Discuss in a Roundtable Discussion
A roundtable discussion is a meeting between a group of people that takes place in person or online to discuss topics of common interest. These events can be hosted by companies, associations, or groups of like-minded individuals who want to bring together experts in their field for a structured conversation. Roundtable discussions can be beneficial for both participants and attendees because they often lead to new ideas, contacts, and ways to solve problems.
The first step in running a successful roundtable is selecting the right participants to participate. While it may seem obvious that you want to select experts in your field, a roundtable can also benefit from diverse perspectives. This is particularly important if you are looking to create a roundtable on a topic that is still highly disputed or unresolved within an industry. In this case, look for individuals who will offer insights from both extremes of the spectrum as well as a few who may fall in the middle or provide a wildcard experience.
Once you’ve gathered your guests, it’s important to establish the scope of the discussion in advance, including time for introductions, discussions, Q&A sessions, and networking breaks. This will allow you to build an agenda and make sure everyone is on the same page. You can also consider using a tool such as Eventbrite Reserved Seating to map out the seating arrangement to ensure that your guests have a clear view of the speakers and that they are able to interact with one another.
What Do You Discuss in a Roundtable Discussion?
Having a moderator is an important element to include in the planning of a roundtable discussion, as they will be responsible for ensuring the success of the event. They can help keep the subject on track, set the time limit for each participant to talk, and even use visual aids to retain the audience’s attention. In fact, research shows that humans retain 6.5 times more information when it is combined with visual elements.
The questions you ask will be a major part of the outcome of your questions for roundtable discussion. A good way to decide on the best questions is to think about what your goals are for the discussion. Do you want to achieve a certain output? Do you want to identify key takeaways for your business or for the field in general? Choosing the right questions to guide your roundtable will allow you to be more targeted with the conversations and create more impactful results.
Getting the right participants is critical to the success of any roundtable discussion, but it becomes even more important when discussing issues related to DEI. Having participants who are able to add insight from their personal experiences and backgrounds will bring a level of depth to the discussion that is not possible with a group of white men. The organisers of the virtual roundtable Multiple Lenses on Diversity and Inclusion, for example, aimed to bring together participants who were both women and black or Latinx.
The first questions you ask will set the tone for the discussion. These should be broad and open-ended to get people talking. It’s important that these questions make participants feel comfortable sharing their perspectives, while also framing the topic in a way that steers the conversation in the right direction.
