In our hybrid Level 10 Meetings where half the leadership team is in the office and the other half is remote, the remote members feel left out of the conversation while the in-office members dominate the physical room. How do we level the playing field so remote leaders are just as engaged in IDS as those in the room?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

In hybrid meetings, a physical room naturally creates a dominant center of gravity. Leaders sitting together benefit from side conversations, immediate eye contact, and shared body language. This often leaves remote participants feeling like passive observers. This imbalance can destroy the collaborative power of your Level 10 Meeting™ and lead to weak buy-in on decisions.

To foster engagement and collaboration, you must run your hybrid meeting with a remote-first mindset.

Strategies for Engaging Remote Participants

Here are key strategies to ensure remote leaders are just as engaged as those in the room:

• Establish a "Remote-First" Rule:
• If even one person is remote, everyone logs in from their individual desks.
• This means in-office leaders also log in on their own laptops and cameras.
• This instantly levels the playing field, ensuring equal screen presence for all participants.
• It also eliminates side chatter that can occur in a physical conference room.

• Facilitator's Role in a Physical Setting:
• If you must gather in a physical room, the facilitator must actively manage the discussion queue, especially during the IDS® portion.
• Do not allow the local room to dominate the discussion.
• Explicitly call on remote participants first to share their thoughts or propose solutions. This can be especially helpful when discussing issues dropped to [IDS](/qa/using-accountability-chart-to-stop-blame-in-ids).
• Ensure your physical room is equipped with a high-quality camera and microphone. This allows remote team members to see every face and hear every word clearly.

By intentionally shifting the focus to your remote participants, you keep the entire leadership team fully engaged and accountable. For more tips on managing meeting dynamics, consider strategies for [reining in the Level 10 Meeting segue](/qa/rein-in-level-10-meeting-segue) or how the [Integrator facilitates Level 10 Meetings](/qa/should-integrator-facilitate-level-10-meetings).

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