Sep 24, 2009

September Reading: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

How speech evaluations can help - or hurt.

from the August 2009 Toastmaster

Some time ago I presented a three-hour workshop called “Push-ups for Self-Esteem.” After the session, the meeting planner and I looked over the evaluations. The first three I picked up were from people who had graded the workshop “poor” on everything: the room, the food, the location, the hotel and the speaker. The third person even wrote, “I have been more stimulated at a Tupperware party!”

Find the full text at:

http://www.toastmasters.org/ToastmastersMagazine/ToastmasterArchive/2009/August/The-Good.aspx

Click on the link below to listen to the interview with the author, Carol Dean Schreiner, DTM:

http://www.toastmasterspodcast.com/members/toastmasters/blog/VIEW/00000017/00000236/Toastmasters-Podcast-006-Interview-with-Carol-Dean-Schreiner-DTM.html

Notes:

the rest of the stack
►the remainder
-- a hard disk can be replaced with flash memory while all the rest of the stack stays unchanged.

what/why/how etc. on earth ...?
►[spoken] used to ask a question when you are very surprised or angry
-- What on earth did you do that for?

die down
►To lose strength; subside
--The winds died down.

drive home
►carry out or perform; "deliver an attack", "deliver a blow";
--The boxer drove home a solid left"
►make clear by special emphasis and try to convince somebody of something; make something completely clear to someone
-- drive home a point or an argument
--I'm trying to drive home these basic ideas
--He didn't have to drive the point home. The videotape had done that.


gloss over
►to avoid talking about something unpleasant, or to say as little as possible about it
►cover up a misdemeanor, fault, or error
--She tried to gloss over her mistakes
--It is bad policy to gloss over the difficulties.


pick on somebody/something
►to behave in an unfair way to someone, for example by blaming them or criticizing them unfairly
--Why pick on me every time?

in any case
►whatever happens or happened
--I don't see why I couldn't do it. In any case, I'm going to try.
--He's too young to come and in any case I want him to spend the time with Mom.


take advantage of somebody
►to treat someone unfairly in order to get what you want, especially someone who is generous or easily persuaded
--Don't lend them the car - they're taking advantage of you!

take advantage of something (to do something)
►to use a particular situation to do or get what you want
--I took advantage of the good weather to paint the shed.
--You'll want to take full advantage of the beachfront clubs.

No comments:

Post a Comment