There is a difference between judgement and feedback. Judgement is what you said was wrong while feedback is “this is how. I felt about your speech.” This enables people to find out which area they can improve.
-Loghandran Krishnasamy, First Runner Up, WCPS 2008, taken from this article.
Posted under Quote
This post was written by john on November 29, 2008
Today is “Don’t Utter a Word Day.” That may not be practical for most people although it is definitely a day to practice listening more than usual.
Posted under General
This post was written by john on November 25, 2008
Before & After Magazine recently had a contest to design a boring book cover. I was intrigued by the task enough that I decided to enter.
It appears that Before & After are critiquing all of the submissions! Neat! My entry made it into the first round of evaluations.
This was a stroke of genius by Before & After. It gives them lots of learning examples to share. The evaluations of the book covers are very interesting. By knowing how to create something boring, you can learn how to create something not so boring.
Some things to think about:
Posted under General
This post was written by john on November 24, 2008
anything, as deceptive words or actions, used to cover up or gloss over faults, errors, or wrongdoings, or absolve a wrongdoer from blame.
from dictionary.com
In Toastmasters, a “whitewash” usually refers to an evaluation that lacks critique. No areas for improvement are suggested. A whitewash can be quite frustrating as an opportuity to grow is lost.
Often a whitewash will come from an inexperienced Toastmaster, giving an evaluation to an experienced Toastmaster. We need to remember that there is no such thing as a perfect speech and that every point of view is valid.
To prevent giving a whitewash, incorporate the phrase “I would have liked to have seen you…” into your evaluation. Hopefully something will follow that you can give to the speaker.
If all else fails and you have no constructive feedback to give, tell the audience up front that you struggled finding an area for improvement and that you will open it up to the audience for suggestions. Then, ask for suggestions in the middle of your evaluation (making sure to frame, or sandwich, constructive criticism). This way the speaker will get something to work on and you may learn what to say next time.
Posted under Definition
This post was written by john on November 21, 2008
I just read an interesting article on Asking for Feedback today.
If you shoot off a quick email to everyone you know asking for their opinion you have no control on what you receive. Will it be helpful to you? Will it be actionable? If all you are looking for is acknowledgment then by all means go ahead. However, if you want to use the feedback to improve, then you need a different approach.
Spend some time thinking about the kind of feedback you desire. Make a list. Then, match that list to the people you can ask. Send a personalized email to that person asking for the specific feedback. You should also include why you are asking that person as it will likely make them feel good and also provide you better feedback.
Instead of asking:
Friends, please tell me what you think of my new website.
Consider:
Diane, I love your sense of design and how you make things look simple. Could you please give me 3 suggestions on how I can make my new website simpler.
Posted under General
This post was written by john on November 18, 2008
You can learn a lot more from listening than you can from talking. Find someone with whom you don’t agree in the slightest and ask them to explain themselves at length. Then take a seat, shut your mouth, and don’t argue back. It’s physically impossible to listen with your mouth open.
– John Moe
Posted under Quote
This post was written by john on November 16, 2008
Stewie from Family Guy shows how to give an effective evaluation.
While we are at it, here is a criticism sandwich.
Posted under Toastmasters
This post was written by john on November 13, 2008
Truly, constructive criticism conveys that indispensable degree of honesty through a combination of credibility and skilled diplomacy
That quote came from an excellent article on AskMen.com.
The article lists 8 points on giving constructive criticism:
I would add that appropriate language involves removing the word “you” as much as possible. As an example, you could say:
You did not come across as sincere.
Or you could say:
I did not feel sincerity come across when I listened to the speech.
The first way seems to be stating a fact that the problem lies with the recipient. The second way clearly suggests that this is a personal opinion.
Focusing on what can be done is critical. In the above example, only mention that you didn’t feel sincerity if you have a suggestion for how that sincerity could be conveyed. As an example, maybe the recipient could maintain eye contact longer. Without the specific suggestion, the criticism is a waste.
Posted under General
This post was written by john on November 10, 2008
