Top Tips for Terrific Panels

Hurray! Conference season is here! Nothing beats the buzz of a conference. Most enjoyable are panels, where experts debate what is, what should be and why we should care. For budding participants here are my top tips:

1.?????Don’t rehearse answers. Terrific panels are lively, conversational, real. Canned messages are obvious unless you’re a thespian. A recent panellist had no less than three minders on a prep call crafting his talk track. Now I worry they’ll arrive on site with cattle prods to keep him in line.

2.?????Trust your knowledge. You’re on a panel because you’re a respected expert. Those confident in their topics have nothing to fear. ‘Studying’ questions to ensure your answers are credible is unnecessary. Too often, it’s to female executives that I have to make this point.

3.?????Please disagree. Some people say I’m argumentative. No, that’s my Hegelian dialectic, I retort. I might tell Dean Bubley on a panel that his opinion is ludicrous. He may violently disagree. But debate results in better, truer answers. We are friends at the bar afterward.

4.?????Reject the stool. Conference organizers take heed: No-one looks good on a stool, particularly the traditionally built person. A stool makes you worry about tipping over instead of what to say. It can limit wardrobe choices too. Ask nicely for armchairs instead.

5.?????Have fun! Enjoy the moment. Panels serve an important function in driving knowledge and insight. But they’re also an entertainment. The audience wants to have fun, and you should too. Good luck!

Join me at the spectacle that is the #Big5Gevent in Austin, courtesy of Informa Tech . There will be panels galore!