Thread by @wadekelly

🧵On Wed, I launched The Impactful Academic. I organised a panel re. impact and higher education (feat. @lisagiven @hillandy @kentheknight @lisa_grocott). Generally, panels are boring, so I tried to mix things up. I think/hope it worked. Here are some #Engagement tips for panels.

Preparation: Prepare panellists by providing a few broad questions outlining the scope of the desired conversation. Encourage them not to over-prepare. Planned recitations rarely inspire or connect. Brief them at the event; when they'll be on stage, how long, how to hold mics.

Intros: Giving five panellists two minutes each will eat up 15-20min without getting to the meat of the discussion. People go long. Short and sharp intros from the facilitator are often best. If you want to be really adventurous, have panellists introduce each other.

Set the scene: Using scenarios allows panellists freedom to be frank and imaginative in their responses without risk. Our panel started with a short scene-setting description of society in 2050. A little funny, a little cheeky. It set the tone — this would be an adventure.

Facilitating: Everyone agreeing on everything makes for a boring panel. I encourage panellists to engage with each other's comments — listen, reflect, and respond. It should feel like a conversation. To encourage, I might say, "Lisa, what do you think of what Andy just said?"

Facilitating: The job is not to get through every question in your notes. Achieving what feels like a natural flow requires a lot of heavy lifting. I have one eye on the clock and the other on the audience. Are they nodding or nodding off? If they're not with me, I move it along.

Audience: Engage the audience. When I ask halfway through a panel if anyone has questions, you can see people's posture change, "he can see me‽" or "that's supposed to be at the end!" Bend the rules: increase engagement. People like to raise their hands, ask them questions.

Questions: Protect the audience. Protect the panel. Your job is peacekeeper, storyteller, and sometimes bad guy. If someone's question is more of a comment, and that comment is hogging time from your expert panel, shut it down. The same goes for bloviating panellists.

Panel composition: The right panellists make your job easy. If you can, pick wisely (I did!). Not your choice? Get to know your panel prior, even if it's five minutes. You shouldn't meet for the first time on stage. Also, no manels. There's no good excuse for having one in 2022.

In closing: I'm on a mission to have better panels. Done well, they can be magic. Too often, they're dreadful. So, what are you doing to make panels better? Sound off in the comments.
#TheImaptfulAcademic #EngagingForImpact

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