Litmus Test for Inclusive Language on a Panel Discussion
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Moderating a panel discussion is one of the most stressful responsibilities you may have on a stage, especially if you do not moderate routinely. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, thinking, “Will I make sense? Do I look all right? Am I going to embarrass myself?”
To be an engaging, effective moderator, you have to let go of your own internal conversations and focus on the audience. This means you have to care sincerely about them and want to connect with each person in the audience. They need to know that you are putting their needs first. That means that you know enough about them so they feel they can trust you and will want to listen to you and the panelists.
So yes, you need to research who is going to be in the audience. Find out their hopes, and fears, and interests. Take the time to understand the people, their backgrounds, and collective cultures – often called the personality of the group – so you can connect your comments and line of questioning to what they care about.
I have a “litmus test” for speakers, moderators, and panelists to determine if they are truly focused on the audience. I call it more “we” than “me”.
Rather than saying “Tell me more,” try saying “Tell us more.” It’s a subtle difference, yet it invites participation rather than making it all about you, the moderator.
Here’s an experiment to find out how truly inclusive you are as a moderator or as a panelist:
During one of your panel discussions, have someone tally the number of times you use a personal pronoun and some form of the words “you” and “we.” The ratio of the number of times you use inclusive language versus the times you use the imperial “me” and “I” should, at a minimum, be 2:1.
You can download this checksheet to use to tally the number of times you use inclusive language!
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For more information about how to moderate a lively & informative panel discussion, check out our free 7-part video series on how to moderate a panel and other resources to help you organize, moderate, or be a panel member.
