Be the best panelist

We are deep into conference season. Let’s assume you’re invited to speak on not one, but a few industry panels. How can you be the panelist that everyone remembers? You can be gracious to your fellow panelists and make the whole conversation better!

The famous rule of improvisational comedy, “YES, AND” applies perfectly to participation in a panel. For example, your fellow panelist Gretchen says something about weather patterns and supply chains. You can add, “Gretchen’s exactly right, weather can be so disruptive to any supply chain. That’s why our AI solution is essential for companies who want to gather and interpret all of the world’s weather data to ensure their products can be delivered on time.”

Or your fellow panelist Don says, “We don’t believe that manufacturing companies are ready for agentic workflows” and you can say, “Don is correct that there’s resistance and misunderstanding. And yet, we are seeing some companies achieve real gains as they embrace what’s right for them.”

You need two skills to be a great panelist: Listening and pivoting.

You actively engage in listening as the moderator asks questions, whether they are directed to you or not. You listen to what your fellow panelists say. An idea sparks. Then you use your second skill, pivoting.

A pivot is a graceful transition from point A (what you are hearing) to point B (what you want to say). It’s vital that you have clarity on your point B - your message. You cannot build a bridge to nowhere. If you speak up and pivot and don’t deliver anything worth saying, you’ve wasted the audience’s time!

In a way, a panel is a hybrid between a speech (you create and deliver compelling content) and a media interview (you actively listen and pivot). Bring both skills to the table and you will be a great panelist!