Why Table-Topics?

We each begin our Toastmasters journeys for different reasons. Some of us wish to quell that paralysing fear of public speaking, to sharpen critical-thinking, to cultivate our leadership potential, or just to broaden our social circles.

What unites all these goals is a desire to enrich our lives in some way. However you define success, there is no single skill that will help you achieve it. While being able to compose a well-formatted, professional presentation is important, most often we need to communicate our ideas informally, in unrehearsed, impromptu, ad-lib situations. Table-Topics provides our arena for honing this important ability.

There are four roles contributing to a Table Topics session:

Although this guide is primarily catered to the role of Table Topics Master, since we all fill these roles at different times the principles highlighted are of use to everyone.

Table Topics Master

The Table Topics Master (TTM) is responsible for guiding a Table Topics session. They give Participants their canvas, along with special brushes and paints to fill it with their masterpieces.

Just as the role of the Toastmaster (TM) is there to control the flow of a meeting as a whole, the TTM directs everyone through the session's table topics. This may range from the simple role of bringing different people forward to speak, to constructing a story – with everyone filling in different parts.

Table Topics Evaluator

The Table Topics Evaluator (TTE) is asked to provide feedback after a Table Topics session on how they felt the session was conducted. They can share their thoughts on how the TTM led the session, and also how the Participants filled the scenarios they were placed in.

This role only differs slightly from that of a typical speech evaluator, but to provide the best evaluations, the TTE should be aware of the unique qualities of table topics.

Participants

The Participants are those who can really bring a Table Topics session to life. While the Table Topics Master designs the set and props, it's the participants that populate the stage.

The number of participants taking part in a single topic can vary; an entire group could fill the roles of one topic, or a session could consist of multiple topics, each with a smaller number of individuals.

Audience

The role of the audience may seem questionable; sure, you say, it gives us a pool to pick our Participants from, but it can be much more – as you will see.

The uniqueness of Table-Topics

What's special about Table-Topics? What separates them from prepared speeches, such as those from a manual? It is not just their impromptu, extemporaneous nature that singles them out. This form of delivery is an important skill, to be sure, but it is also a goal to aim for in our manual speeches.

Two features set them apart:

  • Collaboration
    While prepared speeches come like the dishes on a menu, with the occasional Soup-of-the-Day, Table Topics are a buffet. One picks the ingredients, then others decide how to put them together.
  • Sequence
    Table Topics don't need to be self-contained and independent. The Table Topics Master and the Participants both have the chance to introduce some flow into the session. The session can follow a narrative set out by the Table Topics Master in advance; perhaps some topics can relate to those that came before them in the session. The Table Topics Master can use one Participant's response to create the next topic, or Participants can refer to previous topics during their own.

When you deliver a prepared speech, you can choose a topic, and perhaps some goals for skills you wish to develop. As Table Topics Master, you need to choose a topic or topics for everyone else, and this can be challenging. To ease the burden, coming up are some suggestions for livening up your sessions.

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