DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

DISTINGUISHED

TOASTMASTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Your Assignment

Assess Your Skills

Competencies

Distinguished Leadership

Public Speaking

Ethics

Selecting a Project

Build Your Team

Complete Your Project

Analyzing the Results of Your Project

Review and Apply

Complete Your Assignment

Resources

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

www.toastmasters.org

Toastmasters International, the Toastmasters International logo, and all other

Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property

of Toastmasters International and may be used only with permission.

Rev. 11/2016 Item 8599

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on reaching the point in your Toastmasters journey when you

are on the verge of achieving your DTM award. You have shown tremendous

commitment and deserve the highest level of acknowledgment for your eﬀort

and volunteerism.

As a DTM, you represent the very best of what Toastmasters has to oﬀer. You have

shown excellent leadership abilities and built your public speaking skills to the

exemplary level that is expected of a committed and accomplished member of

Toastmasters International.

In this project, you will demonstrate your skills as a public speaker and share

your knowledge of leadership by applying what you have learned in your paths.

You will design a beneﬁcial project and lead a team from inception through

completion. You will demonstrate a clear understanding of ethical leadership and

Toastmasters values.

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For all

assignment

details and

requirements,

review the

Project Checklist

on page 19.

Throughout this project you will see icons in the margins next to the text.

These icons indicate additional resources available online.

Interactive Activity: Sign in to Base Camp to complete an

interactive activity.

Resource: Sign in to Base Camp to view this resource

online.

Video: Sign in to Base Camp to watch a video that supports

this project.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to demonstrate your skills as a leader and

a public speaker.

Overview: Plan and complete a project that beneﬁts an organization. You may

choose to revisit any previous Toastmasters Pathways project that contains

information to help you complete your project. Develop a team and design a plan.

Deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to share your plan. Organize

the project and lead your team to complete it. Ask members of your team, the

organization, and a peer to complete a 360° evaluation of your leadership skills.

Deliver an 8- to 10-minute speech at a club meeting to review your project, its

outcomes, beneﬁts, and the lessons you learned.

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Pre-Project Statement Post-Project

4 3 2 1

I understand all of the skills required to be an excellent

speaker.

5 4 3 2 1

4 3 2 1

I am able to apply what I have learned in Toastmasters

Pathways to my current leadership project.

5 4 3 2 1

I can conﬁdently design a project that beneﬁts

Toastmasters International or another organization.

5 4 3 2 1

I am comfortable leading a team from the inception of a

beneﬁcial project through its completion.

5 4 3 2 1

I have a clear understanding of ethical leadership and

Toastmasters values.

5 4 3 2 1

I demonstrate ethical leadership and Toastmasters

values in my leadership roles.

5 4 3 2 1

I recognize how this project applies to my life outside

of Toastmasters.

5 4 3 2 1

EXEMPLARY

ACCOMPLISHED

EXCEL

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

Evaluate your current skill level by rating each statement.

Select the appropriate number based on your skills today:

ASSESS YOUR SKILLS

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COMPETENCIES

The following is a list of competencies that you will

learn and practice in this project.

■ Demonstrate excellent public speaking skills.

■ Apply learning from previous paths to current leadership project.

■ Design a beneﬁcial project.

■ Lead a team from inception of a beneﬁcial project through completion.

■ Demonstrate a clear understanding ethical leadership and Toastmasters values.

DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP

You have completed many projects and led a variety of teams through this point

in your Toastmasters journey. Every path in the education program is as unique

as the individual who completes it. Each member chooses her topics and designs

projects that ﬁt the values and skills she wants to learn.

Some sections of this project will be a review of content you completed in your

paths and some of it will be new. All of the material is here to help you synthesize

your learning into eﬀectively leading a small group through the completion of a

beneﬁcial project.

For example, you may choose to develop a successful plan for promoting your

Toastmasters club, complete the promotion, and share it with the leaders in your

district to communicate to other clubs. You may also choose to do a project to

beneﬁt a diﬀerent organization by developing a fundraising plan or designing a

plan to collect donations of needed items.

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PUBLIC SPEAKING

This project includes two formal speeches presented at your Toastmasters club.

You will complete many more formal and informal presentations as you lead your

team to the accomplishment of your goal.

For members who are conﬁdent public speakers with skills honed over years

of membership, this will be a pleasure and likely represent their favorite part of

the project. For members who still struggle to present to an audience or lack

conﬁdence as public speakers, the speeches may present their greatest challenge.

