GENERAL EVALUATOR

One of the purposes of Toastmasters is personal growth through profiting from prior experience. To profit from an experience, it must be critically analyzed and constructive suggestions for improvement developed. Your job as General Evaluator is critical to the success of a meeting since you are in charge of possibly the most important phase of the program. To meet this responsibility, here are some suggestions that may help:

1.   If you have not heard from the Toastmaster four days prior to the meeting, contact him or her to find out each Speaker’s name, speech number, and length of speech.

2.   Check the roster to obtain information on your Evaluators’ speech level. Assign Evaluators to Speakers based upon experience level. For example, try to avoid putting an Evaluator who has only given three speeches with an advanced level Speaker if at all possible.

3.   Call the Evaluators to inform them which Speaker they will be evaluating. Encourage them to contact the Speaker as soon as possible.

4.   Obtain information in which to introduce each Evaluator.

5.   Remember, the Evaluator grows as much from an evaluation as the Speaker. He or she must carefully listen, critically analyze, and constructively suggest ways of improving the Speakers’ delivery and content. Make sure they understand the importance of the job, and that proper preparation is important on their part, as well as the Speaker, if they are going to gain from this experience.

6.   Work up your part in the program: Your introduction, your objectives as General Evaluator, the objectives and introductions of the Evaluators.

7.   Arrive at the meeting early and check with the Toastmaster for any last minute changes in the program. Check on the Evaluators, making any necessary adjustments.

8.   Confidently lead your evaluation team. Make sure you emphasize a strong evaluation tone. Emphasis should not be overly positive; it should be a constructive analysis for improvement.

9.   Begin evaluating the meeting from the moment you walk through the door. REMEMBER: You determine the overall effectiveness of future meetings by pointing out weaknesses of this meeting. Your evaluation of the meeting should consider both what has been done right and what has been done wrong!

Points to consider:

A.   Was the program planned and assignments made far enough in advance for a good program to be developed?

B.   How many times were you contacted before the meeting? Was there proper coordination between the Toastmaster and the General Evaluator?

C.   What was the attitude of those who were assigned responsibilities?

D.   Did the Sergeant-At-Arms do his job properly?

E.   Did the Sergeant-At-Arms create a jovial mood, a friendly atmosphere? Did he greet guests? Did he arrive on time? Did he set up the meeting properly?

F.   Were guests properly introduced?

G.   Did the presiding officer start the meeting off on the right foot?

H.   Were Table Topics successful? Did they accomplish their purpose? Did they maintain an enthusiastic, interesting meeting pace?

I.    Did the Toastmaster handle his responsibility properly?

J.    Was the audience receptive and helpful to the speakers?

K.   How accurate were the evaluators? Did an evaluation become a "whitewash"?

L.   What is your overall evaluation of the meeting?

10.        Your part of the program ends as you:

A.    Obtain the Grammarian, Timer, Ah-Counter, Posture Bell and Listener’s report.

B.    Make your report.

C.    Turn it back over to the Toastmaster.