what is a panel discussion 2

8/2/2019 What is a Panel Discussion 2

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What Is A Panel Discussion?

These days, there are a number of different ways in

which we can discuss and ponder over questions and

queries. Quite often if a question is relatively straight

forward and there is only one correct answer then one

person will be able to provide you with the answer.

However, if the question is a little bit more complex

and there could well be numerous different answersor opinions of what the answer could be then you

may need a panel discussion. A panel discussion is

when a group of people are brought together to

discuss one or more subjects that will generally have

completely different viewpoints on what the answer

is. The idea is to glean as many different sides of the

same question as possible by getting four or five

people together on the panel that have completely

different ideas.

Normally this will be set out with a crowd or a

number of spectators in front of them that will be

asking the various questions and then each memberof the panel will be given the opportunity to offer

their point of view on the question. It is an extremely

effective method of finding out various answers and

viewpoints on the same question. You will quite

often see this method used on the television when

political affairs or news items are being discussed, it

can be rather entertaining to hear the various

arguments that panel members have to offer.

Panel discussion for example, if an issue is too

complex for one person to handle, a panel may be

covered so a group of specialists can speak. Or

perhaps the audience need to introduced or exposedto various people or viewpoints at the same session.

Panel discussions, however, differ from team

presentations. Their purpose is different. In a team

presentation, the group presents agreed-upon views;

in a panel discussion, the purpose is to present

different views. Also in a team presentations, usually

speakers stand as they speak; in panel discussions,

usually speakers sit the whole time. In panel

discussion each speaker prepares separately, the other

speakers here one another for the time at the session

itself.

Technically, a panel discussion consists of questions

and answers only, and a symposium consists of a

series of prepared speeches, followed by questions

and answers. The compare must monitor time and

manage questions. If each participant is making a

speech for a set period of time, he should signal the

speakers at the one minute to go mark and at the stop

mark. If a speakers goes more than one or two minute

he can stop them to gave the equal rights to eachspeakers. The compare must be a biased person; he is

neither in nor against the topic.

At the end the compare should summarize the

discussion and thank the panel members.

A panel discussion is where a group of members get

together and discuss about a given topic so that al the

members put out their opinions, therefore many ideas

are discussed and then a conclusion can be taken.

http://www.blurtit.com/q562672.html

Panel DiscussionA panel consists of a small group of six or eight

persons, who carry on a guided and informal

discussion before an audience as if the panel were

meeting alone. The proceedings of the panel should

be the same as those described for informal

discussion: volunteering of facts, asking questions,

stating opinions-all expressed with geniality, with

respect for the contributions of other members,

without speech making, and without making

invidious personal references. This primary function

should occupy approximately two-thirds of the

allotted time-say forty minutes of an hours meeting.The secondary function of the panel is to answer

questions from the audience. This discussion method

is suitable for use when a relatively large audience is

anticipated. The disadvantage of the method is that it

confines most of the discussion to the panel itself.

The audience listens and is given a chance to ask

questions, but for the most part is passive and

receptive.

Panel discussions, if well conducted, are usually

more interesting to the audience than is the single-

speaker forum. They provide sufficiently varied clash

of opinion and presentation of facts to give even the

quiet members of the audience a feeling of vicarious

participation.

Quality and tasks of leadership in panel discussion

are similar to those described for informal discussion.

The leader must in addition take special care to select

panel members who can think and speak effectively.

He must also be sure that they prepare themselves to

discuss the subject. During the discussion by the

panel the leader has substantially the same duties asin informal discussion except that he should keep

himself more in the background as chairman of the

panel. He can do so because each member of the

panel is in reality an assistant to the leader and is

responsible for specific contributions to the

proceedings.

When the subject is thrown open to the house, it is

the leaders job to recognize appropriate questions

and to reject those not bearing on the subject or

involving personalities. Some questions he may

answer himself, but usually he should repeat the

question and call upon one of the panel to answer it.By preliminary announcement the leader may also

tell the audience that they may direct questions at

particular members of the panel if they choose. In

any case, during the question period the leader needs

to maintain strict control. On many occasions this

may be the toughest part of his assignment to carry

off efficiently and with good humor.

