Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Want more consistent conference quality? Start with the moderators

When I first thought about publishing a book on moderating panels, I knew it could help individual speakers, from newbie moderators to seasoned pros. But then conference organizers and event pros, hearing about my idea, would say, "You write that, and I'll buy one for every one of our moderators."

Why? They were from government agencies, corporations, nonprofits, membership organizations, professional societies. They had invited appealing speakers, found great locations, wrangled the logistics. But when it came to those moments where the content took panel form, what happened varied widely.

Some panels ran overtime, or left too little time for questions. Others were flat, failing to connect. Audience ratings told the tale, most of the time, but the organizers also got in-the-moment feedback, whether from texts or Twitter. It's not that all the panels failed. It's more that the quality was inconsistent: A lively on-time panel here, three lackluster sessions, five overtime panels, and so on.

Some organizers, after those experiences, work hard to avoid putting on panel discussions. But others look for ways to elevate the level of quality and make it consistent across the term of a conference, knowing that that consistency is what attendees want to see when they experience the conference.

I think the easiest way to start that process of elevating your conference quality lies in getting the moderators to a consistent level of quality. I say that because so many people--organizers, speakers, audience members and even moderators themselves--underestimate the role of the moderator and its complexity. A good moderator is a great go-between, acting to bring organizer, speaker, and audience together to create a sparkling discussion that leaves people thinking differently, gives them new ideas they can use right away, or inspires them to try something new. If that's not happening in every room at your conference, starting with moderator training is a great way to make that happen.

The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels is ordered by plenty of individual speakers, moderators, and organizers. But I'm always pleased to see the many orders for multiple copies, sometimes as many as 50 at a time. Organizers and #eventprofs, think about skipping those speaker goodie bags and giving your moderators and speakers copies before your next conference. Your audience will thank you...

(Creative Commons licensed photo by NASA HQ)

Need more coaching on how to be a better panel moderator? Order the new ebook The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels. At just $3.99 and available in many formats, it's a great back-pocket coach to take on stage with you in your smartphone or tablet. Find more tips on public speaking on The Eloquent Woman blog.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Should moderators ask or avoid tough questions?

Election season in America is a boom time for moderators, illustrating my point that the moderator--particularly on a panel with many speakers--is often as prominent as any one speaker on a panel. And in the first big debate, Fox News's recent debate with 10 Republican candidates and 24 million viewers, a record audience, the three moderators stood out in particular for their tough questions.

The New York Times took notice. In an article focused squarely on the moderators, it noted:
Dredging up old misstatements. Questioning someone’s temperamental fitness to be president. Suggesting that someone else might let a woman die rather than allow her to have an abortion. 
The Republican presidential candidates’ debate on Thursday night was notable for its pointed accusations, and for the sometimes-awkward glowering and silences that followed. 
And that was just the moderators.
It's normal for elections to bring public speaking of all kinds to the forefront of our consciousness. After all, that's mostly how we get to hear the candidates, and see how they perform and react. Moderators are a close second in visibility, and this focus on whether the moderators should ask tough questions is interesting to consider even if you're not running for office.

I say that because a moderator's punch is nearly always pulled back in a typical panel discussion. I've seen scores of panels in which all the questions were softballs, courteous, supportive, elucidating--all helps to guide the speakers. Pushback or challenges to the speakers are rare. After all, you often will be moderating panels of colleagues you like and support, or notable people whose good sides you want to stay on.

In political debates, moderators tend to be journalists, and they serve as proxies for citizens. Asking tough questions of candidates is (or should be) part of the job. The idea of needing to stay on a candidate's good side does not, typically, carry the day--although it sometimes seems that way. That wasn't the case in the Fox News debate, and at least one moderator paid a price: Megyn Kelly came in for a flood of nasty comments from Donald Trump on Twitter after the debate, mostly due to her questions about his misogynistic comments about women. But the backlash against Trump's response to Kelly may derail his campaign. It's at least costing him invitations to speak elsewhere. (Speakers, there's a lesson here: Don't get angry and defensive when a moderator poses a challenging question.)

Kelly, when she finally weighed in, refused to apologize for acting like the journalist she is. Everyday panel moderators don't have to generally worry about upholding journalistic norms (unless they are journalists, of course). But that doesn't mean you should avoid a pointed question or one that challenges the speakers to clarify, or one that reminds us all of something they said earlier that seems in conflict with today's statement. That's also a hallmark of good debate moderation. The trick for the moderator is to ask those tough questions in a non-anxious way. It's your job to keep the discussion sparkling, and also to keep the speakers honest.

