I recently facilitated a Table Topics (TT) workshop for my Toastmasters club. I appreciated this opportunity and want to thank our club officers for recognizing the benefits of occasionally having a special meeting. So many clubs never depart from the usual agenda. One of my goals for club meetings is to always get two members interacting who ordinarily might not, and this workshop was ideal for that.
Table Topics (speaking impromptu on a given topic) has always been fun to me as I’m never sure what I’m going to say to my fellow humans anyway. Thus TT is highly relevant. It’s interesting to think that most of the time our communication is improvised, yet giving an impromptu speech in front of an audience can suddenly feel very daunting – sometimes even more so than delivering a rehearsed speech.
My strategy for TT has been influenced by the world of Improv: give, take, explore, create. There is no greater feeling than coming up with something entertaining on the spot when faced with an audience and an empty landscape for creativity. I really think that people can benefit from the Improv basics when it comes to speaking off the cuff: listen, accept, build, commit, and be positive.
My design and tips for TT evolved from the following principles and how they overlap:
- Love the topic! With love it’s easier to craft this mini-speech regardless of your initial reaction to the topic.
- Narrow the topic down to a single detail so that it’s easier to end the 1-2 minute talk.
- Try to have a playful attitude when you’re up there and that’s easier by acting positively when TT begins. Please pick me!
One of the workshop’s most significant moments was Mike’s initial improvisation, motivated by me forgetting to shake his hand. His speech was really good, and he satisfied the goal of creating something from his initial impulse. He took that first thought and delivered a crafty talk on being sure to welcome members.
Significant moment #2 was my initial attempt to talk about running where I accidentally demonstrated what happens when you don’t love the topic. My initial effort at this TT was ineffective. But during my second attempt the beauty of Improv surfaced. As I remembered to intentionally love the topic I came up with an initial line, “I love running, especially watching other people do it.” I know from experience that’s all I needed to begin a funny 1-2 minute talk. All I had to do to finish my mini-speech was follow that impulse and explore.
We also talked about using what you’re naturally good at as a speaker. For many it was detailed thinking. Other strengths might be storytelling, humor, singing, etc. The bottom line with Table Topics is that the audience wants you to succeed. If you can speak well and entertain them too, that’s a bonus for everyone!
