a16z Podcast How to Moderate Talks, Panels, Meetings, More (Virtual and Beyond!)
Nov 5, 2020
Matt Abrahams, a lecturer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business and co-founder of Bold Echo, shares fascinating insights on effective moderation techniques. He discusses the importance of preparation and understanding audience dynamics, especially in virtual settings. The conversation highlights nonverbal communication skills and strategies to manage anxiety while speaking. Abrahams emphasizes balancing structure with spontaneity to foster engagement and inclusivity, ensuring productive discussions in any medium.
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Planning Communication Interactions
- Plan communication interactions by considering pre-work, during-work, and post-work.
- Determine your audience, goals, and ground rules in advance, actively listen and connect ideas during the interaction, and follow up afterwards.
Planned vs. Spontaneous Communication
- Preparation remains crucial for both planned and spontaneous communication.
- Moderators must guide free-flowing discussions while directing more formal settings, considering power dynamics and external factors.
Managing Tricky Communications
- Manage tricky communications by paraphrasing to regain control politely.
- Validate the speaker's point and bridge to a different topic, reasserting control without being rude.
