Here is a suggested approach on how to use effective evaluations to
-
Learn how to improve presentations
-
Communicate in a more effective manner
-
Improve leadership skills
Last week one of the highlights was visiting a classroom of 16 and 17 year old students in a local high school.
In this particular class they were expected to give short presentations and thus had lots of questions about presentations in regard to:
- body language and how to appear open and confident;
- how to control your body and movements once you are speaking;
- how to vary and maximize use of tone in a presentation;
- how to prepare for a presentation;
- how to memorize your speech;
- reducing the use of verbal fillers such as umm, yeah, so and like;
- what some of the strategies are that a confident speaker can use to vary the tone of the presentation;
- what the effective uses are for rhetorical questions, anecdotes;
- how to deliver an actual “hook” for the audience;
- how to have an effective closing.
In the 60 minutes we had together, here was an effective approach that worked well.
I figured if you know how to evaluate a presentation it means you know what works and does not work. Thus I brought some small quarter page evaluation forms which have three questions.
-
What did I like about the presentation / strengths?
-
What could be improved upon?
-
What was my favourite part?
Then we had some of the students volunteer to give an impromptu short presentation. We heard some excellent topics such as:
- When hiking in the woods, make sure you take bear spray / bear bangers;
- Diving with Bull Sharks in Fiji and witnessing a shark attack;
- Hiking to a waterfall in Jamaica,;
- some others.
After each presentation, we discussed the three questions as a group. This raised lots of questions and also informed them on how to use evaluations effectively.
Using this technique, the students not only discovered how to improve their own presentations, but also learned a valuable communication technique that can be used with friends, family and at work.
This technique is a very positive way to make suggestions for improvement without appearing critical. If we criticize someone everyone feels the negativity. If we praise their efforts, make suggestions for improvement, and end on a very positive note, everyone benefits.
This approach can be used by youth with adults when they wish to suggest some changes.
I would highly recommend this approach with your group of youth.
They will be involved and learn how to apply effective evaluations which will improve their communications and make them outstanding in that aspect of leadership.
If you wish to comment or add your thoughts, please do so.
Wishing you lots of love and laughter, as always.
Fred Jones
Victoria, BC Canada
Fred Jones