While it is customary to confine audience questions

to a specific period, some leaders permit questions

from the floor at any time. Unless very carefully

limited by the leader, this practice may interfere with

effective discussion by the panel.Arranging the panel properly will lend effectiveness

to this form of discussion. The members should face

the audience. One possible arrangement is illustrated

on page 22. It is important that each panel member

adjust his chair so that he can see every other

member without effort the chairman will also find

that the best places for his readiest speakers are at the

extreme ends of the table. He should keep the more

reticent members close to, him so that he can readily

draw them out with direct questions. If the quieter

ones sit on the fringes of the panel, the more voluble

members are quite likely to monopolize the

discussion.
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http://www.historians.org/Projects/GIroundtable/Disc

ussion/Discussion4_2.htm

A panel is a group of experts or people who have

some special knowledge of the chosen topic. They

exchange views on the topic, usually in front of an

audience who may have a chance to ask questions at

some point. Most panels have a chair or other leader.

A good example of TV panel discussion format is the

BBC's Question Time (Thursday evenings.)http://www.blurtit.com/q891167.html

What Is Seminar, And How Is It Different From

Panel Discussion?

Seminar is a kind of academic instruction in a

university or at a commercial or professional

organization. It brings together small groups for

recurring meetings, and at a seminar the focus is

given to a particular subject. This is the major

difference between a panel discussion and seminar

because in a panel discussion, more than one issue

can be discussed. In a seminar the participants canparticipate at the end of the seminar and presenters

are the speakers but in panel discussion, all of the

panel members actively participate.


What is the role of the panelist in a panel

discussion?

Their role is to give their opinions or opinions of the

people they represent.


The Panel Discussion

Study By: Kenneth O. Gangel

The panel is another approach to discussion teaching.

Differing from general discussion, question and

answer, and buzz groups, the panel is almost always

used with a large group, and generally utilizes panel

members who have either differing points of view on

the subject or special training and experience which

equip them to speak authoritatively about the matter.

Properly planned, the panel is a small discussion

group performing its discussion before an audience

with the objective of giving that audience a better

understanding of the matter at issue.

Usually there are no prepared speeches and, in the

best panels, interaction between the panel members

will make up at least half of the time allotted to the

panels presentation. During that interaction there

may be agreement, disagreement, qualification of

points, and defense of various positions.

Although the immediate goal is to gain information

from a group of experts, if time allows the audience

should be encouraged to interact with the panelmembers. In this way the panel itself becomes more

than just a purveyor of information and acts also as a

catalyst to get the group to thinking about the issues.

In a one-hour class period you would probably have

to allot 10 minutes for introduction of the subject and

panel members and 30 minutes for the presentation

and discussion by the panel. The remaining 20

minutes can be given to audience reaction. Most of

the time a panel discussion is a carefully programmed

event built around the expertise of the panel

members. Sometimes, however, it is effective to use

an impromptu panel. In this situation panelistschosen from the class speak off the cuff on the

subject presented to them.

This type of panel can draw out certain opinions and

ideas on the subject under consideration rather than

offering authoritative information. In any kind of

panel the room should be properly arranged so that

the panel participants can look at one another while

they interact and yet can easily be seen and heard by

all members of the audience. Three or four panelists

is probably an ideal number. Any more than five

would tend to make interaction an elusive goal.

Several variations to the planned panel lend

flexibility to its use. Here are three different

approaches:

1. The Guided Panel. The moderator addresses

previously prepared questions to the panel. Obviously

this is a very structured approach, but it may be

desirable when the panel members do not know each

other or if their points of view are so diverse as to

cause open hostility if free interaction were allowed.

2. The Expanding Panel. In this arrangement a

preliminary and explanatory discussion of a topic is

given by a restricted panel. Then the entire group

forms a circle to continue the discussion. In this open

discussion time, questions may be addressed to the

panel, but discussion might take place also among the

group members with panel members serving

primarily as resources.

3. The Reaction Panel. In this setting the first thing

on the program is a speech, a film, or some other

presentation of a point of view. Preselected panel

members then offer a critique of the presentation

either by speaking briefly to the issue, interacting

with the speaker, or both. Sometimes it is helpful ifthe panel members have the manuscript of the speech

in advance or have had opportunity to preview the

film. This. way their carefully prepared reactions will

give birth to some audience thinking which might not

have occurred without airing of the issues by the

panel. Reaction panels of newsmen often discuss

presidential speeches, for example.

