By
· Published
Editorial review: November 12, 2026
In this article
Video meetings work better when people can hear the message, follow the discussion and contribute in a way that suits the task. These four practical adjustments can help you review your setup and communication. They are options to try, not a guarantee that video is the best format for every conversation.
1. Hide your own video.
When we’re effectively communicating with someone in person, there is a level of self-awareness involved in understanding how you’re showing up and how the person would like you to engage with them. This self-awareness is taken to an unhelpful extreme when there’s a video of yourself staring back at you. This would be like staring into a mirror when talking to someone in person. Awkward and distracting, to say the least.
Zoom lets you hide your own video tile while keeping your camera on for other participants. In the current Zoom self-view instructions, open the ellipsis menu on your video tile and choose Hide Self View. To restore it, use View → Show Self View. Stopping video is different: that turns off what other participants see.
If seeing your own tile distracts you, try hiding it and assess whether that helps. If you need the preview to check framing or another practical detail, show it again. There is no need to prescribe the same setup for everyone.
2. Optimize your onscreen appearance as well as others’.
When video is useful for the task, stable framing and adequate lighting can make expressions and shared gestures easier to see. Visual cues are one source of information, not a requirement for every effective conversation or a reliable way to infer someone’s feelings. Clear audio, captions, accessible material and opportunities to respond matter too.
Use stable framing and enough light for your face to be visible when video is appropriate. There is no universal requirement that your face occupy exactly one-third of the screen. Check the view, then prioritize clear audio, readable shared material and the needs of the people participating.
If you’re having trouble seeing someone’s face, if their camera is shaking and swaying, or if their face is too far or too close to the camera, let them know. Facilitate a conversation that will allow you to communicate more easily and effectively on this two way street.
3. Make sure you have a strong internet connection.
While this tip seems to go without saying, having a poor internet connection on a video call does more than alter the quality of transmission, it alters the emotional value of the interaction. We cannot be our most effective communicator when there’s an underlying feeling of frustration or disconnect.
Delays and broken audio can make turn-taking and understanding harder. If the connection is unreliable, try an agreed alternative: reduce video demands, reconnect audio, use a phone option if available or reschedule a conversation that needs reliable discussion. Do not assume a technical problem reflects the person’s attention or interest.
Communicating through a screen is hard enough without the extra burden of audio or video going in and out, lagging, or being distorted in any way. Again, the most effective communication happens when we can clearly see and hear the person with whom we’re engaging so that we can better lean into their style. Tip: If your wi-fi isn’t very strong, try hard-wiring into your modem or router.
4. Lean into the others’ style.
Ask what helps the other person follow and contribute to the conversation.
Adapt to the purpose of the conversation and ask what would help the other person. That may mean a concise agenda, time to think, a slower explanation or written material afterward. You do not need to copy someone’s expressions or behavior to demonstrate respect.
For instance, some people may get on a work call and immediately dive into an agenda with ferocity and focus. Others may get on and wish to talk about how everyone is doing first and what they’ve been up to before getting into the work. Some people may get on a Zoom happy hour and speak quickly and excitedly, while others may quietly listen and absorb.
Pay attention to the pace and clarity of the discussion, and check what participants need. The Insights Discovery overview can introduce a vocabulary for preferences, but the person’s own request takes priority over a guessed type. Useful prompts include:
“Would a short summary or more detail help?”
“Would you like to discuss this now or review it in writing first?”
“Is the pace comfortable, or should we pause?”
“What questions should we resolve before we finish?”
Check preferences rather than trying to mimic a person by a fixed percentage. Use captions and accessible materials when needed, allow time for responses and respect situations where video is unsuitable. Agree an audio or written alternative where the task permits.
The days of zoom are far from over. It’s in our best interest to learn how to better communicate on zoom with others, through a screen. In the end, you may find a lot of what you’ve learned applies to more than just Zoom meetings.
Do you have any great communication tips to share? Let me know at scott@discoveryourself.com
Explore adapting your communication style or contact Discover Yourself to discuss your team’s goals.