By Steve Adubato, PhD

Recently, I was in the audience for a panel discussion on the economy and its impact on small business. The moderator was the author of several books on economics in business and the two panelists were prominent leaders in related fields.

The audience of small business owners was excited and looking forward to hearing from the panelists who they expected would offer tangible advice and tips for how to navigate these unpredictable and scary economic waters. However, the way the moderator kicked things off was way off the mark as he committed a big communication faux pa.

Even though the moderator described the discussion as “interactive” and a “conversation,” his opening remarks told a different story. He spoke for 12 straight minutes offering his insights and opinions fueled with facts, figures and statistics on the economic condition as he saw it.

As he went on and on, you could see that the audience and panelists were starting to disengage. Several times during the moderator’s “introduction” he said “I don’t want to take up too much time, but I have just one more point I’d like to make.” He would make that point and then go on to make several others. By the time he got to the panelists he had drained all the energy out of the room. Worse, he didn’t properly introduce the panelists and never really asked them a question. After his diatribe, he simply turned to the first panelist and said, “What do you think, Bob?”

Taking a cue from the moderator, the first panelist gave a long-winded dissertation of how he saw the economic environment. Another data dump, draining the audience, many of whom were starting to nod off or play with their Blackberries. By the time the second panelist was asked to comment, it was 26 minutes into the so-called “interactive” discussion. The second panelist opened by saying “so many of the things I’ve wanted to say have already been said by our moderator and my colleague on the panel. I am not sure what I have to offer is especially valuable at this point.” Ouch!

So there it is. A communication scenario gone wrong. An opportunity to learn together and engage falls flat, not because the people participating had any bad will, but rather, because the moderator did not understand the need to set the tone right from the beginning as a facilitator.

The next time you are asked to moderate, here are some tips to remember:

• Being a great moderator requires that you take your ego out of it. The audience did not come to hear you, but rather the experts on the panel. The moderator’s job is to draw your panel out and get them talking to each other.

• Get the audience pulled in immediately and make them feel part of the event. The longer a moderator takes to do that, the harder it becomes to get people connected. It is amazing how few people understand the basics of facilitation.

• Ask short, provocative, open-ended questions and then be quiet. As a panelist responds, follow up by asking for an example.

• Ask one panelist to talk directly to another or respond to something that has been said.

• Resist the urge to offer your opinion on every topic being discussed. Make sure you distinguish between being a moderator and a panelist.

• Make sure your introduction lasts no more than 90 seconds. Set the tone and the ground rules. Introduce your panelists and ask your opening question and get out of the way.

Moderating is an important communication skill in the world of business that few professionals possess, but will inevitably need.