Member's Resources: THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF BEING THE TABLE TOPICS LEADER
By Bill Garrett

Here are some tips when you are the Table Topics leader:

•When asking questions, did you ask the question first before calling on someone by name?

Part of the fun of Table Topics is keeping everyone in suspense. If you call on someone before asking the question, everyone else will stop listening because they know they're not responsible for answering.

•Did you keep your questions reasonably short?

Try not to have lengthy introductions or questions that take a long time to ask. Table Topics is a time for the speakers to shine.

•Did you call on members with no roles/minor roles first?

One of the themes of Toastmasters is that every member participates in every meeting. If someone has no role assigned, be sure to call on them. After that, call on people with minor roles (Grammarian, Wordmaster, etc.) before calling on people with major roles. I suggest that as the meeting begins you make a list of who you're going to call on based on who has what role.

•How well did you include the guests?

Inviting the guests to participate can be a bit tricky. If you ask them up front, they'll probably say "no" because they don't know what to expect. I find the best way to involve them is to let 3 questions go by and then say something like, "Okay, now that you've gotten a feel for how this works, I'd like to invite you guests to participate. If you'd like to be called on, put your smiley face where I can see it, otherwise put it behind your name tag."

•How well did you manage time?

Table Topics is usually where we balance the schedule. If the speeches were long or the meeting's running behind schedule there may only be time for a few topics. If the speeches were short there may be a lot of time for questions. I suggest you come prepared with 6-8 questions in case there's lots of time but be ready to wrap up after 3 or 4 questions if necessary. Keep an eye on the clock. You can enlist the Toastmaster to help you watch your time. Ask him/her to give you a signal when there's only time for one more question.

•Did you resist the urge to start conversations?

Sometimes when a speaker is really floundering with a question, he or she will ask you to clarify parts of it or make suggestions. It can be very tempting to help, but you should resist the urge. Repeat the question if necessary, but let the speaker figure out the answer on his/her own.

•Did you have good questions?

There are lots of kinds of good questions, and probably only two kinds of bad ones: Yes/No questions, and stumpers. Ask questions that people can respond to for at least one minute.

•Did you keep your wrap-up brief?

It's customary for the Table Topics leader to wrap up by summarizing the responses at the end of the session. (Jotting down notes as the speakers respond to the questions will help you remember who said what.) When you give this summary, please keep it short. 10-15 words per speaker is enough. A guideline I use for myself is that if I say the word "and" to join two phrases together, I'm saying too much.

•Did you have fun?

Table Topics is the most light-hearted part of the meeting (though the questions themselves may be serious). Don't get bogged down worrying about the fact that there are, like, 10 different tips on this page. Digest what you can and then try to have fun being Table Topics leader.

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