Our top 10 posts on moderating panels for 2015

Moderating Panels hasn't quite been around for a full year, but it's been a busy one, with moderators under attack in the U.S. presidential debates and other forums. Here are the posts you read the most this year about these challenging moderation tasks and issues:

1. A journalist asks: Should we reconsider moderating panels? looked a the sometimes-muddy boundaries between journalists and the organizations for which they serve as panel moderators. A must-read for conference organizers.
2. A reader writes: Moderating my first panel at Beyond the Code 15 shared reader Cate Huston's experience, using my ebook as a guide--for herself, and for her panelists. 
3. Using panels and moderation as stepping stones to larger speaking gigs shared a strategy popular with many who relish speaking less as a starting approach. Just keep in mind that moderation can be even more difficult than those big gigs you seek!
4. Trump-ing the panel: When one speaker talks more than the others uses data from a Republican presidential debate, and shares everyday strategies in case this happens on your panel. 
5. When moderators need to speed the questioner, or the questioned focuses on Q&A, where you may be faced with a long-winded audience member--or panelist giving an answer. How to handle both. 
6. Want more consistent conference quality? Start with the moderators is aimed at conference organizers and event planners. Get a consistent approach to moderation going, and your sessions will stay on time and on topic, yielding better audience reviews.
7. When should you turn down an offer to moderate a panel? 9 times shares my foolproof list for those moments when you can say "no, thanks" with no regrets, because not all moderation opportunities are created equal.
8. Yes, you can: Avoiding 'what she said' on a panel helps moderators fend off the panelists who want to reiterate...and reiterate...and reiterate. Smart tactics for your back pocket, right here.
9. Toward better panel introductions sheds light on a better way to introduce speakers--to make them, and the moderator, shine. You'll get a better panel discussion from your speakers in the bargain.
10. 6 smart ways for moderators to interrupt speakers not only acknowledges the inevitable, but helps you pull it off with grace and mastery.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Cleft Clips)

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.