Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

May 13, 2025

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm by leveraging The Triple Win Method.

We Should Stop Being the Reason for Terrible Virtual Meetings

Howdy , 

In 2020, there was a joke that circulated on social media. It's a joke in the form of a survey.

Who led the digital transformation of your company?

A) CEO

B) CTO

C) COVID-19

You already know the answer to this, right?

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of companies had to implement technological practices that supported remote work. No, I'm not going to talk about the ongoing battle between remote work and return-to-work mandates.

Let's stick with one of the more common impacts of the remote work driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual and online meetings.

The Torture of Poorly Run Virtual Meetings

A lot of us had to learn how to hold our office discussions using different applications - Zoom, Google Meet, Team, take your pick. Instead of face-to-face in a meeting place, it was meeting links and meeting codes.

The only problem was that most of us assumed all we had to do was show up for meetings, and great meetings would happen. Haven't you been in virtual meetings that felt like torture?

After a while, you look for something to do on your PC or phone to keep you from boredom.

I hope you are not the person giving everyone else the torture experience.

Today, we are going to make sure you change that…if you used to be the torture master. And if you are already up on your game, I'll take you up a notch or two.

Double Your Energy for Virtual Impact

One of the best advice I got about showing up for virtual meetings came during the COVID-19 period. Like many churches, the church I attended in Spain at that time used to pre-record our service broadcast.

During a recording, someone told me, "You need to make sure your energy levels are twice what they normally are during recording because the audience experiences a diminished energy level over the screen."

And so I share that first piece of advice with you. If you want to have a fully engaged audience during your meetings, you need to raise your energy levels. Your voice becomes your most important tool for getting and keeping attention.

So, how do you raise voice levels…through practice.

And practicing with the right tools. One way you can practice with technology is by measuring your decibel levels.

Fortunately, there are a lot of free apps that can help measure your decibel levels as you are speaking. Just search for "Decibel meter" or "Voice meter."

Try to keep your voice at 60 - 80 decibels, or dB for short. This will keep your audience alive while you are speaking.

Structure Creates Focus

Now let's go into more practical stuff. If you are the one leading the meeting, always make sure there is an agenda for the meeting and it is shared before the meeting.

Why?

An agenda keeps the discussions focused and lets everyone know what comes next in the meeting. Even if you are not the one running things, always try to push for an agenda before the meeting.

Building Connection in the Digital Space

Beyond agendas and voice projection, successful virtual meetings are built on genuine connection. One of the biggest challenges of online meetings is the lack of those small, informal moments that build rapport in physical spaces.

To bridge this gap, try arriving early for your meetings and ask light questions that could build a genuine connection. This creates a human touchpoint before diving into business.

Finding the right balance for these informal interactions depends on understanding the unwritten rules of your workplace. Understand the culture of your workplace and do this carefully.

If you have the chops, you can create a culture bubble around yourself that reflects who you are. I have that around me. People are therefore not surprised if I ask those light questions before meetings.

Mastering the Digital Room

Please remember that in a virtual setting, silence feels much longer and more awkward than in person.

When you ask a question and don't get immediate responses, resist the urge to fill the space. Count silently to five before speaking again – often, someone might be "unmuting" or gathering their thoughts.

Your Visual Presence Matters

If your meetings require turning on your video, then your visual presence matters just as much as your voice. Position your camera at eye level – not looking down at participants (which can feel judgmental) or up (which diminishes your authority).

Good lighting will also dramatically improve how professional you appear. And don't forget to blur your background if it's not up to spec, or you might just use a virtual background.

The 5-Minute Rule for Engagement

If you're presenting information, remember the 5-minute rule: people's attention typically wanes after 5 minutes of one person speaking.

Break up your presentation with quick check-in questions. It also makes sure that people pay attention to you when you are speaking.

Making Virtual Meetings Work

Virtual meetings are now a permanent part of work life. Being good at them has become an essential skill.

The key is balancing the technical aspects (good lighting, clear audio, structured agendas) with the human elements (creating connection, bringing energy, reading the digital room).

By applying just a few of the practices I've shared—raising your energy, preparing clear agendas, using the 5-minute rule, and improving your visual presence—you'll stand out from those who just wing it.

Your goal should be to become the person whom people listen to during meetings. When you master these skills, you transform from speaking like a time-waster to creating productive experiences that everyone values.

Best of all, these skills work just as well for in-person meetings. Good participation is good participation, no matter the format.

Next time you join a meeting, remember you have the power to create an experience that energizes rather than drains.

You can win at work and in life.

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor

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Want to get in on some of the lessons I have picked up in my career? Get my eBook "21 Lessons I Learned in My Career - A Primer to Help You Become Better at Work". Get it here

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