DEMONSTRATE YOUR SKILL

The Distinguished Toastmaster award is the highest award Toastmasters

bestows on members. It requires years of commitment and countless hours of

volunteerism. It is expected that members will spend those years focused on

developing exemplary public speaking skills. Use the speeches in this project to

demonstrate your skill and share how far you have come during your Toastmasters

journey. Take the time to review public speaking skills you need to revisit and be

well-prepared for these very important speeches.

ETHICS

One of the greatest challenges facing any leader motivated to make ethical

choices is deﬁning ethics. At face value, it should be a simple, straightforward

assessment of what is right and what is wrong. Most leaders soon discover that

right and wrong can be open to interpretation. Ethical choices can be aﬀected by

many factors including: the situation, culture, professional expectations, and the

rules set by an organization.

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To make ethical decisions, you have to start with an ethical framework.

DEFINING YOUR ETHICAL FRAMEWORK

Your ethical framework is developed over time through your experience, learning,

and the impact of role models in your life. It is assembled from everything that

makes you who you are.

An ethical structure is necessary to provide a foundation for making ethical

choices. The content of your framework is unique to you and is not necessarily

permanent; it may adjust over time and in diﬀerent situations. Having a framework

in place, one that you have thought about and questioned, allows you to make

diﬃcult ethical decisions. It is the diﬀerence between driving a car when you are

trained and licensed and choosing to drive without any training at all, struggling

until you learn what to do and endangering people around you.

The three characteristics of a useful ethical framework include internal

consistency, proactivity, and a design that is dynamic enough to adjust to

diﬀerent settings and decisions.

Internal Consistency

Internal consistency is a pattern of principles that work well together. Your

framework should not include principles that contradict each other. For

instance, if you establish a framework that includes the idea that honesty is

fundamental, and also that it is acceptable to be dishonest if you are under

pressure, then you have an inconsistent set of principles.

Proactivity

The importance of proactivity is that it gives you a basis for what to do,

instead of what not to do. By deﬁning proactive principles, you are able to

look at diﬃcult decisions in a way that moves you toward a solution, rather

than reacting to a challenge by hoping only to avoid a negative impact.

Dynamism

The third characteristic of a useful framework is dynamism. To keep your

ethical framework dynamic, you will need to reevaluate and adjust it as your

ethical thinking evolves. Ethics can be aﬀected by a change in position within

a company or organization, adjustments in your personal life, the passage

of time, or other circumstances. Openly evaluating your ethical thinking will

help you prepare for challenges, both expected and unexpected.

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PERSONAL ETHICS AND ORGANIZATIONAL

ETHICS

The vision, mission, and ethical framework of organizations you associate with

need to align with your personal ethical framework. For example, if you are a

highly collaborative leader and belong to an organization that expects its leaders

to make unilateral decisions, you will be at odds with the organization. The

situation will be diﬃcult for you and a challenge for other members.

UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE

The ethical challenge in this situation is deciding whether or not to accept a

position knowing you will either work in opposition to your principles or refuse to

uphold those of an organization.

It is important to keep in mind that you are responsible for upholding the values,

ethics, and rules of any organization you choose to associate with, even if they

are diﬀerent from your own. The only exception to that rule would be if you

were speciﬁcally brought in to change the ethical framework and/or the culture

of an organization. In that situation, you would have been chosen speciﬁcally

for the ethics you bring to the group, not to support the organization’s current

framework.

You may choose to complete the Ethical Framework resource on page 27 to

formalize your framework. As you consider your values and your deﬁnition

of ethical behavior, it can be helpful to identify your core, or non-negotiable,

ethical values. These values are unique to you and represent those beliefs and

expectations that will not change or adjust regardless of the situation.

Take the time to do your own research about ethics, entering into your search

with the knowledge that ethics cannot be standardized. For every culture, belief

system, or organization there will be diﬀerences in what is viewed as ethical or

unethical behavior. It is up to you, as an individual, to ﬁnd your personal ethical

core and express it in a way that will guide your decisions.

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SELECTING A PROJECT

Deﬁne Your Project

The design of your project is yours to choose. The only expectation is that

your project will provide beneﬁt to Toastmasters or some other organization.

Be sure you plan goals that you feel a strong sense of commitment

to accomplishing. You may opt to use this project to work toward the

completion of a larger vision, one you have already deﬁned, or a new vision

that you develop as a result of working on this project.

As you deﬁne the scope of your project, be sure to balance working toward

the fulﬁllment of your vision with showing the result of your eﬀorts in a

reasonably short period of time. Consider the duration of commitment your

project will require from team members when making a ﬁnal decision.

