnett Boulevard (once called Tyler Street) and the cross streets of Shipyard Boulevard, Northern, Central and Southern Boulevards.

Sunset Park boasts a variety of architectural styles including craftsman style, bungalows, cottages and traditional for their time. Some existing homes were Sears Catalog Homes delivered as kits and assembled on site.

Come and see the quaint cottages and charming streets in a community full of history on the Southside of Wilmington. For further information on Sunset Park’s history, go to http://www.sunsetparknc.org .

Sunset Park home for sale; http://www.intracoastalrealty.com/idx/search/details.aspx?key=2679e907-80c1-4b29-a1ad-a7051e088f34&method=standard&type=107080&accountid=47e0b7e2-d4f2-4c5d-a066-77847603efb2&currentpage=1&sort=price;desc&showimages=True&numperpage=25&mapzoom=10&mapmax_num_points=200&returnbannerinfo=False&pricechangeddays=30&resultsdisplaytype=50&detailsdisplaytype=50

River Oaks Community, Wilmington, NC 28412

The River Oaks Community

River Oaks, located just south of Wilmington, NC off River Road on the east side of the mighty Cape Fear River, consists of 142+ homes and lots on 14 streets. River Road is accessible from Independence Boulevard, Sanders Road or Carolina Beach Road just north of the Snow’s Cut Bridge. The drive down River Road is scenic with views of marshes, the river and plenty of wildlife. Cargo ship and pleasure craft traffic on the river give a frequent reminder that you live by a major waterway. River Road also has a bike path.

Construction in River Oaks began in the 1970s but most of the development has occurred since 2000. Newer homes boast larger square footage and modern open floor plans. Most lots range in size around ½ acre or more and up to 2 acres.

Both River Road Park (which has kayak/small boat access) and Snow's Cut Park are a quick drive (or bike ride) away. Carolina Beach State Park (with very nice public boat ramps) is only about a 5 minute drive.

Not only is River Road a nice drive, it is extremely convenient for accessing northern Wilmington and downtown. When looking at a map, you might think that River Road is like going around your elbow to get to your thumb, when in reality it is much quicker and easier to drive due to no stop signs, no traffic lights, and mostly a 55 mph speed limit.

With the expansion of Monkey Junction and new retail areas on Carolina Beach Road, River Oaks is only a few minutes away from easy access to restaurants and shopping.

Come and see the quiet solitude of easy living in a community of beautiful homes just south of Wilmington. You’ll be glad you did!

http://www.intracoastalrealty.com/idx/search/details.aspx?key=55c7d2e2-66b4-4272-baa5-a9317b8f3088&method=standard&type=107080&accountid=47e0b7e2-d4f2-4c5d-a066-77847603efb2&currentpage=1&sort=price;desc&showimages=True&numperpage=25&mapzoom=10&mapmax_num_points=200&returnbannerinfo=False&pricechangeddays=30&resultsdisplaytype=50&detailsdisplaytype=50

There's a Speech in That!

There’s a Speech in That!

One day, I was having a discussion with a fellow Toastmaster who is my “Mentee” when she said, “I can’t think of anything to give a speech about!” I was flabbergasted! I went on to tell her about the list of speech topics I continually add to every week. I am a list person and I am always adding to my list of speech topics. In discussions with my wife or friends, I am known to frequently say, “There’s a speech in that!”

I want to tell you how to build a list of speech topics and tell you where they can come from. Beware, you are going into a different dimension, I place where the unusual is the norm. That’s right; you are getting a peek inside Phil’s head. Be afraid, be very afraid!


One of my favorite TV shows is Seinfeld. I remember the time that Jerry and George went to NBC to sell their idea of a “Show about Nothing”. George asked the network executive what he did today and he said he had a bagel and then went for a workout. George said, “That’s a show”. That is what comedians do. They take the ordinary, find humor in it and point out the humor. For Toastmasters, we can take the ordinary, find the humor in it, point it out and add a little life lesson to go with it. We give the audience a life lesson, inspiration, a sweet story or a reminder to add to society each day.

