Ralph Smedley wrote that becoming a good speech critic takes as much skill as becoming an art or literary critic. At Toastmasters International meetings we become speech critics each time we stand up to give an evaluation.The only reason we don't call our words criticisms is because the word has a negative connotations. People we accuse of criticising are people who are blaming, negative and fault finding.
Have you seen the food critic in the animated film Ratatouille? He's called Anton Ego. People step back in fear when he walks by and a bad review from him can be the end of your career and with it your life!
Why is he called Ego? Because only his opinion matters, he doesn't care about the consequences for those he reviews.
Here are a few quotes from Anton Ego:
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgement.No-one should be given such power with no come back. Here are a few ways that the Toastmasters International meeting structure prevents this:
1. There is a General Evaluator who evaluates the evaluators. But who evaluates the General Evaluator you ask? Well thanks to the new Competent Leader manual there will be someone in the audience evaluating them!
2. There is also the audience vote for the best evaluator.
We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read.Yes it really is. But would I want to be at the receiving end? Not for anything in the world! Its like getting hurt, its only funny when happens to other people...
You’ve been playing without an opponent, which is, as you may have guessed, against the rules.A true critique should be a way for everyone to improve. A true evaluator is your comrade in arms not your opponent. We look to them for help encouragement and advice not to put obstacles in the way of our success.
But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.It is worthwhile keeping a sense of perspective. Those people you evaluate today will be making speeches in the future long after your words are forgotten. If you have done your job well then people will be eager for your advice and will improve as a result of receiving it, if you haven't then they will step away in fear and may become even more afraid to speak. The end result is up to you, which type of critic would you like to be?