Your project needs to be designed to provide you with a leadership role. You

may choose to complete a project within your Toastmasters club or district, or

for another organization.

Take the Lead

If you are a supervisor in a business, you can select a leadership project

related to the needs of the company. If you are an employee without

supervisory duties, you may want to ask your supervisor if you could take

responsibility for a project that would give you the opportunity to exercise

your leadership skills. You might select a project for your community, an

association, a service club, or a professional group.

You may also choose to work on a project for your Toastmasters club or

district, perhaps while serving as an oﬃcer or committee chair. For example, if

you are vice president education of your club, you are chair of the education

committee. During your term of oﬃce, you could lead the committee to

improve club meetings, build membership, or develop a stronger rapport in

your community.

Manage the Scope

As you reﬁne your options and develop your project, be sure that your plans

remain reasonable in scope—not too broad or too vague. Regardless of who

your project will beneﬁt, it must make a positive contribution to the cause or

organization you choose.

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IDENTIFY YOUR VISION

As you think about the diﬀerent projects you could complete with your team,

consider looking at completing a portion of a larger vision. A vision is a broad,

conceptual ideal for the future, created without limits. You may already have a

vision that you have dedicated time and energy to and have a project you would

like to complete in mind. If not, there is a wide variety of information available to

guide you in creating your vision. The following list is provided to help you start

the process.

Creative

The process of developing your vision is creative. Look beyond possessions

or monetary rewards and instead, focus on challenging yourself to create a

vision that enhances many areas of your life and is uniquely yours. Focusing

your vision primarily on ﬁnancial gain, even when it relates to a business or

organization, can limit your potential rather than broaden it.

Focused

For example, perhaps you run a retail company and your vision involves

tripling your market share from your current position. If you focus only on

market share, you may miss potential opportunities such as expanding

product lines or improving customer loyalty, both of which might be of

higher value in the future for you and your organization.

Taking time to develop your vision and allow for creative solutions and goals

to create a multilayered vision will enhance the process and help you identify

what is most important over time.

Documented

Record your thoughts and ideas. The smallest notion can lead to an expansive

possibility. Ignore any concerns over the attainability or feasibility of an idea.

It is important to list as many of your thoughts around your vision as possible.

The more information you include, the easier it is to identify your most

authentic vision.

Share your ideas with your team and encourage their input to help you identify a

project that moves you in the direction of fulﬁlling your goals.

Use your ideas and team members’ input to decide on a project. It may be clear

to you before you meet with your team exactly what you want to do, or you may

need a few days to consider all of the information before you select a project to

complete.

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Set Goals

Once you have your vision in place and your project chosen, step back and

look at the goals required to make your project a success. Focus on the goal,

not the timeframe.

After your goals are set, reﬁne them down to achievable tasks. Depending on

the size of your project, you may choose to focus on one or two primary or

larger goals.

You may use the Goal Setting Worksheet on page 28 and the Goal Task List on

page 29 to help you reﬁne your goals.

Speciﬁc

Make your goals speciﬁc. Instead of the general goal, “I’m going to work on

my Toastmasters project today,” make it more speciﬁc, such as, “I’m going to

ﬁnish my introduction today.”

Measurable

Set goals that can be measured. For example, stating, “I will write for 15

minutes today” is more eﬀective than saying, “I will write today.”

Attainable

Recognize what is attainable and realistic. Thinking, “I will be this year’s World

Champion of Public Speaking,” is less helpful than focusing on winning your

club contest. Winning the club contest is the ﬁrst step toward your broader

goal of winning the international honor.

Relevant

Determine how important your goal is to you and your life. You can gauge

a goal’s relevancy by deciding if you have time to take on a project at the

moment. It may be that something else needs to come ﬁrst.

Timely

Setting a due date for each goal helps you keep track of your objective. For

example, establish a speciﬁc date and time by which you want to ﬁnish your

project.

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DESIGN YOUR PLAN

When you have your vision, goals, and tasks divided, establish a timeframe for your

project. Start with the smallest, most accomplishable tasks and move through to

the larger, more time-consuming tasks, adding each to your plan. Once your plan

is complete, organize goals and tasks over your timeframe to create a timeline for

your project.

You may choose to use the Project Plan Overview on page 30 and Project Plan on

page 31 to develop your plan.

BUILD YOUR TEAM

As you have progressed through your path, you have worked with at least

one team to complete a project. You may have focused on delegating tasks,

motivating team members, or organizing the skills required to have a successful

outcome.

