One of my most favorite parts in a Toastmasters’ Meeting is the table topics portion. It’s fun because you catch people on their toe’s while speaking. It’s really a fun exercise to get your mind wondering. If you’re like me then you tend to answer the questions in your own mind even if you are not up front speaking
The Purpose of Table Topics
This is important portion because it teaches you how to speak on your toes. It gives an opportunity for members that do not have any speaking or meeting roles. You basically have 2 minutes to form your answer.
Why some people shy away from it
Lot of members tend to shy away from Table Topics. It’s because they fear what the question is. I explain to them that there really is no right or wrong answer. You could literally lie and no one would know (assuming that you don’t have a have a close friend or family member that knows all your stories)
Tips on how to handle table topics questions
Again I want to reiterate that there is no right or wrong answer. What I do is listen to the question. Then repeat the question out loud. Finally, repeating the question again. What I am doing is using that short window to form my answer in my brain.
Now if it’s a question that you don’t like try to pivot it in a way that you would like to answer. Politicians and talking heads on news stations do this all the time. They pivot to what they want you to hear. Just tune to CNN and Fox and listen to any interview and see how they respond.
My top table topic questions
Many of these questions I curated over time. Lot of them are questions that hear on some of my favorite podcasts like Tim Ferris, Lewis Howes, and James Altchur. I formatted some of them so that it can fit at Toastmasters’ Meeting.
Do you want some great Table Topic questions for your next Toastmasters' Meeting? Click To Tweet- What do you spend the most frivolous amount of money on?
- Do you think people throw money at problems or are they just wasting money in attempts to improve their life ie (buying expensive sports cars, Boats, etc)
- What’s one thing you do that people think is crazy and why you do it
- If you can relive one moment in your life what is it and why?
- What’s your Goal in the next 10 Years?, and then what’s stopping you from getting it done by next year?
- There are many great TV shows that are watched together with spouses and family members. What do you say or react if you actually seen a certain episode prior to watching it together? Do you pretend you never see it, would you spoil it by admitting you seen it before? This is also known as Teledultry.
- If their was a movie about your life, would it be a Comedy, Drama, Action, Romantic and what actor would play you?
- What is the best thing you ever purchased that was under $50
- If you can go back in time to your 15 year old self, What advice would you give your 15 year old self
- What is your morning ritual and how has it evolved thru the years?
- If I looked at your bank account what would I see that you spend way to much money on?
- If you can change your career regardless if you have the talent, What would it be and why?
- Who is your secret Celeb crush and why?
- What superpower would you rather have? Mind Reading or Invisibility?
- Who do you think would win in a fight between a Grizzly Bear and Silver Back Gorilla?
- At what point in your life did you finally realize that you are no longer a kid and need to be an adult
- If you can talk to anyone in the world living or dead for 30 minutes who would you talk to and why?
- If you can punch someone in the face and get away with it with no repercussions, who would it be and why?
- What is the definition of success to you?
- What habit do you have that annoys the other people that is in your life?
- If you had the option to be able to speak to animals like Dr. Dolittle or speak any language in the world instantly, what would you choose and why?
- What is your most controversial view that most people disagree with you on?
- What TV Show or Movie would you actually like to see happen in real life?
- When growing up kids say they want to be an astronaut, firefighter, teacher, etc etc. What was it that you wanted to be when you was a kid and did you end up doing what you wanted when you was a kid?
- We are who we are because of the decisions we make for ourselves. Think about the last major decision you made ie new Job, car, house, etc. What would of happened if you made the Other choice?
- Do you believe kids should have Celebrity role models? What happens if they do something that does something wrong?
- What Life Hack have you done that changed your life that people need to do.
- Would you rather change something in the past or find out what happened in the future.
- What is your definition of being wealthy and why?
- Pretend that you knew exactly the day you are going to die and how. Now think about how you would live your life moving forward. What would you be doing and why?
- If someone gave you 1 million dollars and told you to create a charity and give it all away in one year. What charity would you create and why?
- They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what do you consider attractive in a relationship.
- Describe the world 20 years from now. What would we doing differently than we are today. Will their be flying cars, Teleportation, people living to 150 years old?
- Every generation complains about the previous generation. Ie music, attitude, movies, clothing styles is bad. What do you complain about the previous generation and why.
- What do you think is the best method to being the most popular kid in High School.
- Talk about your favorite homemade sandwich and detail each step on how to make it as if you are in a cooking show.
- What was the worst job you ever had and how did you end up leaving it?
- Pretend that you don’t have to be an adult for next 48 hours with $250 in cash that you have to spend. The requirement is that money can only be spent on things that will make you happy. Describe exactly what you would purchase and why
- What if normal humans had pig looking noses. Somehow you was born with typical human nose that we see today. Would you consider yourself ugly? How would you feel about that?
- What if you had the option to change anything in history or change the future. What would it be and why?
- Pretend that biologically the human body can have 1 cheat day of eating per month. Meaning a person can eat anything they want without having any health impacts or gain any weight. Describe your full day of eating on this day. Breakfast, lunch, Dinner, and even snack.My Favorite Table Topics Question for Toastmasters’ Meeting