Evaluator  Guide

The information below is from the Communication and Leadership Manual (a.k.a. Basic Manual).  Refer to this manual for more information but note some of the meeting roles and responsibilities have been modified to fit LOTC interests.

If you have any questions, contact the General Evaluator.

For every prepared speech, the speaker receives an evaluation

Complement and build on the speaker’s strengths and offer suggestions to improve their weaknesses.  The evaluator must be fully ware of the speaker’s skill level, habits and mannerisms, as well as their progress to date.  The tone and content of the evaluation must be appropriate to the speaker’s level of speaking. The purpose of the evaluation is to help the speaker become less self-conscious and a better speaker. 

Early in the week:

 

• If you have any questions about your responsibilities contact the General Evaluator.

Right before the meeting:

 

• Sit near the front of the room for quick and easy access to the lectern.
• Discuss the speaker’s speech objectives and personal objectives.   Take note of the speaker’s time limit.

During the meeting:

 

• Record your impression of the speech in the speaker’s manual along with your answers to the evaluation questions.  Be objective.  Remember that good evaluations may give new life to discouraged members and poor evaluations may dishearten members who tried their best.  Always leave the speaker with specific methods for improvements.
• The General Evaluator will call on you to give your evaluation. 
• As you begin your evaluation, acknowledge the speaker you are evaluating.  Begin and end your evaluation with a note of encouragement or praise.
• Make the evaluation appropriate to the speaker’s experience level.  Evaluations of new speakers should stress their strengths and offer one suggestion.  Evaluations of more experienced members should include more suggestions and alternative techniques that they can use.
• Don’t try to cover too much in your talk -- possibly one point on organization, one on delivery and one on attainment of the purpose with a statement about the greatest asset and one suggestion for future improvement.
• The evaluation can make the difference between a worthwhile or a wasted speech.   Praise a successful speech and specifically tell why it was successful.  Don’t allow the speaker to remain unaware of valuable asset such as a smile, a sense of humor or a good voice.  Don’t allow the speaker to remain ignorant of a serious fault or mannerism; if it is personal, write it but don’t mention it aloud.
• Give the speaker the deserved praise and tactful suggestions in the manner you would like to receive them when you are the speaker.

After the meeting:

• Discuss your evaluation with the speaker and return their manual.