Stories That Scale: How to Engage Beyond the Screen in Hybrid Meetings
- Liza Engel
- Aug 25
- 4 min read
Hybrid and virtual meetings are efficient. They save travel, allow flexibility, and bring people together across geographies. But let’s be honest—when you’re speaking on a screen, you compete with at least two other screens in front of your audience. Emails, chat messages, and that never-ending stream of notifications.
Imagine stepping onto a stage to give a keynote—and the entire audience has their phones and laptops open, scrolling through demanding or entertaining content as you speak. You face that every time you present in a virtual or hybrid setting. The question is: how do you break through the noise?
The answer: stories.
A good story doesn’t just entertain—it anchors attention, sparks emotion, and creates a bridge between you and your listeners. When leading virtually, your ability to tell stories well transforms a meeting from transactional to memorable.
Last Friday, for example, I kicked off my previous afternoon meeting with a story about my lipstick. I hadn’t used my bright red lipstick in months, but decided to wear it after a long and intense week. Why? Because I felt the need for a jolt of energy. I asked them, half seriously, half playfully: “What’s your trick to distract from tired eyes?”
Their faces lit up instantly. People smiled. The mood shifted. And here’s the kicker—we finished the meeting nine minutes earlier than planned. The red lipstick wasn’t just makeup. It was a hook. It was a story. It was a spark of connection, allowing us to concentrate fully on the purpose of the meeting.
So how do you craft stories that work in a virtual and hybrid world? I use a simple coaching framework: Identify, Illustrate, Engage.
The Identify–Illustrate–Engage Framework
1. Identify: Choose the Story That Fits the Moment
Not every story belongs everywhere. The right story is always tied to the purpose of the meeting. Are you inspiring action? Building trust? Driving focus?
Ask yourself: What emotional state do I want my audience to leave with?
If it’s energy, use a light, playful story. If it’s trust, share a moment of vulnerability. If it’s clarity, use a story of overcoming confusion.
Leadership in a hybrid world is about intentionality. Stories that scale are not random anecdotes—they’re chosen tools.
2. Illustrate: Bring the Story to Life
Your presence carries weight in a room—body language, stage presence, energy. You have fewer tools on a screen, so you need to illustrate vividly.
Keep it short. A virtual story should rarely exceed two minutes.
Use sensory detail. A single color (like my red lipstick) or a relatable scene (the chaos of multitasking) creates instant imagery.
Pause intentionally. Silence online is golden; it makes people lean in rather than tune out.
Think of your story as a brushstroke, not a mural. The sharper the detail, the more lasting the impact.
3. Engage: Turn Your Story Into Connection
A story shouldn’t end with “and that’s why I shared this.” Instead, use it as a bridge. Bring your audience into it.
After telling my lipstick story, I didn’t stop—I asked the team: “What’s your trick for tired eyes?” That simple question transformed a story into a dialogue.
Engagement doesn’t always mean discussion. It could be:
A quick poll - “Which one describes your week: marathon, sprint, or obstacle course?”
A chat prompt - “Drop one emoji that matches how you feel today.”
A reflection moment - “Think about a time this week you needed to shift your energy. What worked for you?”
The power of a story is not just in telling—it’s in inviting others to connect to it.
Micro-Coaching Action Step: The 5-Minute Virtual Rehearsal
Here’s how you can immediately apply this framework before your next meeting:
Choose a story (Identify): Something small and real—yesterday’s commute, last week’s challenge, or a simple personal ritual.
Tell it out loud for 2 minutes (Illustrate): Stand up if possible, look at your webcam, and use one or two vivid details.
End with a bridge question (Engage): Something that brings others into the story.
Record yourself and play it back: Watch for three things:
• Hook: Did you capture attention in the first 20 seconds?
• Flow: Did your story move clearly from start to point?
• Energy: Did you sound alive, not flat?
This simple practice, done in five minutes, builds storytelling muscle. And in a hybrid world, it’s not optional—it’s essential.
Why It Works
Virtual leadership is about presence without proximity. