Help Wanted: Skilled Moderator for Lively Conversations

You’re great at one-on-one interviews. So why is moderating a panel discussion so hard?

(Daan Jaartsveld flies high during a preview performance of "WEG," as part of the 2021 Tanz im August international dance festival in Berlin. Photo by Stephanie Wolf.)


Hi storytellers – 

The other day I received a request in my email. “Could we hire you to create a bespoke interview training package?” the emailer asked. The podcast host she works with, she said, does a great job with one-on-one interviews: the conversations sound natural, engaging, and wise. This host has built a successful podcast with an enormous audience.

And they don’t just sit there — they respond. They write thoughtful Youtube comment threads that become conversations not just with the host but with each other. Most hosts and producers would kill for that. 

But when he hosts roundtables with four guests? Things go off the rails.

I spent a lot of time as a business reporter. I’ve watched hundreds of panels at corporate conferences. All too often these roundtables are audience endurance tests, not a lively, thought-pro…