Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Worst moderator ever? The unprepared one

When people write about the worst panel moderators ever--and they do--it's the unprepared moderator who most often is singled out for scorn. Two recent examples demonstrate a serious and a playful look at these worst-ever scenarios.

In this post on "Panels from Hell," the author writes about how a moderator can make or break a panel:
A terrific moderator – a good moderator can ameliorate against some of the worst panel sins (microphone hogging, long-winded answers, blatant and constant self-promotion) – but I’ve been on panels where it is immediately clear that the moderator hasn’t even bothered to read up on the panelists work! In my mind a terrific moderator is prepared, professional, witty and unafraid to step where angels fear to tread in order to prevent the above mentioned sins from ruining a perfectly good panel presentation. What I think turns off many in the audience is a moderator who either sits back and lets the panel degenerate into a rant/lecture/ego-fest, or one who is so intrusive it is as if she (or he) was a panelist rather than a moderator.
At New York's Comic Con, a panel discussion on IFC's The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret took the unprepared moderator to gag status, playing out just how frustrating an unprepared leader of a panel can be, at least for the panelist. Call this a humorous cautionary tale, although I can imagine this grating on the nerves of at least some audience members.



(Creative Commons licensed photo by tylerhoff)

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, May 24, 2016

From moderator to MC: A big jump?

Where do you go next in your professional development once you've mastered being the moderator? Some speakers start with moderation of panels and move into being a panelist or a keynote speaker. But another path for the seasoned moderator is to become a master of ceremonies or MC for big events.

These speaking tasks have a lot in common, with the scope and size of the event being the factors that change. You need to introduce the proceedings as well as the speakers or others participating on stage; keep the audience's needs in mind; and move the event along so it stays on time and on target. Demonstrating your prowess and skill as a panel moderator is a good way to demonstrate that you're ready to be an MC for a larger event.

If you're looking to make this jump, an unlikely but effective (and entertaining) guide is I'm Hosting as Fast as I Can: Zen and the Art of Staying Sane in Hollywood, the memoir of Tom Bergeron, who hosts Dancing with the Stars in the U.S. Aside from being a funny read, loaded with Bergeron's dry humor, you'll learn--through his initial career in radio to his hosting and MC work--about handling a crisis on stage on live television, staying organized and focused, and thinking about the larger picture when you are the master of ceremonies. Try the audiobook version, which Bergeron reads--he's a vocal pro, so it's a great listen as well as a great read.

Don't forget that conference and event organizers want the same qualities in an MC that they hope for in a panel moderator: Someone who's organized; keeps the event moving on time; able to flex to handle situations on the fly; and most of all, someone who keeps the audience in mind, every time. If that's your approach, consider adding MC duties to your speaker resume.

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, May 17, 2016

Moderator as juggler: Keynote speaker, panel, audience--all at once

Conference organizers keep looking for ways to shake up the same-old, same-old formats, and panel moderators--the workhorse speakers of any conference--would be wise to keep up with the trends. That's why you should be thinking about what I'm going to call the juggler's challenge: Moderating a keynote speaker, expert panel, and the audience, all at once.

I know most moderators are juggling plenty already on a basic panel discussion. But this new configuration isn't a fantasy. MeetingsNet reported on its use at Digital Now, where it was called a "collaboration session." And the result was that unicorn-like quality every panel hopes for, but rarely achieves: feeling "fresh and unscripted."

Here's how it worked. From the article:
The staging made for interesting engagement. For example, for the opening morning Collaboration Session, keynoter Jim Carroll, futurist and innovation expert, sat on stage in a director’s chair, with the moderator standing just off to his side. The room was set in crescent rounds. The three panelists, all association CEOs, and thought leaders in their own right, sat in director’s chairs positioned approximately in the middle of the room, spread out in a semi-circle. They posed a variety of smart questions to Carroll, which were seemingly unrehearsed and which he candidly answered (as candidly as one who foresees future trends can answer). The audience piped in on occasion to ask questions, or sent questions via text messaging to the moderator, who skillfully interspersed meaningful comments and questions throughout.
The keynoter later remarked on why this format feels fresh: "Many associations’ annual events are on autopilot. Same old title, same old speakers, they talk about the same old stuff."

