Professionally Speaking...

Presenting in Africa

I've just returned from two trips to Africa where I spoke and ran workshops at the Women in Management and Business (WimBIZ) conference (Lagos, Nigeria) and the Kenyan Association of Women Business Owners (KAWBO) conference (Nairobi, Kenya). They were both amazing experiences and I thought it would be interesting to make some comparisons between African and U.S. presentation style, format and approach.

STYLE

The style in Nigeria was definitely more formal than we're used to here. The wife of the Governor of Lagos State attended the entire conference and each presenter started her comments with, "Her Excellency, First Lady of Lagos State, distinguished ladies and gentlemen..." When speakers referenced someone in their remarks, they always used the title Mr. or Mrs., never a first name. This was a challenge in my own presentation; when I wanted to refer to another speaker, I had to be sure I could correctly pronounce the unfamiliar, Nigerian name.

Kenya was more similar to here, with first names being used freely.

Also worth noting in both countries was the politeness of attendees. They paid serious attention to the speakers, didn't leave the room and clapped enthusiastically. Conference delegates in Nigeria were really put to the test as there was a power outage which delayed the start of the conference by over an hour. Unlike one might imagine, attendees sat patiently, without complaint, using the time for additional networking.

FORMAT

The majority of the presentations at both conferences were in the form of moderated panels. Each panelist gave a short presentation, commented on the other panelists' remarks and answered questions from the audience. I found this to be a richer format for attendees as it gave them a number of perspectives on a given topic and encouraged greater dialogue among panelists and between panelists and audience. And it minimized the pain of a bad presenter!

Handouts were, refreshingly, non-existent at both conferences. All speaker notes/presentations were going to be put up on the websites of the sponsoring organizations, for download by interested attendees.

I am sorry to say that PowerPoint is just as ubiquitous and badly done in Africa as it is in the US. Bad PowerPoint slides have clearly become viral. One of the presenters at the Kenya KAWBO conference, Dr. Julius Kipng'etich, Director of Kenya Wildlife Service, gave me a great definition of PowerPoint I hadn't heard: "PowerPoint is too many points without power."

Keeping to a time limit presented as much of a challenge in Africa as it does here. In Nigeria, speakers who went past their alloted time were silenced by a moderator who took enforcement seriously. In Kenya, speakers went over time frequently, to the delight of the audience who were getting such value, but to the chagrin of the organizers who were forced to then constantly juggle time lines.

APPROACH

The presenters at both conferences were generally better prepared than what I experience at presentations here in the US. It was obvious that many of the speakers had rehearsed their remarks and most spoke conversationally without heavy reliance on notes. Almost universally, they included stories and anecdotes, many from personal experiences, to underscore their message.

The true measure of any speaker's or conference's success is the satisfaction of the attendees. KAWBO and WimBIZ did an awesome job of putting on as professional and relevant a conference as any we would attend here in the US. Based on the conversations I had with attendees and their reactions throughout the conferences, both organizations passed the success test with high marks.

10 Tips for Moderating a Panel

Most of you would likely say that speaking on a panel is more difficult and requires more preparation than moderating one. And I'd say you're incorrect.

The role of the moderator is critical to the success of the panel, success being defined as how much value both the audience and the panelists derive from the experience. Contrary to what some may think, the moderator doesn't just keep time or make sure that everyone gets an equal say.

Here are 10 tips that will help moderators ensure that their audience stays engaged with the dialogue and their panelists stay on track.

1. Act as the Audience's Advocate   As moderator, you need to be consistently monitoring the audience to read their reactions and determine if you need to make any modifications to the order of questions, length of remarks or anything about the physical space. Too often, the moderator is focused on the panelists, what they're saying and who's hogging the mic. But according to Jeremiah Owyang, in his blog post, How To Successfully Moderate a Conference Panel, a moderator should serve the audience, not the panelists.

2. Hold a Pre-Event Briefing   When I say pre-event, I don't mean an hour before the panel is to start. A couple of weeks before the panel presentation, the moderator should meet with the panelists (conference call is fine, although face-to-face is better, if feasible), review the objectives of the presentation, the general framework and share an overview of the questions and tips for being a successful panelist.

Depending on the moderator's subject matter expertise and the panel organizer's style, the moderator may develop the questions or be given them. The goal of the briefing is to get everyone comfortable enough with the topic area and each others' contributions that the presentation appears smooth and seamless. Specific guidelines for example, strict adherence to time frames, no self promotion) should be covered.

3. Make Short, Interesting Introductions   The audience really doesn't want to sit through long, boring introductions filled with presenter accomplishments, degrees and awards. Instead, make the intros short (about 30 seconds each), briefly establish why each panelist is qualified to be there and include some details about what contribution she's going to make to the audience or why he's passionate about the topic.

4. Set the Stage Up Front   At the outset, let the audience know what is (and perhaps isn't) going to be covered, how the panelists will make the topic relevant for the audience, any general guidelines about timing (e.g., each panelist will make a 10 minute presentation and then we will take questions) or format (e.g., this presentation is being taped so you will be able to access a recording on the website tomorrow). Be sure to let the audience know any other relevant information or restrictions such as ~ when and where to direct questions; handout availability; any scheduled breaks.