A reaction panel can become an expanding panel if

time allows. These classifications are not necessarily

mutually exclusive, but rather represent an attempt to

clarify different approaches to the use of the panel for

education.

Values of Panel Discussions

A good panel discussion can focus attention of the

class on what certain experts have to say about the

subject at hand. It is considerably more personal then

reading books about the subject and contains that

important educational ingredientinterest. If thetopic is well selected, it is relevant, problematic,

controversial, and therefore attracts attention

immediately. Wise selection of the panel members

will offer the audience more than one viewpoint and

thereby heighten interest.

Because of the multiplicity of input, the panel

discussion offers a breadth and depth of information

which usually exceeds research presented by one

speaker. The class can realize that well-informed

people may hold different points of view and yet

maintain respect for one another. The freedom and

informality of the panel discussion removes the

pressure of having to prepare a structured speech.

Panel members literally think aloud in front of the

class and collectively move toward a solving of the

problem placed before them.

The input of the panel at the beginning of the period

gives the audience some foundational information
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upon which their discussion can proceed. Without the

panel, or at least some kind of formal presentation of

material, the discussion might degenerate into a

pooling of ignorance. With the presence of the panel,

however, the discussion period becomes a forum for

new ideas and experiences in the lives of the group.

Problems in the Panel Method

Perhaps the biggest weakness in the use of paneldiscussions is securing competent panelists who will

do the job well. Even if a man is an expert in his

field, when placed on a panel he may have the

tendency to monopolize the time, ramble from the

subject, or ride his hobbyhorse. He might ignore the

audience and speak in technical jargon to the other

panel members or even lose his cool in the

interaction time, displaying antagonism toward those

who disagree with him. Unless he knows his panel

members well, the teacher takes some risks in setting

up a panel discussion.

Another problem is that panel members may notalways do justice to a particular point of view. What

happens then is that the class tends to think that

position A is better than position B simply because A

was defended more competently. They will

invariably gravitate toward the effective presentation

rather than the position that makes the most sense

logically or biblically.

Closely connected with this problem is the possibility

of disorganization in the panel. Since ideas and

viewpoints are flowing informally, the information

often lacks logical sequence and arguments are hard

to follow. Sometimes students find it more difficult to

listen to a panel than to an individual speaker because

of this collage of ideas thrown at them in a short

period of time.

Principles for the Effective Use of Panels

Obviously the values of panel discussion as a

teaching technique are going to be dependent upon

several critical factors. If those factors are not

handled positively, the difficulties of the panel may

outweigh the benefits. This of course does not have

to be the case. The following items are crucial in

making the system work. If they can be controlled

and positively utilized, the panel discussion will be a

very useful teaching method.

The moderator must be a highly qualifiedandcompetent individual. Without doubt the moderator is

more strategic in the effective use of the panel

discussion than the panel members themselves. He

sets the stage with the initial remarks and keeps the

discussion on target during the interaction time. He

has the difficult responsibility of calling time on thepanel members if a brief period of presentation is

afforded each of them.

During the open discussion time, he clarifies

questions given by the audience and may also find it

necessary to explain answers offered in return by the

panel members. If necessary, he may have to break

up verbal conflicts before they actually get underway.

He prods panel members for reactions to something

which another has said, structures questions to keep

the flow of information moving, and summarizes the

conclusions at the end. All of this is a very difficult

task and can mean the success or failure of the panelexperience.

Thesubject for discussion should be of importance tothe group and worded in the form of a specific

question. It is futile, for example, to get a group of

experts together for 30 minutes to discuss sex

education. One might talk about sex education in the

school, another in the home, still another may pull

out some biblical aspects of sex. The end result

would be a hodgepodge of nothingness because no

specific direction was indicated for the panel. The

question should rather construct something like this:

Should formal sex education be taught here at First

Church? Even then it will be necessary to define

words such asformalandsex education. The morespecific the question, the closer the panel will get

toward the goal of problem-solving on the issue.

Try to load the panelwith different points of view. Itwill be of no value to the group if every panel

member says the same thing, and the time is spent

watching them pat each other on their ideological

backs. One of the major purposes of a panel is to air

different positions. For this reason, it is necessary to

bring together persons of similar competence so that

those positions will have fair and equal hearings.

