Professional Panel Moderator Kristin Arnold asks Dr. Chip Bell, professional speaker and panel moderator, to share his advice on how to manage an arrogant panelist at a panel discussion at a meeting, conference or convention.
Video Transcript
Kristin: Have you ever had an arrogant panel member, and how did you manage that person?
Chip: Arrogance on the part of a panel member is a deadly commodity, and it’s one to me that’s very, very challenging because you’ve got somebody who’s full of themselves, and heavy-duty overdose of ego and they’re there to show off. And what it does to the panel is they feel sometimes a little intimidated by it but it also creates a little hostility in the audience. So, sometimes they react negatively and it’s hard thing to manage sometimes, particularly if you happen to have people on the panel who are well-known people.
Again, it’s got to be something you do carefully. Sometimes, you have to hold up the mirror in a way that they begin to see some of the things they’re doing that might be detrimental. And sometimes, you just say, “This is not one that’s going to turn out like we’d like,” and they know it, and you know it, we’re all human beings and we’re all going to walk away going, “What an SOB.” They’re going to walk away with that impression and sometimes the panel member sort of enjoys that label. [laughs]
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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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