Saturday, April 10, 2010
Moderation and Change
I am coming to understand something about myself-- I think that I am getting to be a good speaker, but have a ways to go before I become a good moderator. It is a different skill, and one I don't quite have yet. At Harvard this week I loved my speaking role as an advocate (in the evening) but was much less comfortable as a moderator earlier in the day.
There are people I know (Bob Cochran at Pepperdine is one) who are fabulous moderators. They give good, kind, and true introductions, and then facilitate transitions in the conversation with a gentle ease. It is a skill I greatly admire, because it combines elements of humility, service, intelligence, and focus that are wonderful in combination.
In the end, I wonder if it is not the moderators, the people who bring disparate voices together and facilitate discussion, who often change the world in the most profound ways.
Comments:
<< Home
I wholly agree with your assessment of moderators. Some are born with this skill - part of their personality and some come to it easily with practice. It is however, not something that many people can do even with extensive practice.
I am certain the next time you moderate a discussion you will have learned from this experience.
I am certain the next time you moderate a discussion you will have learned from this experience.
I think you can get better at it with practice . . . I've moderated panels a fair amount, and the hard thing is that you have no idea what anyone is going to say.
What has helped is a) knowing about the panelists ahead of time, even a little bit, and b) having some agenda in your head of the main points you want to draw out of the panelists, what you want the audience to know by the time it's over.
When I've been on panels, I've always liked the moderators who asked interesting, and even a bit provocative, questions. That's the hardest part for me, as a moderator: figuring out how much to push the envelope.
Post a Comment
What has helped is a) knowing about the panelists ahead of time, even a little bit, and b) having some agenda in your head of the main points you want to draw out of the panelists, what you want the audience to know by the time it's over.
When I've been on panels, I've always liked the moderators who asked interesting, and even a bit provocative, questions. That's the hardest part for me, as a moderator: figuring out how much to push the envelope.
# posted by 
: 8:43 AM
: 8:43 AM << Home
