Speaker evaluations
Speaker evaluations
(OP)
At most professional society meetings where formal papers are presented, members of the audience are expected to turn-in evaluations of the speaker and presentation.
I have always given my honest opinion, which is not always good.
Several people have suggested that it is simply "polite" to give good marks regardless of the quality. My feeling is that without honest evaluation, the speaker is robbed of an opportunity for self-improvement.
What do you do, and why?
I have always given my honest opinion, which is not always good.
Several people have suggested that it is simply "polite" to give good marks regardless of the quality. My feeling is that without honest evaluation, the speaker is robbed of an opportunity for self-improvement.
What do you do, and why?





RE: Speaker evaluations
RE: Speaker evaluations
RE: Speaker evaluations
The evaluation forms are all read through by the whole committee the night after the event and we do appreciate the "grades" and any comments provided. Generally, we usually have a pretty good idea what to expect, although sometimes there are surprises. But it does help us get better at providing good quality programs each year so they do help us and, in turn, help the engineers who attend.
RE: Speaker evaluations
If your "several people" include any "HR weenies" (I would use a stronger pejorative in person), then any response short of "Beautiful prose, Perfect Delivery, and Walks on Water Too", could be a career decision for you.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Speaker evaluations
Now,there are ways and ways to say that a person sucked. One way (the wrong one IMHO)is:"You sucked". A more productive approach is:"I would improve this and that".
RE: Speaker evaluations
That's now how I make my own comments.
TygerDawg
RE: Speaker evaluations
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Speaker evaluations
-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!
RE: Speaker evaluations
For example, a technical presentation about building technology to the American Society of Civil Engineers must have a general organization that involves people from varying backgrounds, whereas the same technical presentation to structural steel skyscraper engineers might with the same generalities alienate a larger segment of the audience.
In my evaluation of a technical presentation, I would tend not to judge the manner of his speech and focus more on the organization and content of his presentation. If I would have a problem with any speaker issue that prevented me from understanding anything he said, I would interrupt him during the presentation or simply make a short, sharp suggestion on the evaluation sheet, "Try Toastmasters!"
RE: Speaker evaluations
Where can we improve? Honesty means it gets better next time!
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The difference is quite enlightening and, I think, improved what we do.
RE: Speaker evaluations
The results were carefully anonymous and comments such as "it sucked" were filtered out.
Properly reviewed for content and presentation, these are a valuable feedback.
My own presentation came in mid range for which I was unbelievably greatful. At the same time I wondered whether they would have filtered out my own comments on my own presentation? I'd left that part of the form blank but now I wonder if I should have given myself top marks. Given the manner in which the rsults were processed I am quite sure I could have put what I liked for my own presentation and they would have been filtered.
Incidentally, I had to agree pretty much with the results for all speakers.
One thing, having done a customer services training course, the one thing instilled in us was to never present a grading system that presents options for "neither agree nor disagree" but which force you to elect either a positive or a negative appraisal. That way you force meaningful instead of polite replies.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Speaker evaluations
Try and keep it polite & constructive but don't lie.
Even most 1-5 or similar score cards I've seen have a section for comments.
I always try to fill out the forms at conferences etc, seems only fair (especially for any volunteers etc) as they've made the effort to get up there.
At Universtiy they had to grade lecturers. It was meant to be anonymous. Our computing lecturer wasn't a great teacher, English was his second language and I think he anticipated bad scores. He asked us to fill in one form anonymously and one form with our name on, I think he even said he expected the ones with names on to have higher scores. I filled out both exactly same and still passed the course.
RE: Speaker evaluations
This way, you are both polite, honest and constructive.
What do you all think?
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: Speaker evaluations
A critique technique that I have learned is to start with at least one good remark, “ your suit was a perfect choice or you have a strong voice and good diction.” This sets the listener at ease and lets them hear the constructive criticism. Also, change your statements of judgement to curiosity, “ I wonder if you had to look at your paper so much because you weren’t given enough time to prepare” instead of saying “you looked down too much and I couldn’t hear you.”
"If you are going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!"
RE: Speaker evaluations
RE: Speaker evaluations
One man's really sucked could also be another man's really good.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Speaker evaluations
I'd rather see "the idiot didn't know what the heck he was talking about when he said ____" than a numeric evaluation that is all 5's.
David