How do you take notes for your evaluations? Many people have templates they use such as dividing the page into 2 sections, one for positives, and one for negatives. Another template I have heard of is 3 sections, one each for how the speech made them think, feel, and act.
I came across a different note taking method today. While not focused specifically on evaluations, I think it could be used for it. It is the Cornell Note-Taking System. The best source of information on how to use the Cornell Note-Taking System, I found at LifeHacker.
Enjoy, and let me know how it works for you.
Posted under evaluations
This post was written by john on July 21, 2009
Howsabout a 3-part homemade form that looks like this:
Part 1 – Positives
Part 2 – Improvement Opportunities
Part 3 – More Positives
By splitting up your positives, you ensure closing your evaluation with a healthy dose of constructive feedback, and avoiding the classic dreary ending of “I really enjoyed your speech, and I can’t wait to hear the next one.” I do this all the time, by simply taking an 8 1/2 x 11″ piece of paper out and transposing comments from the project manual as well as my other observations onto this form. I deliberately hand print bullets to force me into speaking from my memory and heart, which can then avoid the looking into the project manual trying to read what is usually tiny writing.
Try this in your next evaluation and let me know how it works. I call it speaking from your listening soul, and isn’t that where your real impressions of the speaker and his speech lie?