Panel discussion moderator experience?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Now I’m really in trouble. End of last week, the conference organizer sent me email saying “could you please consider serving on this panel too” and - I was just really really busy, so, didn’t answer her email, but, then, earlier this week, I felt really guilty, so I called, got her voicemail, before I could stop myself left a message saying yes I’d be delighted to serve on the second panel. (When will I learn.) Oh and I was leaving the message I was sort of remember that the subject matter had the word “international” in it, so I thought well if it’s international anything at all I can probably figure it out, how hard could it be. </p>

<p>So she sends email back to me basically saying “YAY” (why???) and today was the conference call with that panel’s moderator and all the participants. </p>

<p>How embarrassing. I have NO clue at all about the subject matter. I know the industry but not at this level - these people circulate in policy functions at the U.N. level - they work with entire groups of countries. And they’ve been doing it for 20 years. And the moderator wants ten PowerPoint slides - by Sunday. I cannot even figure out how to segue enough material for ONE slide, let alone ten. And I think the other people on the call today knew it, too. </p>

<p>Even worse, the most experienced and articulate person on the panel is also on MY panel, which is the one immediately after. </p>

<p>It looks like the only thing I can do is read everything I can get my hands on, and hope that I can figure out some way to fit into the discussion. </p>

<p>They might’ve just asked me to do the same topic - immune monitoring of etc., results would be about the same lol.</p>

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<p>LTS, seriously…call the organizer back and say that upon further reflection, you don’t think it would be fair to the audience to be on that panel. I think they would let you withdraw gracefully.</p>

<p>I’ve “pinch hit” a time or three but I’ve always known enough about the subject to be plausible. You don’t want to embarrass yourself and you do want to give the audience payback for their time. All imo.</p>

23

<p>TheDad, good advice, but I cannot, it’s next Monday - too late, and the response time tells me she was having a hard time finding someone else. </p>

<p>Maybe - though - just maybe, I can find a replacement on my own. If that doesn’t work I’m going to have to just study a lot.</p>

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<p>LTS, there’s a point at which a panel has sufficient critical mass…as few as three participants…that it works. How many panelists would there be if you dropped out? There don’t have to be N panelists if there are N chairs up at the table on stage. Pfui, been there, done that, lots of times.</p>

<p>Getting reduced to two is trickier. I was once scheduled on a panel with Octavia Butler and the other panelists were no shows (note: beware of multi-track conferences!). We did a quick huddle and improvised and came up with something that was fairly successful even if it didn’t quite match what was in the program guide.</p>

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<p>TheDad, thank you, I am stuck with it but will find a way through it.</p>

<p>I do have one final question, though, if you (or anyone else) can answer one last series of questions: this is for the second panel that I am moderating; I have the bios, copies of presentations, and lists of questions for each person. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>When I introduce each participant, how far should I go, and how much should I mention on each? All of of them have very extensive credentials - one is a partner in a major law firm with 9/11 commission experience, another is a ceo of something really big, the third is a former assistant undersecretary of a federal agency - but the twist is that there is a fourth person who doesn’t really have anywhere near the credentials as the others. What do I do so #4 doesn’t come off appearing not as qualified, and, with such extensive bios, how do I choose what to say about each in terms of introducing them to the audience? Should I just pick the most relevant experience - considering that their bios are so long I could use up the entire hour just reading the bios? (It seems very silly to me to tell an audience that a senior partner in a major law firm received a JD from XYZ University etc. - but - is the lawyer going to be insulted if I don’t say so???)</p></li>
<li><p>I understand that I am supposed to introduce them all, and then each will have about a five minute power point presentation, then I have their questions. Do I ask the questions in round robin, so it’s more conversational? And I’m assuming that means they will do their presentations one right behind the other…</p></li>
<li><p>When time is up, how do I actually close out the discussion? Do I thank the audience, thank the panelists, or (???). The last break of the day follows this panel, if it matters.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Bios: distill down to two sentences, three max, for each. [Note: part of the trick of moderating and paneling is to avoid Drone’s Syndrome…and the easisest way to do that is to keep things short and snappy.] Each panelist can then expand their bio in their remarks. This saves you the problem of Panelist #4 having a relative dearth of experience as well. </p>