That brings me to my first point, an article in the Toastmasters magazine; A-B-C. Always be collecting. Collect ideas, articles, web-pages and addresses. Keep a running list of possible topics to speak on. These ideas are like seeds in the fertile ground of your mind. Eventually, one will burst forth from the ground and grow to the point it consumes your thoughts and you just have to get in front of the audience and get it out of your head.

Where do the ideas come from? What did you do today? I went down to the DMV and tried to get a license plate for my car. Did I get it? No, instead I got high blood pressure, almost had a mini stroke and got an idea for a speech. I also learned I need to control my temper and not let others set me off. No one should be able to cause that kind of distress in another. I learned to own the problem and not the DMV. It was hard work but I learned from it. I’ll tell you one thing though, when the revolution comes, they may be the first ones up against the wall!

Write down your dreams. I once had a dream that a doughnut was eating me! Now there’s got to be a speech in that, somewhere! Perhaps dreams flow from the subconscious to the conscious and also from the conscious to the subconscious. Dreams can be a source of great insight and they should be shared, some of them anyway!

Theme speeches, when writing down ideas, see if there is a common theme. You may come up with a series of speeches relating to a particular subject or type of speech. Some speeches may become too long and you may need to break them up into a series.

Watermarks in speeches. In every episode of Seinfeld, there is some reference to superman, the superman story, a character or connection to the TV series. “That’s the question Jimmy, that’s the question.” I like to install a phrase from Seinfeld in my speeches or find a way to insert a doughnut in them. That makes me laugh.

Props speeches. Speeches about your junk drawer and the justification for being a pack rat. By golly, I just love a hat speech or someone talking about their shoes! I once heard a member of my Toastmasters club say something I will never get over, “I have shoes in my closet I’ve never worn.” Learning effective use of props is a skill we can all use.

Types of speeches,
Book report, a book report speech should not tell the story but tell how you reacted to the story and entice the listener to want to read the book. Tease them with the drama, humor, mystery until they come to you later and say, “Thanks, because of you I was up all night reading that book!”
You can try out your Technical speeches for work on your Toastmasters club audience. It is good to work out the kinks prior to going before the bosses!
Your experiences are a great source of material for a speech. Did something happen to you which made you grow? Did you have a revelation as a result of your experiences? Tell your fellow Toastmasters.
Music appreciation. How on earth can you feel comfortable bringing music into a speech? I saw a fellow member bring in her CD player and give us an enlightening speech on classical music and played a few verses for us. It inspired me to give a speech on Meat Loaf’s music which inspired another member to speak on his favorite group, Creme.

Outline for the speech. When outlining your speech consider;
What is the problem?
What is the situation?
What is the issue?
How ridiculous was it?
What is funny about it?
What can you learn from it?
That may very well be the basis for your next talk.
So here is your assignment. You should never run out of speech topics if you do the following:

ABC. Always be collecting. Ideas for speeches are everywhere. Write them all down, no matter how far flung the idea.
Look for the story in everything you do. Find the message you should share with others.
Once you have gotten a few speeches or manuals behind you, look on your “speech creation” in terms of connecting speeches together either by themes or threads.
Have fun. Getting the creative juices flowing is a wonderful way to live and to learn.
Don’t be afraid to steal. Emulate others, pick out the good points others have and remold them to be your own.

Recently a club member told of the power and rush he gets from speaking in Toastmasters. I want to tell you there is also power in the growing of an idea into a speech.

You will never do everything you dream of going but you will rarely do anything without first dreaming of it. I hope you dream and I hope you dream big!
Then I hope you come and tell us about it!

When You’re an Evaluator

Back to Basics; When You’re an Evaluator


Opening:
When we are scheduled to be an evaluator, we are responsible for giving feedback to a speaker on how their speech came across to us. Was it effective? If so, what made it effective? What about the speech could be improved? How would our suggestions improve the speech? Our feedback to the speaker is important. Our feedback is the foundation for the speaker making their next speech even more effective. As humans we all strive for continuous improvement.

