Last week, after my speech in an external club, I picked up one of those tiny slips of paper we pass around in Toastmasters meetings. The ones where the audience scribbles quick feedback for the speaker.
I gathered mine, they were majorly from toastmasters, when i sat down, i opened the first one, and the words stung.
“Cliche”
“Corny.”
“Redundant.”
“Slow-paced.”
Now, being a senior Toastmaster and in the Speaking industry, I’ve developed a level of thick skin. I can handle such criticism. I can smile, laugh it off, and move forward. But still… it worried me. Not because of the words themselves, I know my style, and I know how to adjust, But what worried me was this: what if the same person gave this kind of feedback to a brand-new Toastmaster, a fresher, or someone sensitive?
Someone walking on stage for the very first time. Nervous, vulnerable, desperate for a little encouragement. What if they opened their first feedback slip and saw only words like “corny” or “bad” with no suggestion, no direction, no helping hand? That could crush a new speaker. It could silence them before their journey even begins. And that, my friends, is not what Toastmasters is about.
As Toastmasters, we are not just speakers. We are evaluators. Mentors. Builders of confidence. Our role is not simply to point out what went wrong. Anyone can do that. But a Toastmaster? A true Toastmaster goes further.
– If you tell me, “Ray, your intro felt monotonous”, then also tell me, “Try starting with a story or a question next time , it might grab attention faster.”
– If you say, “Ray, you were slow”, then show me, “Maybe vary your pace, build energy during key moments, then slow down for impact.”
That’s how we grow. That’s how we learn.
Feedback without guidance is not feedback, it’s just criticism. And criticism alone does not build. It breaks.
So let us remember: when we evaluate or even give tiny pieces of feedback, we hold someone’s confidence in our hands. Let’s not drop it carelessly. Let’s nurture it, shape it, and strengthen it. Because one encouraging suggestion can launch a young speaker to greatness and one careless comment can silence a voice forever.
That’s why I always say:
– A good evaluator finds room for improvement.
– A great evaluator shapes the way forward.
