Wang Yip - 50 awesome ideas for table topics: Challenge members, attract guests and have fantastic meetings

50 Table Topics

by Wang C. Yip

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

Chapter 1: Why Table Topics?

What will you get out of this book?

Being a Toastmaster for 8 years, I firmly believe that table topics is the one aspect of a Toastmaster meeting that has the opportunity to turn a good meeting into a great meeting. It can be a way to create laughter, challenge members and let guests see how fun a club can be.

During my time as a Toastmaster, I have always taken an innovative and creative approach to table topics that have consistently surprised members (in a good way) and attracted guests to come back to another meeting to learn more about Toastmasters (or better yet, join the club). I want to share some of the table topic ideas that I believe are some of the best ideas that I have seen and used at Toastmaster meetings. I will provide the idea, sample prompts that you can use, the general logistics for executing the idea in the right way and why the idea is great.

Note that this book does not cover things like the format, timing or structure of a good table topic. You can find this information online in a variety of sources.

What are table topics?

Table topics are a part of every Toastmaster meeting. For more information on what Toastmasters is, google Toastmasters.

Table topics are prompts, usually inspired by the meeting theme but not always, and members and guests are asked to provide their thoughts on the prompts in a short speech. Table topics are incredibly useful because everybody uses these skills but rarely have the chance to practice or refine them. We use impromptu speaking when we go to job interviews, dates, networking events, elevator pitches and we never know when we will get asked questions that we need to be ready for.

What are the different skills that you use when practicing table topics?

- Listeningeffectively- You have to make sure that you are answering the right question before you answer the question right.

- Being concise - Usually, table topics are a maximum of two minutes and therefore, you have to be able to get your point across in a concise and effective manner.

- Understanding the speech structure - Even in a short speech, having a structure can not only help you deliver your speech, but it will also help your audience understand and remember your speech.

- Gauging the audiences reaction - Sometimes you can see how the audience is reacting to the different things in your speech and then change your speech on the fly.

- Taking a side or forming a quick opinion - You do not have a lot of time to think about your speech and you have to be able to take a side or form a quick opinion and then expand on it as you deliver your speech. This is the case, even if you do not like either side of the fence.

- Pivotingor reframing - Sometimes you receive a question that you do not know how to answer or have a good answer for and therefore, pivoting to another topic or reframing the topic so that you can answer it in a different way.

Using table topics as icebreakers or team building exercises

Although I have framed these ideas as table topics for toastmaster meetings, you can also use these ideas to help break the ice for group sessions or as team building exercises for board retreats or orientations. Please note that not all of the ideas will work because some ideas will require equipment or a certain amount of space, but feel free to be creative!

CHAPTER TWO

Chapter 2: Table Topic Ideas

Idea:

Partly inspired by an episode of House and partly inspired by my biology professor who talked about how the more senses that were engaged, the more you could remember, this table topic idea is based on the fact that certain smells can bring about incredibly intense and vivid memories.

Equipment needed:

Please bring items or ingredients that have distinct smells to the meeting.

What the audience needs to know:

Please ask the audience if they have any allergic reactions. If they do, I recommend eliminating certain items under the sample prompts.

Logistics:

Table topic speakers will come to the front of the room and be blindfolded. They will be given a whiff of something with a distinct smell. They are to share with the audience the first thing that comes to their mind when they smell the item. It is also important that they are blindfolded so that they do not see the item and have any pre-determined thoughts or ideas in their head.

Sample prompts:

- Rubbing alcohol

- Cinnamon (or any spice in your cupboard that has a distinct smell - I recommend pouring a small amount out into a zip lock bag rather than bringing the whole spice shaker)

- Shoe polish

- Fruits

- Peppermint

- Chocolate

- Vanilla

- Any scented soap

- Dryer sheet

Please remember to ask if any Toastmaster members have allergies before conducting table topics.

Why this idea is great:

This idea, with a small amount of preparation can create speeches that can be on any topic. You certainly do not need to follow the theme of the meeting, but this table topic can be used for a wide variety of different themes including aromas, memories, nostalgia or really any seasonal or event themed meeting.

Idea:

I used to work at UBC as an Orientations Coordinator and as part of our responsibilities, we volunteered to do summer tours for prospective students. One of my friends, also an Orientations Coordinator, did a tour and told us that one of the students asked her about all the construction that was happening on campus. Generally, construction is not seen in a positive light due to the constant rerouting of students around main paths; however, when asked about the construction, my friend said that UBC is constantly renovating and improving. It was a fantastic way of spinning what is typically seen as a nuisance into something positive. This is the main idea for this table topic.

Equipment needed:

No equipment needed.

What the audience needs to know:

The table topic idea will be similar to other ideas. A topic will be chosen and an audience member will be chosen at random to speak on the topic. That topic will be something negative, but the table topic speakers responsibility is to spin that negative topic into something positive.

Logistics:

Provide the prompt and then ask a table topic speaker to come to the front of the room to speak on the topic.

Sample prompts:

- You are the mayor of a town that has just been destroyed by Godzilla - why is that a good thing?

- You are the owner of a business that has just gone bankrupt - why is this great?

- You have just been divorced - why is this fantastic?

- You have just been fired from your job but you are happier than ever - why?

- You just went to the doctor and found out that you only have 1 year to live - why is this good?

- Due to a freak accident, your home has burned down and you do not have any insurance so you are now homeless - why is this good?

- Fantasy scenario: due to crazy science experiments conducted, you are trapped in a house surrounded by zombies - why is this good?

Other bad luck scenarios can be added as appropriate.

Why this idea is great:

There can be quite a bit of pessimism in the world and this table topic idea can help to inject a bit of optimism into the meeting and the members. It can also be a great way of injecting some creativity and some humour into the meeting because often times, by forcing people to be optimistic and reframing different scenarios, they can bring to light different things that others may not have thought of before. This table topic also does not require a great deal of preparation other than preparing the different bad luck scenarios so it can be used on a whim when someone has to step in as a table topics master at the last minute.