Technically a panel discussion consists of question and answers. If you are asked to sit on a panel, first find out if you are expected to give a short speech or to answer questions only. When you know what you are supposed to do, follow the guidelines. If you are asked to chair a panel, you will have a different set of responsibilities. Before the session the chair must see to it that the participants agree on, the purpose of the panel the roles each participant will take and the length of the session. As the chair you should make clear to each panel member you might introduce each person right before he or she speaks. Or you might introduce everyone on the panel at once at the beginning of the discussion.
During the session the chair must monitor time and manage questions. if each participant is making a speech for a set period of time the chair should signal the speaker at the one minute to go mark and at the stop mark. If a speaker goes more than a minute or two overtime, the chair should interrupt as gracefully as possible along the line. If the participants are answering questions from the door the chair must make sure that one speaker does not dominate. To do so you might call on panellists to answer in different orders direct certain questions to certain panels or see to it that other panellists get a chance to answer the same question of they wish to.
During the session the chair must monitor time and manage questions. if each participant is making a speech for a set period of time the chair should signal the speaker at the one minute to go mark and at the stop mark. If a speaker goes more than a minute or two overtime, the chair should interrupt as gracefully as possible along the line. If the participants are answering questions from the door the chair must make sure that one speaker does not dominate. To do so you might call on panellists to answer in different orders direct certain questions to certain panels or see to it that other panellists get a chance to answer the same question of they wish to.
