There is very little drama in panels. I’d like to see panelists a bit more feisty, eager to engage in debate and debunk…but they rarely are (or do). Polite and well-mannered is more like it–don’t want to rock the boat or roil the waters. Keep it nice and tidy, which often means boring.
Paul Kedrosky and I share a friend in the private equity business who asked us to contribute to a publication called PRIVATE EQUITY INTERNATIONAL. I wrote about speaking to private equity conferences, and Paul wrote about moderating panels and being a panelist.
Paul has a great blog post on his website called Ten rules for being a great panel moderator. He’s as interested in drama as I am, and he’s sharp and witty on the subject of being a great panel moderator, so I refer you to him. He knows whereof he speaks.
Please click on the link if you want to improve your panel moderation skills. And PS, my ulterior motives are nil. I don’t know Paul, never met him, and just this minute got his permission to send you his way. He writes with dash and humor.