Page 37 - October 2022

Improvisation—Thy Name is Table Topics!

David Freedman, PM2

you have to be willing to fail. you?" As one of my club members pointed out,
In Table Topics, it’s much the same way. One of this was a great truth or dare question, and the
the reasons I love Table Topics is that quite often new member who answered it got a wonderful

I never have problems coming up with topics to response from the group. My strategy for most
write questions for. Blame it on my being a writer Table Topics question is to keep it simple. Use the
who has ideas flooding into his brain at any given who, what, where, when, how, and why method if
time, but to date I’ve never had to go to websites you’re stuck trying to figure out how best to use

that give suggestions or themes on Table Topics. If the theme of the day for your questions. Also,
I know I’m the Table Topics Master for that week, keep in mind that if you take on a subject that’s
I’ll take ten minutes to write down the questions too specific, you may stump some members. For
that people will be responding to. Again, it’s not example, one of our meetings was based around

a matter of what questions are right or wrong. science fiction, but as we found out, one of our
It’s simply trying to figure out what questions members had never seen any of the Star Wars
will fit in with the theme of the week given by movies. Fortunately, in this case the Table Topics
the Toastmaster. Alternatively, you can be brave Master had created a bunch of questions that were

and work on a completely independent theme more generalized that focused on different aspects
and surprise your members with the questions of science fiction and fantasy. The same member
you give them. Some of my favorite sessions have was able to field another question without as much
been when I have only one question that I give to difficulty once the subject matter became simpler

the entire group, but more often than not, most to understand.
people will come up with five or more questions For many people, improvisation can be a very
to start out with. And again, it’s okay to fail. If challenging experience. Our job as Toastmasters is
you don’t always have a lot of questions, start with to gently nudge members into taking part in these

the ones that pique your interest on the theme exercises while also emphasizing the importance
of the week. of impromptu thinking outside of the Club. By
Many of my favorite questions to ask are focusing on the enjoyable aspects of improvisation
deceptively simple. In one meeting where we as well as allowing members to fail, we can create

focused on Moments of Truth, I decided to make a safe environment where both critical thinking
my Table Topics questions all about integrity. refined through giving prepared speeches and
One of the questions I asked was "When was a a quick wit honed through extemporization are
time that you were dishonest, and it backfired on equally encouraged.

VOICES! | OCTOBER 2022 37