This month marks my 5-year anniversary as a Toastmaster member. I’ve attended regularly in both St. Paul MN and my home town.

Coincidentally, I’ve had two “corrections” by colleagues this week. In both cases, I accepted the evaluative correction gracefully, without the defensiveness or internal churning that I have experienced in my past. Both colleagues meant well, and their suggestions were helpful.

It never used to be that way. Evaluation by anyone would send me into an emotional tailspin. I think it is the even-tempered evaluation method of Toastmasters, dosed out over 200+ meetings, that has helped me to accept any feedback calmly and give feedback kindly and thoroughly.

An unofficial Toastmaster motto is, “Nobody is a perfect presenter.” Its corollary is, “Nobody is a perfect evaluator.” The format for Toastmaster evaluation is “praise/positive suggestions/praise.” I’m no longer afraid to give or get evaluations because I view the process as necessary and helpful.