Professional panel moderator, Kristin Arnold asked Diane Hamilton, nationally syndicated radio host, master interviewer, Speaker, and Author, how to manage when a panelist completely dodges a question during a panel discussion at meetings, conferences, and events.
Video Transcript
Kristin: Diane, what do you do when someone dodges your question?
Diane: I will give them the benefit of the doubt that they don’t know the answer and I don’t want to put them on the spot, so I don’t really push it. If it comes back later, sometimes they just don’t hear you. It’s, you know, connections aren’t always perfect. Sometimes they don’t hear it. If I think it’s that they didn’t hear it, I could tell that that could be the case. I might reword it in a different way and try to slip it in later. Uh, and if I still don’t get an answer, I just assume that there’s something they don’t know or don’t want to answer and I don’t push it.
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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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