Series: 50 Most Pressing Questions Facing Managers in 2026.Series:
SUMMARY
The reality of hybrid work means we are replacing traditional in-person meetings with travel-free, technology-enabled, face-to-face collaboration that can occur at anytime, with anyone, anywhere in the world.
The virtual workplace has many advantages, but it also introduces new challenges as a manager leading the meeting. Consider this:
When you're face-to-face, more than 80 percent of your audience impact comes from the visual cues that you give off as you speak. In a non-visual webcast, more than 80 percent of your impact will come from your voice alone.
WHY: Virtual Meetings Require Extra Work
The facts are clear: virtual meetings require extra preparation in order to be as effective or close to as effective in-person meetings.
95% of people say face-to-face meetings are essential for building long-term workplace relationships (HBR)
In-person teams generated 15% to 20% more ideas than virtual teams (Stanford)
The three most important ingredients of a successful virtual meeting are trust, communication and ready access to information. Here’s how your “voice” can show up in virtual meetings to ensure meeting-time productivity.