Top Ten Must-Read Blogs on Moderating a Panel Discussion

As I  started researching the universe of panel discussions for my book, Powerful Panels, I did what any red-blooded American (or Swede) would do.  I Googled it and found 34 million entries.

No, I did NOT look at every one; however, I did look at ALOT of them and thought I would save you some time.  Here is a list of the top ten blog postings or web pages about moderating panels as of January 2014:

1. 13 Guidelines for Great Panel Discussions by Scott Kirsner. (He also wrote the often-cited How to Moderate a Panel Like a Pro for Harvard Business Review)
2. 7 Tips on How to Make Your Conference Panels Rock by Scott Stratten (read the comments too!)
3. How to Successfully Moderate a Conference Panel, A Comprehensive Guide by Jeremiah Owyang
4. How to Moderate a Panel by Guy Kawasaki
5. Moderate with Moderation: 10 Steps to Running an Effective Panel Discussion by Angela DeFinis
6. Why Panels Suck (And How To Fix Them) by Scott Burkun
7. Everything in Moderation. 6 Tips for Managing Panel Discussions. by Claire Duffy (with video clips too!)
8. Ten Tips on Moderating a Panel Discussion by Ian Griffin
9. How to Moderate a Panel by Steven Robbins
10. Moderators Skip the Well-Worn Path with 14 Creative Themes and Questions by Denise Graveline

Yikes!  I’m sorry…. I just couldn’t narrow the list down to ten, so how ’bout the top 16?  BTW….the rankings don’t really mean anything.  They are ALL good – for different reasons.  So keep on reading!

1. Five Tips on Moderating a Panel by Tom Webster
2. When You Are a Panel Moderator by Christine Clapp
3. 12 Tips to Moderate an Amazing Panel Discussion by Rohit Bhargava
4. How to Be a Rock Star Moderator (it’s a slideshow and not a page) by Jeff Hurt
5. Moderating Panels (specifically at book events) by Mary H.
6. How to Be a Great Panel Moderator by Ted Carstensen
7. How Not to Suck Being a a Conference Moderator or Speaker by Lee Oden

Of course, you don’t want to miss my free online video training, either. Make sure to check it out. I hope this all helps you as you prepare to moderate a lively and informative panel discussion!

Related Articles:

Opening Salvo vs. Opening Remarks in a Panel Discussion

How to Get Your Panel Discussion Proposal Approved by Conference Organizers

How to Keep the Audience Engaged During A Panel with One Simple Trick

Kristin Arnold, professional panel moderator and high stakes meeting facilitator, shares her best practices for interactive, interesting, and engaging panel presentations. For more resources like this, or to have Kristin moderate your next panel visit the Powerful Panels official website.

Source: IstockPhoto