By Rosemary Ravinal
When you attend or watch a panel discussion, does the moderator facilitate a smooth and fluid discussion among panelists or stumble through? The role of moderator is often undervalued, and the quality of the panel discussion and the audience experience may suffer. That’s why the choice of moderator is important, whether in person or online.
I coached a client recently who recognized that her ability to manage the flow of the discussion and field questions from the audience was essential to the success of the event. We worked on her opening comments to set the stage for the topic, a very brief personal introduction, how to introduce the five panelists and in what order, and how to transition from one speaker to another. Before the Q&A session, she gave a one-minute summary of the highlights from each speaker and closed on time.
How do you select a moderator? And if you have been a moderator, what are the best practices? I posted a query on social media to my professional networks and received invaluable insights which I have combined here with my own recommendations. These are largely relevant to physical spaces, though many of the guidelines can be applied to online meetings as well.