Want to read more about U.S. political debates, what it takes to moderate them, and everything from the moderator's viewpoint? Take a look at Jim Lehrer's book Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates. He's a veteran moderator of no less than 11 presidential debates, with plenty of insight to share.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Paul Dietzl II)

Need more coaching on how to be a better panel moderator? Order the new ebook The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels. At just $3.99 and available in many formats, it's a great back-pocket coach to take on stage with you in your smartphone or tablet. Find more tips on public speaking on The Eloquent Woman blog.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Trump-ing the panel: When one speaker talks more than the others

If you don't think anyone's keeping score on who speaks more or less on a panel, think again. Audiences and your fellow speakers notice--and they especially notice if it's the moderator who keeps going back to the same speaker for more.

If your panel happens to be the 10 best-polling of the Republican candidates for president, the media notice when you do that, too. In last week's debate on Fox News, Donald Trump got the nod, and ran with it, more than any other candidate. From the New York Times:
Despite the assurances from the moderators that Mr. Trump would not hijack the high-profile opportunity for the Republican field to introduce itself to America, the businessman could not be stopped. 
He received about three times as many opportunities to speak as some of his fellow candidates — a gap that left lesser-known rivals, like Ben Carson, moaning about an elusive spotlight. “I wasn’t sure I was going to get to talk again,” Mr. Carson said plaintively.
The Times also expressed the extra Trump time this way, in an infographic. The dark bars indicate answers longer than a minute:

There was little about this debate's conditions that emulated an ideal panel discussion. Too many speakers were included, making it more of a panel than a proper debate--and that factor alone ensures that many speakers will get little time. The plethora of speakers prompted the debate organizers to say there would be no opening statements, to save time. And there were no less than three moderators, all Fox News anchors.

In everyday panel discussions, some moderators and speakers handle the fairness and balance issue by following a practice I've come to dislike: Having every panelist answer every question, which, while fair, tends to result in responses like "As Fred just noted..." That makes the answer take up more time than it's worth, much of the time.

Instead, consider these ways to keep your calling on speakers balanced:
  • Alternate questions for the entire panel with questions for one speaker, and say out loud what you're doing when you pose the question. Then be sure each speaker gets an individual question.
  • Alternate calling on male panelists with calling on female panelists. One of the more subtle ways we make women speakers disappear is to keep calling on men almost exclusively, whether the question is for the panel or the audience.
  • Prep your speakers in advance for how you will dole out the questions. Ask them not to chime in on individual questions, and to participate in questions to the entire panel.
  • Use a timer. In the name of making sure there's enough time for Q&A, set a kitchen timer or your phone timer for 30-second answers, and make a game out of it. 
The political panels to come will winnow themselves out as candidates drop out of the race. You won't have that advantage when you're moderating--so take some time to plan for better balance when you pose questions to speakers.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Gage Skidmore. New York Times infographic.)

Need more coaching on how to be a better panel moderator? Order the new ebook The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels. At just $3.99 and available in many formats, it's a great back-pocket coach to take on stage with you in your smartphone or tablet. Find more tips on public speaking on The Eloquent Woman blog.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

When moderators need to speed the questioner, or the questioned

When it comes to Q&A and a panel, the smart moderator gets ready for the long-winded. That goes for both the questioners in the audience, and the people who are being questioned on the panel, for whom a question may seem like an invitation to re-take the floor.

But that territory belongs to the moderator during question time. Here's how any moderator can keep the questions--and the questioned--on time and on point:
  • Reframe the question within time limits: If a long or unclear question is posed and time is short, reframe it out loud to keep the speakers focused. "Instead of talking about all your best work, since time is short, would each of you give us just one example?" or "You may have many regrets, but what's the thing you regret most?" or "I'd like the panel to focus on the first part of that question, about beginnings" are all examples of how to do this.
  • Question the audience member with the long-winded question: If an audience member rises with a question that turns out to be a long-winded statement, interrupt and say, "Please, let's have your question so that others can have a turn." No question, then? "Thanks, that's a great point to add to the discussion. Next question?"
  • Catch the speaker who's trying to expand his answer time: Some speakers, seeking to artfully get more air time, will use a question as an excuse and create an answer that leads to requesting that they show or do something more. As moderator, feel free to interrupt and say, "Fred, I wish we could show that video, but time is short. How about posting it to YouTube for us?" Don't be afraid to keep things crisp and moving forward.
There's a great section in The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels on graceful ways with Q&A for moderators. Check it out! The ebook format even lets you take it onstage to use as a prompt.


(Creative Commons licensed photo by the European Wind Energy Association)

Need more coaching on how to be a better panel moderator? Order the new ebook The Eloquent Woman's Guide to Moderating Panels. At just $3.99 and available in many formats, it's a great back-pocket coach to take on stage with you in your smartphone or tablet. Find more tips on public speaking on The Eloquent Woman blog.