Always allow time for a summary of the discussion.The summary might take place at two points:

immediately after the panel finishes, to pull together

ideas which they have presented; and at the end of

the expanded session, to crystalize any conclusions

which have emerged from the total experience.

Remember that the panel has a much wider use than

in the Sunday School class itself. A Sunday evening

service, for example, could be very profitablyscheduled around a panel of three or four guests who

discuss such issues as Is there a biblical position on

abortion? What is the distinctive role of the church

in the 1970s? How can our congregation reach this

community for Christ? A creative Christian leader

will use the panel discussion whenever basic

information is needed to expose and discuss varying

points of view on a contemporary issue.

http://bible.org/seriespage/panel-discussion

12 Guidelines for Great Panel Discussions

Advice for Event Organizers and Moderators

Some panels crackle with energy, elicit fresh ideas,and bring the audience into the discussion. Others

plod along, and by the fifteen-minute mark the

audience is checking Blackberries and thumbing

through the program.

I've had the chance to moderate dozens of panel

discussions

, at places as diverse as the Harvard

Business School, the South by Southwest Film

Festival

, Las Vegas' humongous Consumer

Electronics Show, and a convention ofagricultural

marketers in St. Louis. I've also planned conferences,

assembled panels, and recruited other moderators.

This article is a compilation of some of the things I've

learned.

While it's of course important for every panel to have

a tight focus or value proposition (what is the

audience going to get out of it?), and for the

moderator to have a sense of how to structure his

questions and juggle the different points of view, I'm

going to leave those issues for another day. Instead, I

want to talk about how a panel's success can hinge

upon some subtle, under-appreciated factors -- all of

which need to be considered well before the day of

the event arrives. Some of the factors may seem

insignificant, but I've found that each one has a big
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impact on how much your audience will get out of

your panel.

1. Length and panel size.

The ideal length for a panel discussion is 45 minutes

to one hour. The ideal number of participants is 4-5,

plus moderator. I tend to book five guests for many

panels, on the assumption that one of them

sometimes drop outs at the last minute, leaving mewith four. Panels with six people can work, but once

you get to seven, everyone on the panel starts to get

anxious about getting enough airtime.

In cases where some of your panelists plan to show

slides (more on that later), you may need to extend a

panel to 90 minutes, but my rule is that there should

be no more than one 90-minute session per day at a

seminar or conference - that's a long time to ask the

audience to sit and pay attention. And ninety-minute

sessions are best scheduled for the morning, rather

than the end of the day.

2. Choosing a moderator.

Every panel needs a strong moderator, and the role of

the moderator is very different from the role of a

panelist. I don't recommend having one of your

panelists try to fill both roles. It's like trying to

conduct an orchestra while playing a solo.

The best moderator is someone who has moderated

panels in the past, understands the subject matter,

knows a bit about the panelists, and realizes that she

is there to guide the conversation - not to impress the

audience with her brilliance. The moderator is there

to make the speakers look good and make sure that

they connect with the audience. Moderators also need

an innate sense of pacing (how long each panelist

should talk, and how long she should dedicate to each

topic before moving on) and a smooth approach to

weaving in questions from the audience.

There is a very delicate balance between a moderator

who talks too much and one who doesn't talk enough.

The moderator who talks too much typically believes

that she should contribute as much to the panel as the

panelists, and is as much of an expert as they are, and

wants to convey that to the audience. The moderator

who doesn't talk enough lets the inmates run the

asylum: some panelists will go on long jags,

discoursing on topics that are not related to the panel

at all.

Journalists, analysts, industry "gurus," and

consultants can all make good moderators, since

they're accustomed to asking probing questions. (I

tend to think that people without something to sell to

your audience work best as moderators, which

sometimes excludes consultants and industry gurus,

who may be inclined to shill for their services.)Be clear with your moderator that you are entrusting

her to run the show, but that you'd like her to spend a

fixed amount of time (usually no more than five

minutes) introducing the speakers and teeing up the

discussion before bringing in the perspectives of the

panelists. It's also a good idea to let your moderator

know that she has the authority to politely cut off or

redirect speakers if they stray. But an experienced

moderator will already know that.