<p>It may be daunting to edit down but it can be done. One of many hats I wear is that of some sort of editor for program guides. I get bios from certain participants, ranging from a paragraph to three pages. There is room in the program book for a photo and about three sentences of text…it can be done.</p>

<p>“And then I have their questions?” I don’t understand what you mean by this. As for the presentations, yes, they should be in sequence. Let’s see, how to put this…bear in mind that you may need enagage in subtle ego massaging with an eye to keep anyone’s nose from getting out of joint. I would have the presentations go in <em>any</em> order that does not appear to reflect relative stature…whether it’s starting from the far end of the table in, the near end of the table out, or straight alpha (with an “aside” comment that that’s what you’re doing). I’d probably also jigger it so that the weak panelist is not first…he/she may have nerves, qualms of insecurity, etc., and letting someone else break the ice will probably be good for him/her.</p>

<p>Since I still don’t know what you mean by “their questions,” I would set things up so that questions for the various panelists are intermingled. You want to avoid anything where one panelist is holding the floor for an extended period of time as the others get either bored or antsy. Most good panels involve lots of back and forth among the panelists; even if the question is to one panelists, others should have the latitude to jump in with a comment, a comment upon a comment, a response, etc. If you wind up with lively dialogue, your panelists will be happy, your audience will be happy, and your job as moderator will be easy, thus making your happy.</p>

<p>Time’s up: give a visual cue by looking at a clock or your watch, seize what seems to be a good pause in the conversation, and say something like “I see our time is about expired. I want to thank our panelists for sharing their insights (whatever) with us today and thank you, our audience, for your attention.” Stand up, be prepared to mingle, shake hands, chat with the panelists, etc. as the camera rolls with the credits (metaphorically speaking). Some panelists will be out the room as if shot, others may have members of the audience coming up to either ask further questions or to brown nose, and be on your toes because you never know when someone in the audience may have something to say to you!</p>

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<p>In most panel discussions I’ve participated in or observed, there is one more thing that I think was not mentioned above. The moderator has also been the first speaker, and if presentations are used, the moderator gives a short one as well, introducting the subject (general overview) to be discussed and touching on some of the issues the panel will address. Then, that would lead into the introductions… I totally agree with the others that you must pay attention to each speaker and craft a follow-up question for each.</p>

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<p>Thank you very much, I can do this (I hope). TheDad, their questions are specific questions that either I’ve written for them or that they suggested be asked of them, in either case that they have pre-approved, that I am supposed to ask them as part of the panel discussion. I have about six for each person. </p>

<p>I’m worried about knowing exactly when to end it, especially if the audience engages substantially or if the panelists don’t want to stop talking. But that’s probably preferable to having it all stall out and go nowhere. </p>

<p>I’ve printed out these posts to study on the plane so that I don’t mess it up royally lol.</p>

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<p>Okay, consider their questions carefully and feel free to amend them. Within the boundaries of your knowledge, rate them both as to “would the audience be interested in this” and “is this a self-serving softball?” I know, I’m a horrible cynic. </p>

<p>Using only pre-prepared questions can come off like a Tass news conference. Questions from the audience run some risks but can spark a very lively, informative session. </p>

<p>“Who dares, wins.” --motto of the [British] Special Air Services</p>

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<p>LOL! Thanks for that, and thank you especially for all of your help. I really appreciate it.</p>

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<p>I am soooooo happy that this is done and gone, over! I am never doing it again, either!</p>

<p>The ceo who got me into this called Sunday afternoon, and I told him about the first panel where I was so hopelessly lost. He said “no problem, why don’t you simply take a contrary position”? - I thought that sounded like a great idea (espcially in the absence of zero alternative ideas), so I spent Sunday night in my hotel room obsessively researching UN resolutions and GAO reports and all manner of government stuff, trying to source some material to support a contrary position (at first), finally, I resorted to digging for ANY position at all. Net gain five power point slides, and three of the five were filler and no substance. Gave up and fell asleep, exhausted. </p>

