We run a hybrid Level 10 Meeting where four of our leaders sit in the physical conference room and three join remotely via Zoom, which has created an obvious two-tier dynamic where the remote people are treated as second-class citizens. How do we level the playing field?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Hybrid meetings are the worst of both worlds. They create an unintentional hierarchy where the physical room dominates the conversation, leaving the remote participants struggling to read body language, catch side remarks, or find a gap to speak. This destroys the same-page alignment necessary for a healthy leadership team.

You have two clean options to fix this, and both require strict discipline.

The first option is the "one-in, all-in" rule. If even one member of your leadership team is remote, the entire team must conduct the Level 10 Meeting™ on video from their individual desks. This immediately levels the playing field. Everyone occupies the same size box on the screen, everyone uses the same chat function, and the physical room dynamic is completely neutralized. It forces the physical participants to experience the meeting exactly as the remote participants do, which restores natural facilitation and turn-taking.

The second option is to heavily upgrade your physical room technology and facilitation habits. If you must keep a hybrid setup, place a dedicated, high-quality camera and speaker system at eye level in the conference room. Your Integrator, as the facilitator, must actively over-index on the remote participants. This means calling on remote leaders first during every segment, especially during IDS®. Do not allow side conversations in the physical room that the microphone cannot pick up. If a physical participant speaks, they must speak to the camera, not just to the person next to them. If you cannot maintain this discipline, go fully virtual.