I often tell moderators that they are "all-powerful" -

but I expect them to know that that doesn't mean

they're the star of the panel. I often tell speakers thatthe moderator will "guide the conversation," so that

they know what to expect, and aren't surprised if the

moderator reins them in or redirects them.

3. Panelist guidelines and advance preparation.

I think it's a good idea to communicate with panelists

at least twice before the event -- and yes, it is

possible to over-communicate, annoying your

panelists and causing them to pay less attention to the

materials you send them.

Once a panelist has signed on, I send a confirmation

via e-mail thanking them for agreeing to be part of

the event. Contained in this e-mail are the

date/time/location of the event; anything the speakers

need to do in advance of the event (such as send in a

short bio for your program book or reserve a hotel

room or indicate their meal preferences); and a

mention that they'll be hearing more from you or the

moderator about the specifics of their session in

advance of the event.

The second communication, which can come from

the event organizer or the moderator, should again

list the date, time, and place. It's a good idea to send

this at least two weeks before the event itself. The

focus of this communication is to let the panelists

know who'll be moderating, and get into more detail

about the topics/themes of the session, and what you

hope to achieve.

Explain how the session will proceed, and what each

panelist should be prepared to do. (Often, I find

myself saying, "Don't bring a prepared speech or a

PowerPoint presentation, just your anecdotes, recent

experiences, and data points about this topic.") The

moderator may want to include some samplequestions. You might also want to send the panelists

a copy of the full agenda (or point them to it online),

and the bios of their fellow panelists. Another good

idea is to send them a cell phone number for the

person who'll be coordinating event, in case a panelist

is having trouble finding (or getting to) the venue on

the day of their panel.

Finally, it never hurts to call the panelists and the

moderator the week before an event to make sure

they've received all your materials and check if they

have any questions.

I don't tend to organize conference calls amongpanelists before panel discussions, as I've found this

can be more trouble than it is worth. Scheduling is

difficult, and if even one panelist misses the call,

someone needs to fill him in on what happened. I

think it's sufficient to get the panelists together in the

hallway fifteen minutes before a session, or have

them sit together at breakfast or lunch. Spontaneity is

preferable to having all of your panelists preface their

statements by saying, "As we discussed on the

conference call..."

But once your panelists are on-site, make sure they

get connected to their fellow panelists and the

moderator as quickly as possible.

A CEO once told me that he'd been on a live TV

show where the only instruction he got beforehand

was this: "No dead air." I think that's a good

instruction to give panelists, too. I also usually tell

them that I'm not necessarily going to go straight

down the line and have each of them answer every

question. Instead, I ask them to jump in whenever

they have something to say.

I also frequently mention that it's not a bad idea to

accentuate conflicts and differences of opinion (not in

an aggressive way, of course), rather than

highlighting areas where the panelists agree ("I agree


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with what the other four panelists said.") That makes

for an action-packed and enlightening panel.

4. Slides.

Since a panel discussion is usually part of a larger

agenda that includes plenty of slide presentations by

keynote speakers and others, I usually ask panelists

not to bring slides to show as part of the panel.

Audience members will enjoy hearing the panelists'perspectivessans slides, and seeing the interactionbetween the panelists. No one has ever left a

conference or seminar saying, "I just wish there was

more PowerPoint." That said, there are some topics

that can benefit from slides.

When slides are involved, I try to avoid having all of

the panelists bring slides. It's not unfair to ask one or

two panelists to bring a short slide presentation if you

make sure that other panelists who haven't brought

slides will get an equivalent amount of airtime. If

that's what you choose to do, or if you allow all of

your panelists to bring slides, you should give them a

limit: ask them to bring the three or five slides that

they absolutely must show to get their argument

across. (If you give them a time limit instead of a

firm number of slides, some people will imagine they

can somehow squeeze twenty slides into five

minutes.)

You should avoid having your speakers connect and

disconnect their own laptops to the projector during

the session; either an audio-visual person should do

this, or you should have all of the slides on a single

laptop and someone designated (again, not a panelist)

to switch from one presentation to the next.

Even better than slides is asking speakers to bring

objects for "show-and-tell"; this only works in some

circumstances - for instance when your panelists

represent manufacturing companies, or they're

doctors implanting a new kind of medical device, or

they're designers. If a panelist brings a couple of cell

phones that his firm helped to design, the audience

can pass them around while he's talking.

