MARCH 1998, VOL 67, NO 3

P R A C T I C A L I N N O V A T I O N S

The ”how to‘s” of artful moderation onsider the following scenar- ios. You have been asked to c introduce the invited speaker

at a chapter meeting. As the nurse responsible for a continuing edu- cation or an inservice program, it is your responsibility to introduce the presenters. You have been invited to moderate a concurrent session of five speakers at a national meeting.

Regardless of the situation specifics or the number of speak- ers, your role is the same: to make the speakers look good and the audience glad they came. To cre- ate this positive environment, keep in mind the following “how to’s’’ of artful moderation.

BEFORE THE MEETING Before the meeting starts, it is

important to do several things. These include assessing the meet- ing room, meeting with the speak- ers and reviewing their time lim- its, and preparing introductory comments

Assess the meeting room. Check out the stage or speaker position as well as the seating arrangements. Is water readily available for you and the speak- ers? If there is a podium, can the height be adjusted? Learn how to operate the podium and the room lights. Familiarize yourself with the audiovisual equipment and know how to summon help if the equipment fails. If an audiovisual technician has been assigned to the room, introduce yourself and briefly review the session with him or her.

Meet d t h the speaken. Meet with the speakers before the meet- ing begins, even if only for a minute or so. Introduce yourself and explain the session “rules.”

Review time limitations. Re- mind each speaker of the amount of time he or she has for his or her presentation. Explain how ques- tions will be handled. Specifically, if several people are to present, will each be allotted a certain amount of time for questions immediately following his or her session, or will questions be taken after all speakers have presented? At larger, more formal meetings, this process may be delineated by those convening the conference or meeting. Regardless, ensure that the speakers for whom you are responsible are aware of the process.

Explain to the speakers that you are going to be strict with time. A speaker will have the allotted time to present, no more. This is particularly important when more than one person is to

EDWINA A. McCONNELL, RN, PHD, FRCNA, is an independent nurse consultant in Madison, Wis. She also is a professor at

Texas Tech University Health Sci- ences Center, School of Nursing, Lubbock, and a research fellow at the Centre for Research into Nursing and Health Care, University of South Australia, Underdale.

present. Explain how you will help speakers stay within their allotted time (eg, you will slip them a piece of paper with “two minutes” and “time’s up,” or the podium may have yellow and red lights that illuminate respec- tively when the speaker has two minutes remaining and when time is up).

Prepare brief introductory com- ments about a speaker. Speakers sometimes are asked to submit a biographical sketch well in advance of the meeting. These sketches are then given to the appropriate moderator. Not all speakers submit the information, however. Even if they do, you will want to choose your comments carefully. Highlight aspects of their backgrounds and credentials that give them credibility for speaking at this meeting and on this particular topic.

Prepare introductory comments.

DURING THE MEETING Begin the meeting or session

on time. Introduce yourself, briefly mention the focus of the session, and explain session ground rules (eg, tell the audience how long each speaker will pre- sent, when and how questions will be handled-after each speaker or after all speakers have made their presentations).

Speaker changes. Advise the audience of any change in speakers. Occasionally, a speaker may be unable to attend, and a colleague will present. This is not too disruptive because the

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presentation still will be made. Sometimes, however, a speaker does not show up and has made no arrangements for the informa- tion to be presented. If this hap- pens and yours is one of several concurrent sessions, keep to the original time schedule, even if it is f i s t speaker who is unavail- able; otherwise, audience mem- bers may come at the second time slot expecting to hear the second speaker only to find that this per- son has presented already.

If the session is not a concur- rent session, then simply start the program with the speakers avail- able. You have several options in regard to handling the time not used by the no-show speaker. You may divide it among the speakers, giving them additional time to present or to answer ques- tions, or you may use the time for a panel discussion at the end of the presentations.

Introductions. Introduce each speaker enthusiastically. Tell the audience how smart they were to attend this meeting and how lucky they are to hear the speak- ers. Your introduction can make a difference in the audience’s response to the presenters. Simi- larly, your introduction can boost the confidence and enthusiasm of the presenters, thus enhancing their performance.

sive as possible in your time- keeping efforts. Avoid tapping on a water glass with a pen or ringing a bell. These noises certainly attract the speaker’s attention; however, they break the audi-

Time keeping. Be as unobtru-

ence’s concentration and disrupt the flow of the presentation.

time limits. Let them know when two minutes and then one minute of their time remains, and by all means tell them when their time is

Help speakers stay within their

Your introduction can make a difference in

the audience’s response to the

presenters.

up. Even very seasoned presenters may lose track of the time. If a speaker exceeds the time limit, it is your responsibility to help him or her finish. Usually a speaker will stop when you say, “I’m sorry, but your time is up.”

speaker keeps talking? Stand up and move toward the podium. Thank the speaker for the presen- tation and say, “We must move on to the next speaker.” If that does not work, simply say, “Your time is up, and I must ask you to stop.” Fortunately, most speakers will not require you to be this assertive. If they do, however, it is your responsibility to the other speakers and to the audience to ensure that all speakers have their allotted time.

What do you do, however, if a

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS Handle questions graciously.

Repeat each question so that every- one hears it before the speaker answers. Sometimes a person does not ask a question but makes a comment. Thanking the person for the comment and taking the next question creates a win-win situa- tion for everyone. You may be tempted to gently and politely ask the person to be concise and get to the point. Such a tactic, however, may embarrass the person and cre- ate a win-lose situation.

What do you do if the audience has no questions? Quite simply, arm yourself with questions. Before the session begins, ask each speaker for a couple of questions. Speakers often appreciate the opportunity to provide information that they may not have had time to include in their presentation. Alter- natively, you can make a list of questions as the speaker presents.

ENDING THE SESSION End the session on time. Close

with a one-minute summary that encapsulates information present- ed, then thank the speakers for their presentations and the audi- ence for its attention. Make everyone feel pleased that they participated.

SUMMARY The success of any program

that involves speakers depends on a variety of factors. The modera- tor, however, can make even good speakers look better and the audi- ence genuinely glad they decided to attend the meeting. A

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