One of the greatest challenges facing a leader who is choosing members for a

new team is projecting how the group will work together.

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Rapport

You may choose individuals for your team with whom you have the greatest

rapport. Though this can work, it can create a situation in which the team is

ineﬀective if the skills of the group are not complementary or suitable for the

tasks you need to complete.

Choose Well

Regardless of your rapport, it is important to select people who work well

together, complement your leadership style, are motivated to participate, and

are excited about your project.

Match Skills

Consider each person’s skill set before you invite him or her to join your team.

You would not want to choose four innovators, and no team members who

are strong at fulﬁlling practical details.

Build Camaraderie

The ﬁrst activities you choose need to be designed to help team members

learn about each other. Even if the members have known each other in a

diﬀerent capacity, it could be the ﬁrst time the current group has worked

toward a common objective.

COMPLETE YOUR PROJECT

LEADING YOUR TEAM

During the organizational phase of your project, you may have had the

opportunity to lead your team as you established your plan. Once the project is

underway, your leadership skills will be more valuable than ever. You will need to

be prepared to meet the needs of your team while still maintaining the forward

progression of your project.

PROVIDING SUPPORT

For a team leader, providing support comes in the form of clearing obstacles

to enable the project to move forward. Speciﬁcally, a leader may oﬀer team

members encouragement, validation, or emotional support. Challenges may arise

that require you to make decisions or resolve conﬂicts between team members.

You may also need to be present to help the team accomplish speciﬁc tasks.

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A successful leader provides support by keeping the lines of communication open

between herself and her team, and among individual team members.

Fluid and eﬀective communication can eliminate many conﬂicts and challenges

before they arise.

DEVELOPMENT

Provide learning opportunities for each member of your team. Share what you

know and what you learn during the course of your project, but also encourage

team members to share their expertise. Allow time for cross-training between

team members on speciﬁc skill sets whenever possible. Encourage your team to

learn and share what they know.

APPRECIATION

Sincere praise and recognition can boost morale and increase commitment to

your project. Let your team members know you value their contributions. Each

milestone you reach is a good time to stop and review the good work they are

doing and what they have accomplished so far.

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PROGRESS REVIEW MEETINGS

As work progresses on the project, hold regular meetings with your team to keep

them informed. You may use this type of meeting to share the overall progress of

the project, acknowledge contributions, or give general feedback to the group.

Give each team member the opportunity to speak. By allowing team members

to express concerns and share successes, you establish an environment where

communication and appreciation ﬂourish.

In each meeting, address the highest priority items ﬁrst to make sure you

accomplish as much as possible in the allotted time. Review your agenda before

the meeting begins. If a single issue is particularly complex, it might be most

eﬃcient to talk about smaller items ﬁrst.

360° EVALUATIONS

At the conclusion of your project, invite stakeholders, including your team, to

complete a 360° evaluation. A 360° evaluation provides performance feedback

from all directions.

In a business setting, it would include responses from upper management,

supervisors, managers, peers, and those who report to an individual.

In a volunteer setting such as Toastmasters, a member might request feedback

from the president of his club, members of his team, and fellow Toastmasters who

are aﬀected by the work he has done.

In this project, you must get feedback from at least one member of your team. Be

sure to complete an evaluation on your performance as well. Self-assessment is a

powerful tool when combined with evaluations from others.

A 360° evaluation helps to provide a balanced view of your contributions

and performance within a group. You learn about your performance from

the observations and perceptions of others who see your work from diﬀerent

perspectives.

There are several ways you can enhance the experience and the result when you

receive a 360° evaluation from anyone, including a peer, a team member who

reports to you, or a supervisor for your project.

■ Develop a plan for implementing feedback directly from the evaluation.

■ Build on strengths and look for places you can grow skills in need of

development.

■ Use the process as an opportunity to consider your contributions and behaviors.

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CONDUCTING 360° EVALUATIONS

There are a variety of ways to conduct a 360° evaluation. Use the 360° Evaluation

provided with this project on page 34 to help you plan for your evaluation.

Choose the method of administration you feel is most eﬀective, whether face-to-

face, paper-based, or electronic.

Depending on the makeup of your team, you may want each member to

receive the beneﬁt of a 360° evaluation. It is your choice, but sharing this type of

evaluation can allow you to share with your team the beneﬁts of feedback from all

the stakeholders of your project, including you and their peers.

