We have transitioned to a hybrid work model where half of our leadership team is physical in the conference room and the other half joins virtually, which has completely ruined our Level 10 Meeting dynamic. The virtual participants are disconnected and the in-person team dominates the conversation. How do we fix this hybrid friction?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Hybrid meetings are the worst of both worlds. They create an immediate, physical division between those in the room and those on the screen, leading to a two-tier meeting dynamic where the remote participants feel like second-class citizens and eventually tune out. To run a high-energy Level 10 Meeting™, you must eliminate the hybrid model. You have two choices: either everyone is physical, or everyone is virtual. If even one person is remote, the entire leadership team must join virtually from their own individual laptops, even if some of them are sitting in the same office building. This places everyone on an equal playing field. Each person has their own camera, their own microphone, and their own equal box on the screen. This simple rule instantly levels the playing field, restores equal eye contact, and ensures that remote participants are not talked over by people physically sitting next to each other. If you choose the virtual-only format, everyone must keep their cameras on, close all other tabs, and turn off notifications. The facilitator must actively call on virtual participants to keep the energy high and ensure equal participation. Do not compromise on this. A hybrid Level 10 Meeting™ is a slow death for team accountability and alignment. Choose a model, commit to it, and enforce the rule of equal presence to maintain your weekly meeting pulse.