Have a Vision for a Panel Discussion

I was talking with a group of meeting organizers about the importance of having a vision for a panel discussion. Frankly, there were a few puzzled faces in the room.

“What do you mean by ‘vision’ for the panel discussion?” one person asked. “All I know is that I hope it will NOT be a boring panel.”

Oh, then what DO you want to see? Upon reflection, she said, “I really want to see a feisty discussion about the possibilities and challenges of AI right now.” Ahhhhh…now that is starting to form a vision for the panel discussion!

Let’s break this down:

• Feisty. That means there are differing points of view and that they are going to be compared and contrasted…probably in a debate setting. Or take a page from a TV panel show that is “feisty.”
• Discussion. Not a bunch of prepared remarks/speeches from the panelists, either. We should start out blazing with discussion amongst the panelists.
• Possibilities. There should be some aspirational conversation about the possibilities of AI.
• Challenges. We also need to be aware of the other side of the possibilities coin: the challenges of AI right now.

See what I mean? When you start talking about the vision for the panel discussion and what it might look like, you’ll see the implications for your choices for the moderator, panelists, structure, format, and logistics.

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