5. Setting the stage.

The worst kind of set-up for a panel discussion,

unfortunately, is the one you encounter most often in

hotel ballrooms and convention centers. There is a

long table on a raised stage, usually draped with a red

tablecloth, with chairs behind it. The moderator

stands at a podium apart from the speakers. There is a

gap of about twenty feet between the stage and the

first row of seats.

It's much better not to hide your panelists behind a

table. The audience will appreciate seeing them

better: body language is a very subtle thing, and it's

often part of panel discussions, especially whenpeople joke with one another or disagree about

something. Give your panelists tall stools, or regular

chairs, to sit on. (If you have a few side tables that

can go between some of the chairs, or a low coffee

table that can go in front of them, those can be handy

for placing pitchers of water or notes that your

speakers may carry onstage with them.)

The chairs should be arranged in a slight semi-circle,

since putting them in a straight line makes it hard for

panelists to see one another. This is important:

remove any extra chairs that may have been left

onstage from previous panels. Otherwise, there will

be vast oceans of space between your panelists, and

the audience will wonder who didn't show up.

The moderator should sit with the panelists so that he

or she can guide the conversation, not at a podium; I

usually like to sit in the middle.

Your objective should be to get the first row of seats

as close to the stage as possible, and to encourage

people to sit in them. This raises the energy level in

the room. It makes your speakers feel more

accountable to the audience, and it helps your

audience feel like they're part of the conversation. If

you have some freebies or prizes that you can give

away, the moderator or conference host shouldn't

hesitate to use them to bribe people to move from the

back to the front row, just as you're beginning the

session.

Make sure that when your entire audience is seated

and the panelists are in their chairs, the audience will

be able to see the panelists. Otherwise, their attention

will quickly drift. Sometimes this entails bringing in

a riser/stage, or using the aforementioned stools or

tall chairs.

6. Everyone needs a microphone.

It can be a clip-on lavalier mic, or a handheld, or a

mic perched on an adjustable stand, but forcing

everyone to share a single mic means that there will

be long stretches of dead air as your panelists hand

the mic back and forth.

This slows down the pace of the discussion, and often

it prevents panelists who have something to say from

jumping in, because someone else will hijack the mic

while it is traveling down the line.

A second-best option to having mics for everyone isto have mics for half of your panelists - but one

microphone dedicated to the moderator, who needs to

control the flow of the discussion. Panelists can then

share a mic with their immediate neighbor, reducing

the amount of mic-passing that has to take place.

7. Lighting.

Lighting is an easy thing to overlook, but too often

panel discussions take place in the shadows of a

fluorescent-lit room. If you can get supplemental

lighting, focus it on the stage - the audience wants to

see panelists' facial expressions, and good lighting

will guide their attention to the stage, rather than to

their Blackberries or the copy of USA Today that

arrived on their hotel room doorstep. If you can't get

supplemental lighting at your venue, at least make

sure that your stage and your panelists are positioned

in the brightest part of the room.

8. Identifying your panelists.

You want to help your audience understand which

speaker is which - even if an audience member

missed the beginning of the session, when each

speaker was introduced.

There are a number of different ways to help your

audience understand who's onstage, and who's

speaking. I think the best scenario is to have a list of

their names and titles in your printed conference

agenda, and ask them to sit in that order from left to

right on the stage. (You can facilitate this by placing

a piece of paper with each speaker's name on the

chairs before the session. Again, you probably will

want to put the moderator in the middle.) Instead of

(or in addition to) that, you may want to list your

speakers on a slide that's projected on the screen

throughout the session. At some point, the event's

host or the moderator - or both - should let the


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audience know that panelists will sit from left to right

as they're listed in the agenda or on the slide.

I'm not a fan of putting the speakers' names on folded

name tents, since these are usually hard to read from

the back of the room. But if you have a coffee table

onstage, you could certainly place name tents on the

front of that, or on the front edge of the s tage.

Having each panelist's bio printed as part of the

conference agenda or program is also wise. That willfree up your moderator to simply give a one- or two-

sentence introduction to each panelist, rather than

reading their complete bio to the audience. With four

or five panelists, the recitation of the bios can get

tedious, and it cuts into the time you have for the

actual discussion.

