How to Create GREAT Panel Questions for Your Next Panel Discussion

The key to any great panel discussion is the quality and clarity of the panel questions. Depending on the panel discussion format, panel questions can come from the panel moderator, the audience, or as a follow-up question posed by the panel moderator, a panelist, or an audience member.

9 Steps to Create Good Panel Questions

1. Do your research
2. Create a list of potential questions
3. Review your list
4. Cull your list
5. Sanity-check your questions
6. Sequence the questions
7. Strategize the opening
8. Tweak the questions
9. Create your cue cards

1. Do Your Research.  

Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard), you’ll want to do a bit of research on the topic, the panelists, and the audience.

2. Create a List of Potential Questions.

As you research the topic, talk to the panelists and connect with the audience (either through social media or a few sample interviews), you’ll start to compile a list of potential questions. At this point, don’t worry about the exact phrasing or quality of the questions.  Prepare more questions than you think you’ll need – and make sure they cover the topical landscape.

3. Review Your List.

When you are ready, pull out that long list of questions from your research. Ask the following questions:

• What’s the most prevalent question on everyone’s mind?
• Why is this topic important right now?
• What are the key challenges the audience is facing about this topic?
• What are the two things that are most important to share/discover on this topic during the panel?
• Where does the panel agree and disagree about the topic?
• What’s missing?

4. Cull Your List.

Whittle your list of questions down to at least two main questions per panelist and keep a backup of ten or more questions to use if needed. Keep questions that will:

Deliver the biggest and broadest impact and value from the audience’s perspective

Leverage the panelist’s expertise and experiences in a useful way

Address an issue, challenge, or capture the interest of the audience

Start a deeper conversation or spark an interesting debate

Uncover something the audience can’t easily find on the internet

Provide valuable takeaway nuggets.

5. Sanity-Check Your Questions.

When finalizing your questions, put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Use your valued resources from step 1 and ask them to take a look at your draft list of questions:

• Is there something you would be interested in that I’m not asking or thinking about?
• Do you think these questions are relevant /good?
• What else should I add/consider?
• Which of these questions do you think I should dump?

6. Sequence the Questions.

Typically, moderator-curated questions have a flow that moves from strategic to the more tactical:

• Strategic. Start with broad or ”high altitude” questions designed to discuss what is happening in the world.
• Benefits. Move to the benefits and/or consequences about why the audience should care.
• Specifics. Ask more specific questions where the panelists will be more inclined to share anecdotes or concrete examples.
• Application. Make sure the audience walks away with substantial value and the ability to apply the information.

7. Strategize the Opening.

The first question sets the tone for the panel, so you want to be thoughtful about how you start the questioning process. There are three schools of thought on the way you should start with moderator-curated questions:

Softie. Warm up the panelists with broad, easy questions so the panelists can settle in and relax. Ask for a definition, talk about the history of the topic, or why this topic is so interesting. Then raise the stakes, probing into more controversial areas.

Hardball. Start out with a strong, provocative question. For example, ask each panelist, in 30 seconds or less to offer a strong opinion on the topic.

Gauge the Room. When the audience’s skill level is not known, do some level-setting of the audience’s experience. For example, ask for a show of hands, “How many people have less than 2 years experience writing Java? Between 2-5 years? And those who think they should be on the panel rather than out in the audience?”
The first person to speak will also influence the tone of the panel, so consider carefully who you want to start with. Consider having the seating plan reflect your initial order.

8. Tweak the Questions.

Rephrase the questions more economically (the shorter, the better) in order to position the question for the panelist and audience and to focus them to keep the panelists on track. Your final litmus test for a good panel question is to filter it through the lens of the audience. Will they care? What will they do with the answer? For example, you can ask a panel question about “future trends” or you can ask about “future trends the audience should be aware of.” It’s a subtle nuance, but will help keep the focus of the panel on value to the audience (vs. what the panelist pundits care about!) When finalizing your questions, put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Make sure you ask great questions that are on everyone’s mind.

9. Create Your Cue Cards.

 You can write your questions down on 3×5 or 5×7 index cards (consider using a key-ring punched through the upper left-hand corner to keep the cards in order during the session) or use a tablet to scroll through the questions. You can also use these cards as prompts for your welcoming remarks, panelist introductions, and closing remarks. For a useful template for using index cards during panel presentations Click here.

Why go through all the hassle of curating some fabulous panel questions?  Consider it to be an insurance policy. Sometimes, you won’t even need to use many of them because the conversation flows easily.  Other times, you may have to use every single one of them during a rather fitful panel discussion.  You just don’t know what you’ll find until you get there.  So why not come prepared?

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When Panelists Should Know the Questions in Advance

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.