ANALYZING THE RESULTS OF YOUR

PROJECT

It is important to review the results of any project. The ability to reﬂect on success

and areas for growth is fundamental to developing skills as a leader. Just as you

would give team members feedback based on the results of their eﬀorts, you

need to evaluate the project as a whole and yourself as a leader.

REVIEW RESULTS

Analyze your eﬀorts and the eﬀorts of your team. For a successful project, evaluate

what contributed to the positive outcome. It might be the team members’

outstanding work, your ability to overcome obstacles, or a combination of the

two.

Even in the most successful projects, there are areas that could have been

completed in an easier, more eﬀective way. Consider what you would choose to

do diﬀerently in future projects.

CONDUCT A LESSONS LEARNED MEETING

The ability to learn from experience builds strength and understanding in any

environment. A lessons learned meeting is an opportunity to gather your team

and stakeholders to discuss both positive and negative aspects of your project.

A meeting of this type can be held after any milestone when review contributes

to the success of the project as well as when the project is complete.

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Reﬂect and Discuss

A lessons learned meeting involves reﬂection, analysis, and discussion. It is an

opportunity for everyone to contribute their unique perspective. Support all

participants in sharing issues they observed throughout the project, and let

them know that their input is valued. Create an environment of productivity

and openness.

Set the Tone

Your ﬁrst and most important job as the leader of a lessons learned

meeting is to set the tone. Begin by thanking all of your team members and

stakeholders for their hard work and participation. Identify the parts of your

project that were generally successful while allowing time for other opinions

and feedback.

Create a Record

Record all ideas, suggestions, and comments presented in the meeting.

Disseminate the meeting notes with team members via email, shared drive,

or printed document. Encourage all lessons learned meeting participants to

add suggestions to the record, even after the meeting is over. Use this record

as a reference when organizing future projects.

Apply Feedback

Applying feedback to future projects or events is the most important aspect

of the lessons learned process. A lessons learned meeting allows your team to

celebrate successes and identify what worked well for use in the future.

PRESENT YOUR RESULTS

The last step in your “Distinguished Toastmaster” project is to present the results

of your project to your club. This speech is longer than a traditional Toastmasters

speech to give you time to include information about how you designed your

project, your team-building process and your team, the process of developing

your project, and the end result of your eﬀort.

A highly important component of this presentation is your public speaking

skills. At this point in your Toastmasters journey, the expectation is that you will

be an outstanding public speaker. Be sure your speech is well-composed and

interesting. Make your transitions seamless and your visual aids, if you use them,

the highest quality possible.

You are showing the members of your club what the best of Toastmasters can be.

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REVIEW AND APPLY

What does it mean to you to be a Distinguished Toastmaster?

How can you lead ethically and apply Toastmasters values to your project?

What skills will you look for when building your team?

How will achieving the Distinguished Toastmaster award beneﬁt you both inside

Toastmasters and in your life outside of Toastmasters?

COMPLETE YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Now that you have read through the project, plan and prepare your speech or

report.

Review: Return to page 3 to complete your assignment.

Organize: Use the Project Checklist on page 19 to review the steps and add your

own. This will help you organize and prepare your assignment.

Schedule: Work with the vice president education to schedule your speeches.

Prepare: Prepare for your evaluation. Review the evaluation resources on pages

22–26 and share all resources with your evaluator before your speech. You may

choose to share your evaluation resources online.

Page 18 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 19

PROJECT CHECKLIST

Distinguished Toastmaster

Page 1 of 3

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to demonstrate your skills as a leader and a public speaker.

Overview: Plan and complete a project that benefits an organization. You may choose to revisit any previous

Toastmasters Pathways project that contains information to help you complete your project. Develop a team and

design a plan. Deliver a 5- to 7-minute speech at a club meeting to share your plan. Organize the project and lead

your team to complete it. Ask members of your team, the organization, and a peer to complete a 360° evaluation

of your leadership skills. Deliver an 8- to 10-minute speech at a club meeting to review your project, its outcomes,

benefits, and the lessons you learned.

This project includes:

■ Selecting, leading, and completing a project with a team

■ The Ethical Framework resource

■ The Goal Setting Worksheet

■ The Goal Task List resource

■ The Project Plan Overview resource

■ The Project Plan resource

■ The 360° Evaluation resource

■ A 5- to 7-minute speech

■ An 8- to 10-minute speech

Below are tasks you will need to complete for this project. Please remember, your project is unique to you. You may

alter the following list to incorporate any other tasks necessary for your project.

Define your project.

______________________________________________________________________

Recruit members for your team.

