How to Call on People in Hybrid Meetings Without Making It Awkward

Ultimize. One of the biggest mistakes in hybrid meetings is this: you know you need to call on people, but you're afraid it will feel awkward, so you don't do it. You don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, or you do it in a way that makes it worse. You say, does anyone have any thoughts? No one responds. Now the silence feels uncomfortable. You move on, and the remote group stays silent for the rest of the meeting. Here's the insight: silence in a hybrid meeting is not neutral. It's a signal that people don't feel included enough to speak. Let me show you what typically happens. You're leading a meeting, you ask, any questions? Nothing. You assume everything's clear. Meanwhile, Daniel's on Zoom. He does have a question, but he's not sure if now is the right moment. He doesn't want to interrupt. He's not sure how to jump in, so he says nothing. Now let's look at a different approach. Instead of asking the group, you ask a specific person. Hey Sarah, what's your take on this? Now Sarah speaks. Now the silence is broken. Now others feel more comfortable contributing because nobody wanted to be first. Here's the rule: never ask for input from the group at first. Ask for input from a person, a specific person. Doesn't mean you put people on the spot in a negative way. It means you create a clear invitation. Let me give you another example. Robbie's in a hybrid meeting. The presenter says, Robbie, you've been working closely on this. What are you seeing? That feels natural, feels relevant. It's not a gotcha moment. It feels respectful. Now compare that to this. Robbie, we haven't heard from you in a while. Do you have anything to add? That kind of feels uncomfortable. Now Robbie feels pressure. Now he's less likely to engage. So how you call on someone matters, matters a lot. Here's a simple structure that works. Use their name, give context, ask a specific question. From a customer perspective, what stands out to you here? Now Emily knows. She knows exactly why she's being asked, what she's supposed to respond to, that her input is valued. Let's look at the contrast. Michael avoids calling on people directly. He keeps everything open-ended. He thinks that's more comfortable, not putting anybody on the spot. What actually happens is silence, and silence leads to disengagement. Now compare that to Samantha. She calls on people regularly, but she does it with context and clarity. She makes it easy to respond, and because of that, people do respond. Here's something else to keep in mind: when you call on one person, you're not just engaging them, you're signaling to everyone else, you could be next, so pay attention. That keeps the entire group more alert. More present, more involved. So in your next hybrid meeting, stop asking, does anyone have thoughts? Instead, ask, who should I hear from next? And then choose someone, use their name, give them context, ask a clear question. That one shift will eliminate most awkward silence in hybrid meetings, and it will dramatically increase participation. Next, we'll look at how to handle silence, awkward moments, and dead air without losing control of the meeting.