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Paneling Your Meeting Is Easier than Paneling Your Basement

Is it just me, or are panels becoming more popular?
Seems like every meeting I attend these days features a panel of some sort. It might be sales people talking about new products, customers talking about new needs, or experts talking about new solutions to old problems or old solutions to new problems.

When it comes to panels, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Which has prompted me to jot down a short list of Dos and Don’ts for your next panel.

DO
Rehearse. Really, it won’t hurt and it will improve the content and delivery of your panel presentation ten-fold. And I’m not just talking content here. Yes, that’s important, and you should certainly spend the bulk of your rehearsal time on who’s saying what. But don’t stop there. Rehearse how people are being introduced, how they’re getting on stage, how are people being miked (are they wearing lavs or sharing a hand-held?), and how you’re segueing to the next part of the agenda. (If you want to see the definition of awkward, watch a panel group try to scramble off-stage when they have no idea where to go or what’s happening next. It would be funny if it weren’t so painful.)

DON’T
Just say no. This is a panel, not a recording of "We Are The World." Keep your panel size reasonable. A 30-minute panel session with fifteen on-stage participants will be a waste of time for twelve of those people, as well as for a large percentage of your audience. I’ve seen panels where there appeared to be more people on stage than in the audience. While that may be of interest to the people at the Guinness Book, it’s not going to make for an effective panel discussion.

DO
Prime the pump. If you’re going to take questions from the audience, have a couple questions (and a couple ringers to ask those questions) in your hip pocket, just to get things started. Giving people the opportunity to jot down questions ahead of time is another smart way to keep your panel busy during Q&A and to keep your audience engaged.

DON’T
Don’t invite the wrong people to your panel party. If they don’t have credibility on the topic or something germane to add to the conversation, they shouldn’t be on-stage. And make sure that you’re not making a statement (or a mis-statement) with your choice of participants. I once saw a panel on Diversity that consisted of six middle-aged white guys. The only thing diverse about them were their ties, and not by much.

DO
Provide a moderating influence (i.e., bring a host). A moderator is the oil that keeps your panel engine humming smoothly. It’s the syrup on your pancakes. It’s the yin to your panel’s yang. A good moderator can ask questions, create segues, provide detours away from sensitive subjects, diffuse conflict, offer follow-up thoughts and still keep one eye on the clock. A good moderator is worth his/her weight in gold. Make the investment.

So, whether you’re creating your own version of Meet the Press or The View, make sure that you’re getting the most out of your panel. They’re a great, interactive and cost-effective way to provide information and multiple viewpoints to your audience.
Now. Who can help me panel my basement?

posted by Martin Bastian at 7:35 PM