______________________________________________________________________

Schedule your first speech with the vice president education.

______________________________________________________________________

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PROJECT CHECKLIST –

Distinguished Toastmaster

Page 2 of 3

PROJECT CHECKLIST –

Distinguished Toastmaster

Write your first speech. Include information about your plan.

______________________________________________________________________

Rehearse your first speech.

______________________________________________________________________

Present your first speech.

______________________________________________________________________

Organize a calendar of meetings with your team.

______________________________________________________________________

Complete your project.

______________________________________________________________________

Distribute the 360° Evaluation resource to members of your team.

______________________________________________________________________

Conduct a lessons learned meeting with your team.

______________________________________________________________________

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 21

Page 3 of 3

PROJECT CHECKLIST –

Distinguished Toastmaster

other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be

used only with permission. Rev. 6/2016 Item 8599C

Schedule your second speech with the vice president education.

______________________________________________________________________

Write your second speech. Report on your project’s results and your leadership experience during

this project.

______________________________________________________________________

Rehearse your second speech.

______________________________________________________________________

After you have completed all components of the assignment, including your speeches, return to

page 4 to rate your skills in the post-project section.

______________________________________________________________________

Additional Notes

______________________________________________________________________

Page 22 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

Page 1 of 5

EVALUATION FORM

Distinguished Toastmaster—First Speech

Speech Title

Evaluator

Member Name Date

Speech Length: 5 – 7 minutes

Purpose Statements

■

The purpose of this project is for the member to demonstrate his or her skills as a leader and a public speaker.

■ The purpose of this first speech is for the member to introduce his or her plan and vision.

Notes for the Evaluator

The member completing this project is working to achieve his or her Distinguished Toastmaster award. The

member is contributing a great deal of time and effort to complete a project that benefits an organization.

About this speech:

■ The member will deliver a well-organized, well-executed speech about the plan to complete the project of his

or her design.

■ The member may speak about the plan for the entire project or share an aspect of the plan.

■ The member should strive to achieve exemplary ratings on every evaluation criteria for this speech.

■ You are responsible for evaluating the member’s speech, not the project he or she will complete.

General Comments

You excelled at:

You may want to work on:

To challenge yourself:

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 23

Page 2 of 5

EVALUATION FORM –

Distinguished Toastmaster—First Speech

For the evaluator: In addition to your verbal evaluation, please complete this form.

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

Clarity: Spoken language is clear and is easily understood

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Vocal Variety: Uses tone, speed, and volume as tools

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Eye Contact: Effectively uses eye contact to engage audience

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Gestures: Uses physical gestures effectively

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Audience Awareness: Demonstrates awareness of audience engagement

and needs

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Comfort Level: Appears comfortable with the audience

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Interest: Engages audience with interesting, well-constructed content

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Plan: Communicates all or part of the project plan

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Page 24 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

Page 3 of 5

EVALUATION FORM

Distinguished Toastmaster—Second Speech

Speech Title

Evaluator

Member Name Date

Speech Length: 8 – 10 minutes

Purpose Statements

■

The purpose of this project is for the member to demonstrate his or her skills as a leader and a public speaker.

■ The purpose of this second speech is for the member to share some aspect of his or her experience

completing the project.

Notes for the Evaluator

The member completing this project is working to achieve his or her Distinguished Toastmaster award. The

member contributed a great deal of time and effort to complete a project that benefited an organization.

About this speech:

■ The member will deliver a well-organized, well-executed speech about the project he or she designed,

implemented, and completed.

■ The member may speak about the entire project or share an aspect of it and the end result.

■ The member should strive to achieve exemplary ratings on every evaluation criteria for this speech.

■ You are responsible for evaluating the member’s speech, not the project he or she completed.

General Comments

You excelled at:

You may want to work on:

To challenge yourself:

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 25

Page 4 of 5

EVALUATION FORM –

Distinguished Toastmaster—Second Speech

For the evaluator: In addition to your verbal evaluation, please complete this form.

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

Clarity: Spoken language is clear and is easily understood

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Vocal Variety: Uses tone, speed, and volume as tools

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Eye Contact: Effectively uses eye contact to engage audience

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Gestures: Uses physical gestures effectively

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Audience Awareness: Demonstrates awareness of audience engagement

and needs

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Comfort Level: Appears comfortable with the audience

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Interest: Engages audience with interesting, well-constructed content

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Topic: Communicates some aspect of the impact, process, or other

substantial part of his or her project

Comment:

5 4 3 2 1

Page 26 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

Page 5 of 5

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Distinguished Toastmaster

other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be

used only with permission. Rev. 11/2016 Item 8599E

This criteria lists the specific goals and expectations for the speech. Please review each level to help you complete

the evaluation.