Today we will examine:
1. How to evaluate a speech,
2. The responsibilities of the evaluator,
3. The importance of receiving feedback.

Body:
The Toastmaster’s manual on evaluation states, “Each of us is an evaluator. From our first cup of coffee in the morning until our last yawn at night we are constantly evaluating the people and things around us. It is hoped that, through this method of constructive evaluation, we may be able to improve the environment in which we live.”

“Your goal as an evaluator is to provide honest reaction to the speaker’s presentation in a constructive manner, utilizing prescribed guides.”

For the benefit of both the evaluator and the speaker, it is helpful for newly joined Toastmasters members to get some experience prior to evaluating more seasoned members. Newer members however can evaluate Icebreaker speeches. I believe they can become comfortable if they are just one speech in the manual ahead of the person they are evaluating. The information should be fresh to them.

Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of evaluating. When assigned the job of evaluating you may want to talk to the speaker ahead of time to find out which project they are working on and what specifics (if any) the speaker wants you to look for.

I would recommend you confirm your assignment with the Master Evaluator to make sure your assignment has not changed. You may think this should be the speaker’s responsibility but if you want to be prepared, contact the speaker in advance to be prepared. Read the evaluation in advance so you are ready to listen to the speech and know what to focus on.

As an evaluator your purpose is;
1. To determine the effects of a speaker’s performance on you.
2. Give a description of the specific impact of the speech.
3. Provide suggestions for improvement of the speech. What could they do to make the speech more effective?
4. Your goal is to give feedback effectively. If you can get across feedback for improvement, you as an evaluator are well on your way to being an effective communicator too.
5. Remember you are not judging the person or the ideas presented, you are giving feedback on how effective you saw the presentation.
6. To encourage the speaker in a way that allows them to take something away to work on and improve next time.
7. Let the speaker know that your responses reflect how you saw, felt and responded to them not concrete rules of speaking. Our job as speakers and evaluators is to communicate effectively to each other and audiences.
8. If you are confused by the speech, say so. If you liked it say so and say what you liked about it.
9. Think of your feedback as open handed instead of close handed, “You could do this to make your speech more effective” versus “Never, ever do this!”

When the speaker begins their speech, stay focused on the speaker. Evaluating is about listening. I like to take notes during the speech on a separate sheet of paper and then fill out the evaluation form once the speaker is finished. I usually wait until all speakers are finished then I fill out the form.

When it comes time to give the evaluation, I like to review the purpose and objectives of the project the speaker was delivering.
1. Cover the points of the evaluation,
a. Point out what was effective,
b. Point out areas for improvement,
c. Point out how the improvements would make the speech more effective.
2. Was the speaker prepared?
3. Was the presentation organized?
4. Was the delivery effective?
5. How effective was the closing? If there is a weak part of a speech, it is the close. How well did the speaker close?

Speaking of feedback, a word about the sandwich method of feedback. Many people like this form of giving feedback. I don’t like it. The sandwich method is to put a point of negative feedback between two positive points like a sandwich.

I think of the sandwich method in this way. A speaker has completed their speech and is in a state of vulnerability. Using the sandwich method, the evaluator picks them up with positive feedback, slaps them back down with a negative comment and then picks them up again. For me it is too plastic and the speaker rides up and down and up again not really going anywhere. A good evaluation will inspire the audience and motivate the speaker to improve even more.

Conclusion
Being an evaluator helps us improve our listening skills. It also helps us improve our speaking skills as we must prepare and deliver an evaluation (a speech!) in a short period of time.

Being an evaluator challenges us to provide feedback for improvement in a way which will allow the speaker to improve their communication skills to be more effective next time.

It also challenges us to provide feedback in a positive manner.

When you get the assignment to evaluate a speaker;
· Be prepared.
· Listen.
· Give constructive feedback on the effectiveness of the speaker’s communication skills.
· Build up the speaker’s confidence and inspire them to keep improving.

This world of ours needs effective communicators. As an evaluator you can become one and help a fellow toastmaster become one as well.