Professional Panel Moderator Kristin Arnold asks Elizabeth Marshall, strategist for authors and speakers who want to become recognized thought leaders AND talented panel moderators to share her ideas on how you know you have done a good job moderating a panel discussion at a meeting, conference, or convention.
Video Transcript
Kristin: Elizabeth, how do you know that you’ve done a good job moderating a panel discussion?
Elizabeth: Ultimately, we only know we’ve done a good job when we hear feedback both from the audience — well the three stakeholders. You know, the audience directly, the conference or organizer/meeting planner that has brought us in, as well as the panelists themselves.
I think it’s a great compliment to hear from fellow panelists. “No, I actually enjoyed this conversation and I really appreciated the opportunity to contribute” but at the end of the day it’s you know, both from the audience and the meeting planner to say “Wow, that wasn’t like panels that we’ve had before. I actually feel like this supported the greater strategic initiative that we’re trying to create here,” and then certainly when you do get a chance to talk to the audience and hear their feedback.
I mean I think you know, as moderators and also keynote speakers our self-perception of how we’ve performed is biased. It’s colored. You know, we’re often harder on ourselves than we need to be but sometimes we’re thinking, that went really well, and looking back at the footage, we can see places we could improve.
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Kristin Arnold, professional panel moderator, and high stakes meeting facilitator is on a crusade to make all panel discussions informative, interactive, and interesting. Specifically, she wants to help YOU become a better panel moderator. Why? Because 95% of annual meetings have panel discussions – and according to the 2014 Panel Report, it’s a fifty-fifty proposition they are any good at all! Expectations decrease dramatically when your attendees walk in and see the traditional draped head-table with microphones on short stands. There are sooooo many other ways to have a stimulating conversation! So let’s increase the probability of success for your next panel discussion with these resources.
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