Clarity

5 – Is an exemplary public speaker who is always

understood

4 – Excels at communicating using the spoken word

 – Spoken language is clear and is easily understood

2 – Spoken language is somewhat unclear or

challenging to understand

1 –

Spoken language is unclear or not easily understood

Vocal Variety

5 – Uses the tools of tone, speed, and volume

to perfection

4 – Excels at using tone, speed, and volume as tools

3 – Uses tone, speed, and volume as tools

2 – Use of tone, speed, and volume requires

further practice

1 – Ineffective use of tone, speed, and volume

Eye Contact

5 – Uses eye contact to convey emotion and

elicit response

4 – Uses eye contact to gauge audience reaction

and response

3 – Effectively uses eye contact to engage audience

2 – Eye contact with audience needs improvement

1 – Makes little or no eye contact with audience

Gestures

5 – Fully integrates physical gestures with content to

deliver an exemplary speech

4 – Uses physical gestures as a tool to enhance speech

3 – Uses physical gestures effectively

2 – Uses somewhat distracting or limited gestures

1 – Uses very distracting gestures or no gestures

Audience Awareness

5 – Engages audience completely and anticipates

audience needs

4 – Is fully aware of audience engagement/needs

and responds effectively

3 – Demonstrates awareness of audience

engagement and needs

2 – Audience engagement or awareness of audience

requires further practice

1 – Makes little or no attempt to engage audience or

meet audience needs

Comfort Level

5 –

Appears completely self-assured with the audience

4 – Appears fully at ease with the audience

3 – Appears comfortable with the audience

2 – Appears uncomfortable with the audience

1 – Appears highly uncomfortable with the audience

Interest

5 – Fully engages audience with exemplary, well-

constructed content

4 – Engages audience with highly compelling, well-

constructed content

3 – Engages audience with interesting, well-

constructed content

2 – Content is interesting but not well-constructed

or is well-constructed but not interesting

1 –

Content is neither interesting nor well-constructed

Plan (first speech only)

5 –

Presentation of the project plan is comprehensive

and exemplary

4 – Gives an excellent presentation on all or part of

the project plan

3 – Communicates all or part of the project plan

2 – Mentions the project plan but focuses on other

topics

1 – Speaks about topic other than some aspect of

the project plan

Topic (second speech only)

5 –

Delivers an exemplary speech about some aspect

of the impact, process, or other substantial part of

his or her project

4 – Delivers an excellent speech about some aspect

of the impact, process, or other substantial part

of his or her project

3 –

Communicates some aspect of the impact, process,

or other substantial part of his or her project

2 – Mentions some aspect of the impact, process, or

other substantial part of his or her project, but

focuses on other topics

1 – Speaks about topic other than some aspect of

the impact, process, or other substantial part of

his or her project

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 27

Page 1 of 1

and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be used only with permission. Rev. 6/2016 Item 8006

ETHICAL FRAMEWORK

Produces the most good and the least harm.

Respects the rights of all stakeholders.

Treats everyone equally.

Best serves the community.

Leads me to act as the person I want to be.

List your core values that are

impacted by the issue.

List the rules of the

organization that aﬀect

your decision.

List the facts.Deﬁne the current issue. Deﬁne your options. List possible decisions. Describe the impact

of each decision.

Who are the stakeholders?

Describe the best decision for the current issue. It may be

one you listed or a combination.

Match decision choices to statements below:

Does this solution best

address the entire issue?

Yes No

Page 28 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be used only with permission. Rev. 6/2016 Item 8008

Use this resource to state your vision and formulate the goals you need to accomplish to bring your vision to fruition. Label your goals long-term,

medium-term, and short-term. Cleary deﬁne what you consider long-, medium-, and short-term to establish a rough timeline.

Vision

Long-term Goals Timeframe for long-term goals:

Goal

Medium-term Goals

Timeframe for medium-term goals:

Goal

Short-term Goals

Timeframe for short-term goals:

Goal

GOAL SETTING WORKSHEET

Page 1 of 1

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 29

Page 1 of 1

and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be used only with permission. Rev. 6/2016 Item 8009

GOAL TASK LIST

A goal is a singular item you wish to accomplish with a clearly deﬁned completion date. Use the following form to divide goals into achievable tasks.