In this format, moderators have a few extra considerations to add to their already long lists:

  • Letting the audience get a word in edgewise. With three panelists and a keynote speaker ready to comment and ask questions, the audience might get short shrift here.
  • Handling texts as well as hand-raiser questions: Texted questions might solve that audience-opportunity problem, allowing audience members to text questions while speakers are speaking. But moderators need, then, to be able to keep tabs on texts as well as what's happening in the discussion in real time. As with other types of digital media enhancements to panels, I recommend having a second moderator whose job is just to screen and deploy questions coming in electronically, be the from text or Twitter, so the main moderator can keep her eyes and ears on what is being said.
  • Positioning the moderator: Here, the moderator stood to one side of the keynoter, on stage. The panel sat with the audience. You might also want to position yourself between the stage and the audience.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Chris Blakely)

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, May 10, 2016

Should panel moderators be "breaking up fights?"

Are you an umpire or a moderator?

The answer for your panel discussion may lie in how you view the nature of the word "discussion," among the panelists, and between the panel and the audience members.

Recently, Project Entrepreneur gathered women founders in New York City for an intensive weekend. And in a session where reality star Bethenny Frankel was being interviewed by a moderator, she made offensive remarks about women and women of color. Participant Mary Pryor later wrote about the experience:
As a participant in Rent The Runway’s and UBS’s Project Entrepreneur, a new initiative to equip women founders with the tools and advice they need to thrive in the marketplace, I was stunned when Frankel implied that women should have sex with men in exchange for capital. I was offended when she expressed some kind of kinship with black women because she’s “loud.” And I was taken aback when she advised those of us in the room to get business advice to hire a white man as the face of our companies.
Pryor also noted the reaction from the stage when she and others rose to criticize Frankel's remarks:
Nothing. No apology. No acknowledgement of an ignorant reply. Just a comment from a moderator about “breaking up a fight” and removing the mic from our hands. Naomi and I stood there shaking our heads. We stood up to defend female founders of color. She stood up as an ally aware of bias and ignorance in tech. We came together respectfully and left disappointed.
Project Entrepreneur later posted this apology to participants.

Saying that a confrontive audience question requires "breaking up a fight" is not a best practice for panel moderators. Nor would it be if the disagreement arose between two panelists. The moderator's job isn't to keep the commentary moderate, but to make sure many people get a turn in the discussion, no matter what they have to say. Disagreement makes for a more interesting exchange.

What might have worked better here?
  • Letting the audience members who rose to object have their say, and listening with respect;
  • Anticipating that reaction early by saying to Frankel, "Do you really mean that? Can you explain why you feel that way?" That would not have stopped the audience reaction, I suspect, and so the moderator also needed to be prepared to let that happen during Q&A, if not before.
  • Noting the disagreement and thanking everyone for their perspectives.
You don't need to agree with either the speaker or the audience members, moderators. But you do need to avoid shutting down the discussion part of the day. If you're the type of speaker who dreads questions, or likes to avoid them, you may not be ready to be a moderator--a role in which part of your job is to welcome and advance questions and discussion. 

Read Losing your fear of Q&A for more ideas on how to reframe your response to questions, whether you are the speaker or the moderator.

(Creative Commons licensed photo by Dickson Phua)

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, May 3, 2016

3 rhetorical devices even moderators can use

Because you're "just the moderator," you may think you can't add a rhetorical flourish to your remarks, brief as they are. But that would be a big mistake. Moderators can make a stronger impression, and tie the panel together thematically and otherwise, by deploying the same rhetorical devices a keynote speaker might use. Start with these ideas:
  • Use metaphor to tie your panelists' remarks into a common theme: Metaphors are a durable, visual, strong way to convey an idea or theme in a compact and vivid way. Take a look at your panelists' remarks with an eye to a metaphor that can tie them together, then use that metaphor for your introductory remarks, and as you turn to each panelist. Read more about working a metaphor all the way through your remarks for more ideas.
  • Stay organized with the rule of three: The shortest example of the rhetorical rule of three is the sentence "Friends, Romans, countrymen: Lend me your ears." But you'll do well as a moderator if your employ the rule of three to organize your own remarks, whether you are listing three things to know about the next speaker or three ways to see the issue the panel is about to discuss. Learn more about why the rule of three helps you as a speaker and your audience as listeners.
  • Use the antimetabole to create contrast and drama: The antimetabole ("Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.") sets up a contrast with delightful wordplay. Why does it work for moderators? It packs a ton of contrast and drama into a compact package--just what you need when you want to have impact without taking up all the panelists' time. Consider the panel's presentations and see whether you can work this form into your introductions or opening remarks. Go here for more about this useful tool.
(Creative Commons licensed photo by UN Women)

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.