Speaker 1: Participating in a panel discussion provides a great opportunity to interact with experts. Whether you're the moderator or a panelist, preparation is important. As you watch the following panel discussion, focus on the strategies used and not the setting. Make note of how the panelists respond and interact. Keep in mind you'll be holding a panel discussion for your assignment in this project, and pay close attention to the techniques the moderator uses to keep the discussion on time and on topic.

Speaker 2: Today, we're talking about a fear that many of us can relate to, glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. As a professor of public speaking, I've observed just how paralyzing this fear is for my students. Each of our panelists brings a unique perspective that helps us better understand this fear and overcome it. Dr. Frank Silva is a neuroscientist who researches human fear. Stephanie Harris is a motivational speaker who helps others overcome their fear. And Betty Erwin is a behavioral therapist who's equipped patients to work through fear and excel in their professional lives. We all know that just the thought of public speaking can elicit fear and anxiety in many people. In fact, numerous surveys have identified public speaking as people's greatest fear. Thank you all for being here today. Please briefly share with us how you've seen the fear of public speaking demonstrated in your own work.

Speaker 1: The moderator established the discussion topic and then introduced himself and shared his credentials. He introduced each panelist, citing their areas of expertise. He started the discussion by sharing his knowledge and then immediately engaged the panelists with a relevant question. Let's return and see how the panelists respond.

Speaker 2: Thank you for sharing your experiences. What I hear you all saying is that our fear of public speaking is not really about public speaking. Ms. Harris, can you tell us more?

Speaker 3: Yes. At my seminars, I ask attendees to answer the question, why am I afraid of this? Without fail, they discover a greater underlying fear. For example, a person who says she's afraid of public speaking may actually fear rejection. However, it's also a psychological response. I'd love to hear Dr. Silva's perspective as a neuroscientist.

Speaker 1: The moderator asked an open-ended question instead of one that could be answered yes or no. The panelists confidently shared her expertise. Because she was aware that another panelist may have been better equipped to answer that specific question, she also deferred to the knowledge of others. Let's go back and see what happens next.

Speaker 4: As I mentioned a moment ago, when you change the way you think about public speaking, you can change the way you feel about public speaking. It reminds me of some research I once conducted on how we can change bad habits.

Speaker 2: Thank you, Dr. Silva, for your thoughts on the importance of shifting our thinking. Let's come back to your thoughts on this if we have time at the end. I want to make sure we hear from all panelists. Ms. Irwin, as a behavioral therapist, how do you recommend we overcome our fear of public speaking?

Speaker 5: The most important thing we can do with any fear is to face it. Of course, Dr. Silva, it's important to change the way we think. But what's more effective is placing ourselves in situations where we will be challenged.

Speaker 1: There will be times in most panel discussions when a panelist either talks too long or veers off topic. In this example, the moderator kept track of time and respectfully returned the conversation to the primary topic, giving a different panelist an opportunity to share. I hope you also noted the way one panelist disagreed with the other panelist without getting personal. The next segment of this video demonstrates how to conduct a question and answer session.

Speaker 2: Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. Let's take a few minutes and hear any questions our audience has. Please, raise your hands if you have any questions for our panelists.

Speaker 6: Yes. Let's say someone decides to face his fear of public speaking and puts himself in situations where he'll be challenged. How long will it take before he feels comfortable and loses those feelings of fear? Thank you.

Speaker 2: The question is, how long will it take to overcome fear so public speaking feels more comfortable? Ms. Irwin, this is your field. Would you care to share your thoughts?

Speaker 1: It's your job as the moderator to keep track of time and move on to a question and answer session if you've planned one. In this example, the moderator invited questions from the audience, repeated the question, and determined which panelist was most appropriate to answer. Next we'll see what happens when there's a controversial question and also how the moderator brings the discussion to a close.

Speaker 2: Looks like we have time for just one more question.

Speaker 7: Yes. I have a real problem with Dr. Silva's premise that we can overcome such a real tangible fear with simple positive thinking. That's a pretty naive response to a very real issue. If it was that easy, why aren't more people world-renowned speakers?

Speaker 2: Dr. Silva, would you like to share more about the impact of positive thinking?

Speaker 4: Of course. A positive attitude won't necessarily make the fear disappear, but it can help us face it. There are several techniques one can apply.

Speaker 2: Thank you for your participation in today's discussion. Our panelists are available for a few minutes if you would like to speak with them.

Speaker 1: Challenging questions may arise during a panel discussion. In this example, the moderator stayed calm and poised. He gave the appropriate panelist the opportunity to provide clarification. To close the session, he thanked the audience and invited them to speak with the panelist. Applying these strategies will help you successfully moderate a panel discussion and equip you to prepare and respond when asked to serve on a panel.