5. Manage the Timing and Balance   One of the biggest complaints about panels is that speakers sometimes ramble on unstopped. The moderator orchestrates the energy of the dialogue by knowing when to politely interrupt a verbose panelist or when to ask a follow up question on a hot topic. The moderator should also facilitate reasonably even "air time" for each panelist. Know when to ask a different panelist to answer a question or address another aspect of the topic.  

6. Be Prepared and Be Flexible   Know generally what the panelists are going to say and prepare some follow up questions or comments that you can interject to keep the discussion moving and engaging. Be cautious not to play panel ping pong, where you ask a follow up question after each panelist's answer, making it look all too scripted and structured.

Be well enough prepared that, if the audience ventures into an unplanned aspect of the topic, you can be comfortable pursuing it as long as you believe it will further the overall objective

7. Don't Answer Questions Directed at Panelists   Check your ego at the door. As the moderator, your job is to facilitate dialogue between the audience and the panelists, synthesize ideas or comments for the audience and keep the flow going smoothly. This is a far greater contribution than showing off your subject matter expertise.

8. Be Aware of Your Body Language   Even though you may not be speaking as much as the panelists, you're just as much on show. As in any presentation, be aware of any distracting habits you may have. Don't check your iPhone, shuffle papers, chat with the person next to you or gaze off into space. Be involved and actively listening.

9. Develop a Strategy for Questions   Questions can enrich a presentation or derail it. Decide ahead of time, with the panelists, how you will manage questions. Are you going to take them from the floor throughout the presentation or are you going to have a dedicated Q&A session? 

Here are some options you can use to manage questions: have participants write out their questions and have a coordinator collect them; ask questioner to direct his question to a specific panelist so that every panelist doesn't have to weigh in if they don't have anything relevant to add; don't keep calling on the same person(s) in the audience; have some contingency questions prepared for the panel in case no one in the audience asks any. However you get the questions, be sure to repeat them so everyone in the audience can hear.

10.Look at Audience, Not Panelists   Refer back to #1. You should spend most of your time observing the audience and directing your comments to them. When asking a panelist a question, look at that person while you are speaking and then look back at the audience.

Being a good moderator is a tougher and more important job than you may think. No matter how brilliant the individual panelists, it is the moderator who blends their content with the audience's needs to produce the perfect outcome.

What other tips or best practices do you have to share...either from the perspective of being in the audience or being a moderator?

Other resources on the topic of panels:

10 Tips for Speaking on a Panel
How to be a Great Moderator
10 Rules for Being a Great Panel Moderator
Ten Rules for Being a Good Conference Panelist

10 Tips for Speaking on a Panel

I recently attended my local ASTD chapter meeting (www.dcastd.org) where a panel of CLOs talked about the role of global learning in tough economic times. I'm not usually a fan of panels, because they frequently appear disorganized with speakers rambling, cutting each other off and running out of time. But this panel was refreshingly different and very effective. 

What made it so good? The moderator played a huge role and I'll cover tips for moderating a panel in the next post. But the speakers did some things very right. Here are the tips I uncovered:

1.  Stand in Your Audience's Shoes   Figure out what they need or want to know. Figure out what they may be able to use. Then give it to them. Run all your comments through the filter of what's useful to the audience rather than what may make you look good or what YOU want to talk about.

2. Be Prepared   Just because you are sharing the limelight with other people, don't think this means you don't have to be rigorous in your preparation. Determine the 3 or 4 key messages that will be relevant to your audience and organize succinct, clear content around them. This is the key to being brief and pithy vs. rambling.

3. Use Stories   Examples and stories are the absolute best way to help your audience remember what you say and see the applicability for their circumstances. Be sure to practice your stories so they are crisp and support the point(s) you are making.

4. Anticipate Questions   Part of your prep must be to think about what questions your audience may have about your topic. Plan to cover off the most likely questions in your remarks --  and -- have answers and resources ready for other probable topics your audience will bring up.

5. Don't Use Slides   A panel is more like a dialogue or conversation among the panelists and the audience than it is a series of stand-alone presentations. Unless PowerPoint is critical to demonstrate a concept -- in which case you would probably be using a graph, chart or image -- ditch the slides in favor of connection and eye contact with the audience.

6. Interact with the Other Panelists   If this is a dialogue, then each panelist should be interacting with the other panelists as well as with the audience. When you are speaking, reference or link to something one of the other panelists said to emphasize or contrast your point. This helps synthesize the information for the audience and makes the panel discussion seem like an integrated whole.

7. Be Respectful   Don't cut off other panelists or the moderator. Don't interrupt in the middle of another panelist's remarks. Don't hog the spotlight. The best possible experience for the audience is for all the panelists to make a contribution to the discussion without any one of them standing out at the expense of another.

8. Don't Answer Every Question   You may indeed have an answer for every question that gets asked. That doesn't mean you have to offer them all. Be conscious of the balance on the panel. Don't feel compelled to constantly add your two cents after another panelist has given a perfectly fine answer. Re-read #7.

9. Be Conscious of How You Look When You're Not Speaking   If you're fidgeting, shuffling papers, checking your BlackBerry or gazing off into space, you're not being respectful to the other panelists and the audience will absolutely notice and interpret.

10.Provide Your Bio   If you provide your bio or an intro for the moderator, you will be assured of being introduced properly. Brevity is key. Think of the last time you sat in the audience and suffered through long-winded introductions, peppered with degrees and awards. Construct your intro so that it offers something interesting and relevant to the audience.

What other tips or best practices do you have to share...either from the perspective of being in the audience or being a panelist?