Being in the throes of the Holiday season, I am focusing a lot of my time on giving. Gifts for my family and friends, the gift of time for worthy causes, and the gift of feedback to public speakers.
I have identified three types of feedback gifts that it is possible to give to experienced speakers:
- The Re-gift – the evaluator passes along wisdom they have received with little thought. Evaluators hear that vocal variety is important, so they pass this nugget on without regard to whether it would actually improve the speech or the speaker. Not all speeches would be better with more vocal variety.
- The Thoughtful Gift – the evaluator puts a lot of thought put into this gift. If the speaker really takes to heart this feedback they will definitely be a better speaker…in your opinion. Their speech will be dynamic and compelling if only they used the active voice. Not all speakers would be better if they took your advice.
- The Gift of Receiving – the evaluator does not give this gift directly. Instead, the evaluator describes gifts received from the speaker. The focus is not on what was done well, or could be done differently, but instead on how the speaker touched the evaluator Surely all speakers want to know how they touch their audience?
When starting out in Toastmasters, we model the behavior of more seasoned members. We re-gift the advice we have received.
As we grow, we learn to create unique feedback based on our experiences. This feedback can be very good and helpful to the right person.
Finally, you can transcend to a new level by not “trying” to help the other person. Instead you, as the evaluator, express how the speaker made you feel. The speaker is free to create their own advice from your experience. Often experienced speakers know what techniques they used effectively and what needs work. They need feedback that goes beyond mechanics. If they are to become great public speakers, they need to get into the minds of their audience.
What kind of gift are you giving?
Inspired by the Public Speaking Holiday carnival. Check it out: http://www.definiscommunications.com/blog/public-speaking-and-the-holidays/
Posted under evaluations
This post was written by admin on December 13, 2009