9. Question and answer period.

For an hour-long panel discussion, you should

allocate at least fifteen minutes at the end for

questions. Twenty or thirty minutes is better, if you

think the audience will have lots of questions and if

the panel is more educational in nature.

I can't emphasize enough how important a Q&A

period is; without one (or with an abbreviated one), it

sends the message that the audience is there to be

passive listeners, rather than active participants.

The moderator might also choose to let the audience

know that he or she will take questions throughout

the panel discussion, if audience members raise their

hands. The key with doing that is not to allow an off-

topic or obscure question to derail the panel and bore

the other audience members. If you get a super-

detailed question that seems like it is only of interest

to the questioner, the moderator can easily ask one

panelists to address it, and then move on.

During the main question-and-answer period, the

moderator should try to avoid calling on the same

person twice until everyone has gotten a chance to

ask a question. In the event that there are no

questions immediately, it's good for the moderator to

either have someone in the audience (perhaps one of

the organizers) primed to ask a question, or for the

moderator to have an extra question or two in

reserve.

Not everyone on the panel needs to weigh in on every

question; my goal as a moderator is usually to try to

get as many audience questions into the Q&A period

as possible.

10. Watching the clock.

It's the moderator's job to make sure no panelist drags

on for too long, and that there's plenty of time for

questions at the end. To help the moderator and

panelists, you may want to have a digital countdown

clock that all of the speakers can see positioned at theedge of the stage.

But the lower-tech approach is to have a person in the

back of the room holding up signs (with BIG

LETTERS) that say "10 Minutes," "5 Minutes," and

"1 Minute." Introduce your moderator to this

timekeeper before the session starts, so that he or she

will know whom to look for. A good timekeeper will

wave the signs like a checkered flag at a NASCAR

race until the moderator sees them; a good moderator

will nod at the timekeeper to let him or her know that

the moderator has gotten the message.

Why is time-keeping important? You may have a

panelist who has booked a flight or made an

appointment assuming that her panel will be done at

1 p.m., and there's nothing worse than someone

leaving the stage before the panel is over. (I've seen it

happen.)

11. Thank your panelists.

You really can't thank your panelists and your

moderator enough for helping out with your event.

Some people give them a small gift at the event, or

send a nice handwritten note afterwards, or both. If

you got positive feedback from your audience about

the panel - either on feedback forms or just

informally after the session - you should also convey

that in your note.

12. The panel ain't over when it's over.

Many audience members will want a chance to chat

informally with the panelists and moderator. Ask

your speakers in advance to stick around at the event

for at least 15 or 20 minutes after their session, so

that attendees will have a chance to buttonhole them

in the hallway after their session. Even better is to

encourage them to stay for lunch, dinner, the cocktail

hour - or whatever else you've got planned.

http://www.scottkirsner.com/panels.htm

Facilitating Panel Discussions

ByDiane DiResta

A client recently called to say she was going to

facilitate a panel for the next business meeting. She

had never done so before and asked if I could coach

her. After the session, she realized that there are some

basic skills needed when facilitating a panel ofspeaker.

To create a seamless and smooth panel discussion

here are some tips every facilitator must know:

Meet the panelists in advance: The meeting can be a

phone call. Get a sense of their styles and message

points. Decide how long each person will speak and

in what order. Have them send an introductory

paragraph.

Consider logistics: Contact the meeting planner and

visit the room. Discuss room set-up, lighting,

refreshments, microphones and AV equipment.

Decide whether the panelists will sit or stand during

their presentations.

Arrive one hour early: Check the room, test the

microphones. Check seating visibility. Be ready to

greet the panelists with a smile. You're the host.

Make them feel welcome.

Prepare a short bio:. Give your bio to the person who

will introduce you as the facilitator. Keep it brief-no

more than a paragraph.

Make your opening remarks: A statement about the

topic and the benefits for the audience will prepare

the audience to listen. "We expect to have a lively

discussion tonight about the state of the economy.

Our three speakers have differing view about where

to put your money.... Our first speaker...."

Set the ground rules: Let the audience know what to

expect. "There will be a 30 minute question and

answer period after the presentations. Please hold

your questions until the end."