<p>The next day I had another meeting elsewhere in the same city, got back to the conference with 90 minutes to go and still had nothing, and somehow in 80 minutes writing what ended up being a pretty fair presentation (judging from the number of people calling today asking for copies of it) - got it done 10 minutes before the start of the panel. </p>

<p>The second panel went smoothly too, mostly because I let the credentialled people talk all they wanted, since their subject matter was great and their presentation styles were very engaging. </p>

<p>The questions I posed sort of floundered, but that was because we were actually way over time but I was getting into it. Oh, and the way the presentations were arranged on the computer - nightmare, for some weird reason the conference organizer renamed all the files - (I guess maybe to standardize them because everyone from all over the country sent theirs in titled with the name of the conference, never imagining that there were other presenters lol) - so, when each speaker went up to the podium, a 1-5 minute delay happened from scrolling through the documents looking for the correct powerpoint and getting it opened. On that note, amazing how many people don’t know how to do “view, slide show” lol. </p>

<p>Anyway, I’m so very glad it’s over, I don’t mind doing large presentations and speeches on subject matter that I know cold, but, I’m NEVER going to say “yes” to a panel arrangement again!!! Never was I so happy to be all packed up and done and on my way to an airport :)</p>

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<p>Congratulations on surviving. </p>

<p>Fwiw, I don’t know how to do “View, Slide Show” but I’ve never done a computer-based presentation.</p>

<p>A friend is polishing a slide presentation to be made at an archaeological conference next month…I’m looking forward to getting a gander at that though, as with much of advanced academia, it is very deep on a very narrow question.</p>

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<p>Thanks, TheDad. I cannot imagine the work and level of detail involved in advanced academia. Even with what I was doing, the amount of work involved to source and verify facts was incredible - and I was simply trying to ensure that I didn’t embarrass anyone; serving the audience was unfortunately my second priority. </p>

<p>I did have one pleasant surprise - a member of the audience happened to know me, and offered “do you want me to ask you some questions? give me a list of questions and I’ll help you out”. Unfortunately I had no idea how to leverage the opportunity, and I couldn’t quickly think through if his offer was even ethical, so we didn’t do that.</p>

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<p>Latetoschool:</p>

<p>You survived (I knew you would). BUt LOL about being asked for a copy of your paper. It can only mean you are a quick study.</p>

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<p>Marite - LOL, right? I literally did write it on my laptop, sitting outside the conference room. I’m now officially a MASTER at edit-copy-paste from like 20+ open documents. Would you believe I haven’t actually sent anyone the copies as promised. I really don’t want to send it out, I don’t want the work memorialized anywhere. It’s not that it’s terrible or anything, I just think that if something’s out there wild, with my name on it, it should be perfect, or as close to perfect as possible. </p>

<p>Never again. :)</p>

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<p>LTS, I’m beginning to see why your CEO tabbed you for this: you’re some kind of perfectionist who will not allow failure. Sounds pretty obsessive…you ought to try channeling it. There’s this message board for students and parents of college students, it’s called <a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com%5B/url%5D”>www.collegeconfidential.com</a> Give it a try.</p>

<p>(And gracefully give a copy of your presentation in hardcopy. That way it won’t wind up out there on the Internet.)</p>

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<p>LOL! And thanks for the advice re hardcopy, that way I can keep my promises without the thing going all over the world, or embarrassing me in cyberspace at some future point.</p>

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<p>LTS, I have some writing floating around the Internet from 20 years ago or so. Fortunately, it’s not <em>too</em> winceable and a couple of pieces even give me pause to think, “I wrote that that well?” Back then, who knew that on the Internet meant for your lifetime and beyond.</p>

<p>I’m more cautious now, though probably not cautious enough, with the impulse for self-expression trumping prudence more often than it should.</p>