What is “Moderator Malpractice?”
March 19, 2019
Have a Spirited Debate, Not a Heated Debate During a Panel Discussion
March 25, 2019

Have you ever seen the Improv game “Pillars?”  If you have, that’s great, if not, it may take you a minute more to appreciate this technique of “progressive answers.”

You, as the panel moderator, ask a panelist an interesting question.  (I like to do this from one of the questions submitted by an audience member, but any question will do!)  A sentence or two into the answer, (or at any time during his/her answer), you yell “pause!” and then point to another panelist, who picks up the answer where the previous panelist left off. (of course, you’ll want to coach your panelists that you are going to do this BEFORE the start of the panel!)  Stop the conversation at the logical conclusion – in other words, when the question has been answered!

Repeat with one or two more questions as long as it stays interesting and relevant. No more than three times, as the panelists and the audience just get tired.  Time to switch gears again during your panel discussion!

Related Articles:

27 Popular Panel Discussion Formats to Spark Your Creativity

How Moderators Can Manage Awkward Audience Comments

How to Create GREAT Questions for Your Panelists to Answer during Your Panel Discussion


KRISTIN ARNOLD, MBA, CSP, CPF | Master, professional panel moderator and high stakes meeting facilitator is on a quest to make all panel discussions lively and informative. Check out her free 7-part video series on how to moderate a panel and other resources to help you organize, moderate, or be a panel member.

Share This:
Kristin ArnoldKristin Arnold
KRISTIN ARNOLD, MBA, CSP, CPF|Master has been facilitating meaningful conversations between executives and managers to make better decisions and achieve extraordinary results for 25+ years. She's a leading authority on moderating panel discussions and passionate about finding the perfect olive to complement a vodka martini.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contact Us
Skip to content

Our privacy policy has been updated. By clicking, 'I agree,' you consent to the terms therein. I Agree