Introduce the speakers: It works best to introduce the

first panelist. After the presentation, introduce the

next panelist. If you read all the introductions at once,

people will forget the information. Practice saying

their names and write them out phonetically if the

names are difficult.
http://www.scottkirsner.com/panels.htmhttp://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Diane_DiRestahttp://www.scottkirsner.com/panels.htmhttp://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Diane_DiResta


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Act as time keeper: Sit in front of the panelists and

give them a 5 minute time signal. You can write the

number 5 on an index card or you can hold up 5

fingers. If the panelist is running over, give the

speaker a wrap up signal. Or interject, "You have 30

seconds to summarize."

Facilitate questions: It's your job to keep order.

Thank the panelists, applaud with the audience and

open up the floor for questions. Explain the process."Please stand, say your first name, and be brief."

If somebody is rambling on, jump in and paraphrase

or ask them "What is your question?"

If nobody asks a question, the facilitator can ask the

first question. So have one ready. Or choose

somebody in advance to ask the first question.

At the five minute mark, let the group know that

you'll have time for a couple of more questions. Then

announce, "Last question."

Summarize and acknowledge: "That was an

interesting discussion. You've given us a new way to

look at our investments. Please help me thank our

panelists. (Applause)

Copyright Diane DiResta 2005. All rights reserved.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Facilitating-Panel-

Discussions&id=25332

The panel discussion is a 1/2 hour session that takes

place at the end of the sit-down lunch at Pathways.

There are typically four or five panelists (2 from

academe, 3 from industry) and a moderator.

During lunch, the students discuss career-related

topics with the scientists/engineers at their tables.

Then they write questions for the panel on slips of

paper available at their tables. The moderator poses

these questions to the panel.

You can start the session by either saying a few

words about each panelist or asking to say a couple

sentences about herself. Subjects the students like to

hear about from each panelist:

how a panelist chose her career/ what she

studied what a panelist does on a typical day at work

It is important to keep this portion of the panel

session brief so you can pose many student questions

to the panel.

About 10 min. before the panel is due to s tart, the

questions the students have written down will be

brought to you. Sort through them and decide how to

pose them to the panel. Often they divide naturally

among a few topics and you read several similar ones

aloud before asking panelists to respond. Eachpanelist need not answer every question -- scanning

the panelists' bios in advance will help you direct the

questions. There will probably be time for about 5-6

topics to be addressed.

A few days before the event, think about how you

might briefly answer the following questions:

how did you chose your career ?

what did you study to prepare ?

what do you actually do at work on a typicalday ?

how much does someone in your field earn ?

have you ever felt discriminated against (e.g.

due to gender, race, ethnicity...) and how did

you respond ?

do you have a life outside your work ? a

family ? hobbies ?

what advice would you give someone

wanting to enter your field ?

At the event, speak clearly and into the microphone.

Feel free to show emotion and enthusiasm -- it helps

the student connect with you when you're way up onthat platform.

1. Find a panel moderator. It can be one of you, or

another woman scientist/engineer. Please have the

moderator fill out the standard Pathways participant

registration form (available on the web site or from

Cynthia). Share the "tips for moderators'' with her

(those above or your own version).

2. Invite four - five panelists. It's preferable to have

two from academe and three from industry, and to

have some who are in a long-term relationship or

have kids (the family/career balancing act is often

asked about). Also, try to find women who represent

different fields and/or disciplines. Aim for people

who haven't been on the Pathways panel before (in

the `highlights' section of the web site), since students

sometimes come to Pathways more than once. But

people who have been speakers or led tours or given

demos before are fair game!3. As each panelist signs up, get her to fill out the

standard Pathways participant registration sheet and

to provide a brief bio that you can send to the

moderator. Share the "tips for panelists'' with her

(those above or your own version).

4. A week before the event, check that the panelists

and moderator:

have received directions to the GSU

have parking passes (if needed),

know what time they are expected to arrive,

understand the format of the panel session.

5. On the day of the event, be on hand to greet thepanelists when they arrive and help them get settled

for lunch. Seats will be reserved for them at tables

near the platform so they will be served early

relatively early.

6. Towards the end of lunch, collect the s tudents'

question slips and help the moderator sort them.

7. After the event, work with Cynthia and Liz to draft

thank you letters to panelists

http://www.bu.edu/lernet/pathways/organizers/panel.

html
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