The advanced Toastmaster club I belong to prides itself on the strong, helpful level of evaluations offered to speakers. On occasion, we get a speaker who doesn’t find the evaluations helpful and may indeed take offence. While the “offended” Toastmaster always has the option just to pack up their bags and leave I think their objections should be examined.
Apparently the club president feels the same way and has proposed a 15-minute open discussion about how we evaluate.
I was one of the speakers at the last meeting and my evaluator was unflinchingly direct. His comments were exceptionally helpful in the context of the advanced meeting. This is why we have an advanced club.
Our area governor visited the advanced club and found the evaluations were too harsh. But that comes as no surprise to me. Some area governors haven’t been with Toastmasters for a long time. Also, regardless of the time they’ve been a member, it’s likely they’ve never experienced an advanced club meeting.
I know when I first started with the advanced club I found the evaluations way too strong. Over time I’ve changed my mind. For the most part I find all of the comments, regardless of strength, to be helpful, valuable and offered with great concern to make me a better speaker and evaluator. I can’t buy this kind of feedback.
