Written by Jan Bailey, Communication and Speaking Coach
Jan Bailey is a seasoned communication and public speaking trainer specializing in leadership presence, clear communication and confident presenting. Fascinated by the reluctance most people have around speaking up, speaking out and speaking in front of others, Jan set out to change the way people think about public speaking and presenting.
There’s not a single one of you reading this article who hasn’t been in a meeting where you were desperate for the Chair to interrupt someone or cut them short. Many you have also attended conferences, excited by the prospect of learning something new from a dynamic panel, only to wish the moderator would stop one panelist from an endless monologue. It’s a common experience, but be honest, when you sit in the Chair, are you managing time and maximizing impact?
Having read my articles, you know that all speaking is public speaking and that means that chairing meetings and moderating panels absolutely qualify. If you’ve been given either of these roles or been asked to volunteer, you know it can be a double edged sword. Not only must you manage your role as emcee, you must also manage the people at the meeting or the guests on your panel. That can mean a few different things you might not have bargained for:
You are the official keeper of time, agenda and objectives,
You may or may not have done this before and your adrenalin behaves accordingly,
You are tasked with helping everyone involved move past their own nervousness so they offer the most impact,
Neither meeting attendees nor panelists are guaranteed to be excellent communicators or presenters.
At this point you may be questioning whether it was an honour to be asked to host or whether it is in fact quite the opposite. I guarantee you, with a few strategies in place and an iron clad set of parameters, you’ll feel like a conductor bringing this musical discussion to light. Okay, maybe not quite so dramatic, but you will very quickly appreciate the role of an excellent host, emcee, chair or moderator and begin to recognize the value it adds to your skill set.
One of the first things I hear from clients who’ve asked me to help them excel in their role as moderator is how do I come across as knowledgeable? I’m moderating a panel of experts and I need to sound smart, educated and well informed. I agree with them, and then ask a few questions to help them shift their perspective. Ask yourself:
Who is the audience there to listen to?
What would make the audience the happiest?
How can you facilitate the audience experience?
What just happened when you read those questions? You started to shift your focus to the audience and you started to worry just a little bit less about what it was that you were going to say. Said another way – the less you say as the emcee and the more opportunity you give your panelists (or meeting participants) to share diverse information and perspectives, the better for your audience.
Feeling slightly better?
Chairing meetings and moderating panels are a fantastic way to bridge skill gaps you feel you have as you work toward becoming a confident public speaker. Think of it like singing in the choir versus being the soloist.
You have subject knowledge and familiarity, but don’t have to be the expert
You are on stage with a group, not alone in the spotlight
You are technically part of a conversation on stage, you don’t have to drive the presentation
Relaxing a bit more?
Let’s talk specifics. Whether you’re moderator or chair, the following suggestions apply as you facilitate the ‘audience experience’. A side note, here – you may be thinking that the people at your meeting are not really your audience, they are paid to be there. Though you aren’t wrong, I would ask you to consider how an interesting, productive, on-time meeting would begin to change the attitudes of the people asked to attend. As you shift your mind-set to think of all speaking as public speaking, you might find the way you approach your role as meeting Chair shifting also.
Top three strategies to be effective in chairing a meeting
Set the tone
When people walk out the door (or logged off) from your meeting or your event, how do you want them to feel? What do you want them to take with them? Would you like them to feel motivated? Informed? Curious?
Then that’s how you should begin. As a speaker in any situation, you have the ability to influence how you want people to react to your talk. When you’re the Chair or the Moderator, you have more influence because you control the flow, the timing and the direction.
Be clear and state your intention: For example, “At the end of the meeting today we will …”
Or; “Today’s panel is sure to excite, inform, challenge (for example) and I want you to walk away feeling …”
Reassure them you won’t leave them hanging
When I tell you people don’t like to be embarrassed, to look stupid or to look like they don’t know something – I’m not telling you something new.
What might be new to you is the ability to do something about that feeling in other people. When you’re the Chair or Moderator, it’s your job to ‘have people’s back’ and you need to tell them up front that you intend to follow through.
Here’s how that looks.
If someone is looking lost, confused or has just blanked and the words aren’t coming – you step in and help.
If someone is faced with a question they don’t understand or can’t hear – you step in and help.
If someone is put on the spot and is floundering and getting flustered – you step in and help.
What kind of help do you offer? You’re the host – so this is your meeting, or your panel and you take control or wield influence where you need to.
You might offer the word they’re looking for.
You might jump in and summarize their answer thus far so they get back on track.
You might interpret a question, rephrase a question or simply redirect a question that’s not appropriate or on theme.
You might smile, reassure and throw a verbal life line in the form of an alternate question or direction.
Tell them what your job is
This is the part of the strategy that most people don’t love. It’s important to tell the people in your meeting or on the panel exactly what your job is and what that means to them. Your job is to keep the session moving and to ensure that things run on time and as efficiently as possible. That seems straightforward enough, doesn’t it?
And, In your duty to time and progression – you may have to interrupt them, refocus them or flat out cut them off. You are a professional, and you’ll do that as politely as possible, but you reserve the right, in the interest of time and hearing from all participants, to cut them off.
This might feel uncomfortable to you – but it goes remarkably well when you tell participants that interrupting them is simply "part of your job". They don’t take it personally, then, and your audience and the other meeting attendees will thank you. Be up front and give it a try.
Work is busy and expectations are high for everyone in the business world. If you can find places to improve efficiencies where possible, wouldn’t you take that opportunity – especially if the improvement is in you.
Speaking in front of others can genuinely shake your confidence and your sense of self. As a communication trainer specializing in public speaking and presenting, I work with people at all levels of business to improve their confidence and simultaneously improve their speaking and presenting in any scenario.
If you’ve found this article helpful, please look for my other articles and follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info! I’d be delighted to help you give yourself or your team the gift of clear, confident communication; every time you speak.
Jan Bailey, Communication and Speaking Coach
Jan Bailey is a seasoned communication and public speaking trainer specializing in leadership presence, clear communication and confident presenting. Fascinated by the reluctance most people have around speaking up, speaking out and speaking in front of others, Jan set out to change the way people think about public speaking and presenting. More laughter and less lecture, more personality and less powerpoint and a whole lot more confidence means professionals at all levels are more effective communicators. A dynamic speaker, an engaging facilitator and an insightful coach, Jan genuinely believes in the power of effective communication to change lives; personally and professionally.
