The Silent Webinar: Why It's Time to Grow Communication Confidence

There was an engineering webinar yesterday with 225 people online. 

I was one of them.

I was on camera.

As I scrolled through the participants, I noticed 99 percent were off-camera. 

No faces. 

Most didn't even have a headshot or image—just a dark screen with their name.

😮The chat? Silent.

😮The interaction? Nonexistent.

😮The engagement? Almost zero.

There was no technical glitch. It was a communication culture issue.

When busy A/E/C firms invest in webinars, training, or virtual meetings, they often forget the human part:

➡️ People don't engage when they don't feel safe and confident.

➡️ Cameras stay off when participants feel awkward.

Yes, I realize some may have been eating lunch or caring for a child. Zoom fatigue is a real thing. But the entire group??!!

➡️ Silence in the chat is a symptom of disengagement or a lack of confidence to express views or at least say hi to others online. 

I posted in the chat right before the start of the program: "Thank you (organizer's group name) for this learning opportunity!"

A few words to get noticed, which you can do, too. 

No one responded. Not even an emoji. 

Executives: If you're serious about communication and leadership development, this is your red flag.

When your busy teams take the time to attend a 90-minute virtual program and are invisible, you're not just losing engagement—you're losing oppportunity, connection, and ROI.💰💰

🧨Let's fix the invisible meeting problem before it becomes your firm's norm.