Moderating
Take a moment and picture this...
You and your colleagues are planning an upcoming event where you decide to replace the keynote speaker with a fun and informative panel discussion.
With careful deliberation, you and your team secure a phenomenal line-up of highly-experienced subject matter experts. Whew! The hard work is done. The most important component of the panel discussion is secured – expert panelists who can deliver the content your audience is expecting.
Now it's time to find a moderator to facilitate this discussion.
With careful deliberation, you and your team secure a phenomenal line-up of highly-experienced subject matter experts. Whew! The hard work is done. The most important component of the panel discussion is secured – expert panelists who can deliver the content your audience is expecting.
Now it's time to find a moderator to facilitate this discussion.
Who do you choose?
Now, fast-forward to the day of the event...
You went with one of the options above and the panel begins. Sadly, ten minutes into it, it becomes abundantly clear you picked the wrong moderator.
How do you know?
In the end, your moderator was horrible and what were you left with?
A phenomenal line-up of panelists whose substantive value was UNDERUTILIZED by a moderator who simply wasn't up to the task.
Panel discussions can be tremendously valuable when facilitated properly . . . but horrid when they're not.
​Which is why it is absolutely critical your organization be as deliberate and intentional with choosing your moderator as you are with choosing your panelists.

Selecting a moderator because he's an executive leader in the organization - or - she's worked hard & deserves the recognition - or - he needs more visibility - or - she wants more on-stage practice - or - he comes at no cost... are not appropriate reasons to choose someone to moderate your panel discussion - especially a discussion among experts you've worked incredibly hard to secure.
Mediocre moderators can make even the best of experts look average. However, skilled facilitators can make average panelists look fantastic! So what skill set should your moderator bring to the table?
What should you be looking for in a moderator?
Are you looking for this type of moderator?
