Recently, I completed my path in Dynamic Leadership with the final speech Reflect on Your Path. I spoke briefly about all the speeches I have ever delivered, what I learned from them, and how I carried those learnings into the next ones. But when I look back now, I realize something else. My growth in Toastmasters wasn't only shaped by what I did on stage - it was shaped, sometimes even more deeply, by what I watched and heard from the audience seat.
One role in a Toastmasters meeting that I find the most difficult is the evaluator role. This role has frightened me more than I can tell you. Even now, I don't feel entirely at ease when I'm assigned to evaluate. It's the kind of role that demands full attention - and I used to live in my own head. The evaluator role forced me to sit up, focus, listen, and think all at once. My brain would jump straight to what went wrong - the recommendations - and only after the speech ended would I pause and think: what was actually good?
Evaluating experienced speakers was easier. Their strengths stood out, and they rarely took offence. With newer speakers, it was more challenging. I didn't want to come across as insincere, yet I also didn't want to discourage them. Balancing honesty with kindness was a skill I had to learn the hard way.
On the other end of the spectrum was the timer role - the most relaxed role I've done. I've played it so many times in my club that people know I'm a timer pro now. It became a bit of a running joke that I would show up wearing red - so in case I lost the red card or the speaker didn't stop, I could just stand up and stop them myself. It added a layer of humour unintentionally but made the role even more fun.
The evaluator role scared me as much as the timer role helped me be at more ease. In both cases, I got to listen to someone else on stage, right in front of me - and that, over time, made me more alert. Without realizing it, I was absorbing all the nuances I needed to bring into my own delivery: the gestures, the vocal variety, how someone adds humour, uses props, or simply carries themselves. Watching others helped me more than just delivering speeches myself.
What helped me gradually overcome this fear of evaluating speeches was repetition and reflection, at my home club, Gurugram Professional Toastmasters.
When I began my Toastmasters journey, I didn't understand the real value of the evaluator role. I thought it was just about giving feedback. But I've come to realize that being an evaluator
teaches you to be a better speaker. You become more aware of structure, impact, delivery, and engagement.
So how did I overcome this fear? Here are my three golden secrets:
Practice, practice, practice.
There's no shortcut. I've evaluated in my club, at other clubs, and as a judge in contests. The more you do it, the better you get. Watching others - veterans or newcomers - teaches you what works and what doesn't. And when you go beyond your club, you bring back deeper insights - not just for evaluations, but for your own speeches too. Lesson: Grow comfortable with moving out of your comfort zone.
The CRC approach.
For a while, I misunderstood CRC as Commendation, Recommendation, Challenge - because the evaluation forms lay it out that way. But the CRC approach in my club follows a sandwich method: Commendation, Recommendation, Commendation. This helped me strike the right balance. Two focused suggestions wrapped in sincere praise are far more effective than overloading someone with critique. Lesson: Look for good in everything you see around, then focus with a critical lens, close with summary of good. Motivate and inspire.
Read the evaluation form - really read it.
In the beginning, I had little patience. I admit - I barely read the evaluation form and often skipped the notes for the evaluator. Over time, I realized the form gives you everything you need. It tells you what to watch for and what to highlight. Now, before every meeting, I review the form in advance - especially the project objectives and timings. That preparation makes all the difference. Lesson: Read documentation carefully before proceeding with a task. Spending time on background clarity makes the outcome better.
Learning to Listen
A speech and its evaluation are yin and yang - one cannot truly live without the other. We often forget that an evaluation is a speech in itself. It demands the same clarity, structure, intention, and presence. For me, the turning point wasn't about learning to speak - it was about learning to listen, to reflect as much as I express. That balance is what I now strive for - because it shapes not just a better evaluator, but a stronger speaker, and ultimately a better human being.
