Table Topics Master

The Table Topics Master facilitates the important impromptu speaking section of the meeting.  They come up with a theme and prepare questions on that theme that members and possibly guests are then called up to the stage to answer on-the-spot.

Key Skills: Planning, Facilitation.

Top Tips:

  • Make your theme fun and innovative, but ensure the questions are accessible enough that everyone in the room should be capable of answering them in some way, shape or form.
  • All members who haven’t yet spoken during the meeting (i.e. haven’t done a speech or functionary role) should be given priority for getting a table topic.
  • Try to start with a more experienced member who has done table topics before and can “show them how it’s done”.
  • Read out the question before announcing who will answer it, to keep the audience guessing and thinking about every question.
  • Consider having a range of difficulties for your questions, so you can give more straight-forward questions to newer members and guests and more challenging questions to more experienced table topics speakers.