Goal:

Task Timeframe

Goal:

Task Timeframe

Page 30 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

Page 1 of 1

PROJECT PLAN OVERVIEW

other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be

used only with permission. Rev. 6/2016 Item 8032

Project

Purpose

Projected Team Members

Include number and any

volunteers you know will

be working with you.

Resources

Deliverables

Milestones

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 31

PROJECT PLAN

Page 1 of 3

Project

Purpose

Resources

Budget

Key Deliverables

Milestones

Notes

Project Plan

Page 32 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

PROJECT PLAN

Page 2 of 3

Project Manager

Project Team

Team Member

Delegated Task

Milestones

Deadline

Contact Information

Team Member

Delegated Task

Milestones

Deadline

Contact Information

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 33

other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be

used only with permission. Rev. 6/2016 Item 8031

PROJECT PLAN

Page 3 of 3

Team Member

Delegated Task

Milestones

Deadline

Contact Information

Team Member

Delegated Task

Milestones

Deadline

Contact Information

Page 34 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

360° EVALUATION

Page 1 of 6

Please consider your experience working with the leader you are evaluating and give a thoughtful response to all the

questions presented here. If you have not observed a particular behavior or quality, indicate “Not observed” on your

evaluation. Take a moment to include examples wherever possible and if needed, add additional pages.

Using the rating scale provided below for survey-style questions, please circle the number that best reﬂects your rating of

the individual’s performance during the time period being evaluated.

Role

Leader Name (person to be evaluated)

Timeframe for Evaluation

Evaluator Name Date

Leadership

Provides a clear sense of purpose, direction, and

responsibilities to team members

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Acts and behaves in a manner consistent with his or her

statements

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Manages issues in an effective manner

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Provide an example of how he or she positively contributes through his or her leadership.

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

N/A

NOT APPLICABLE

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 35

360° EVALUATION

Page 2 of 6

Communication

How can the individual improve his or her leadership?

Is open to constructive feedback

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Gives appropriate feedback that is timely and constructive

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Manages conflict effectively

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

How has the individual demonstrated effective communication skills?

Describe how he or she has implemented constructive feedback.

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

N/A

NOT APPLICABLE

Page 36 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

360° EVALUATION

Page 3 of 6

Interpersonal Skills

Shows genuine concern for all team members

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Perceived as trustworthy

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Recognizes and rewards individual contributions in a manner

meaningful to each team member

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

How would you recommend that the individual improve his or her interpersonal and relationship-

building skills?

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

N/A

NOT APPLICABLE

Supports a team environment by valuing collaboration and

cooperation

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Supports the organization at all levels

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

N/A

NOT APPLICABLE

Teamwork and Team Building

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 37

360° EVALUATION

Page 4 of 6

Considers the impact of actions and decisions on the

organization before implementing

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

How does the individual contribute to the successful and effective functioning of his or her team?

Problem Solving

Listens actively to others’ ideas and perspectives

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Is prepared to make decisions based on relevant information

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Is willing to change his or her position when presented with

compelling information

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Give an example of a time when the individual displayed exemplary problem-solving skills.

What recommendations do you have for the individual to improve his or her problem solving skills?

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

N/A

NOT APPLICABLE

Page 38 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER

360° EVALUATION

Page 5 of 6

Shows interest in and enthusiasm for the work to be

completed

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Uses effective strategies to motivate his or her team members

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Rises to challenges

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Give an example of a successful motivational strategy he or she used while leading the team.

Give an example of the individual’s level of motivation.

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

N/A

NOT APPLICABLE

Motivation

Allots time appropriately to tasks that require attention

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Manages time to keep high-priority tasks at the forefront

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

N/A

NOT APPLICABLE

Prioritization

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER Page 39

360° EVALUATION

Page 6 of 6

other Toastmasters International trademarks and copyrights are the sole property of Toastmasters International and may be

used only with permission. Rev. 4/2016 Item XXX

Reliability

In general, does the individual prioritize action items and follow through on the priorities he or she set?

In your opinion, does he or she select the appropriate priorities?

Sets and honors milestones and timelines

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Establishes an agenda for every meeting and effectively

covers all topics in the allotted time

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Is respectful of others’ time and commitments outside of the

organization

Comment:

1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Can you depend on the individual to keep his or her commitments?

Describe how the individual demonstrates respect for others' time and commitments.

EXEMPLARY

EXCELS

ACCOMPLISHED

EMERGING

DEVELOPING

N/A

NOT APPLICABLE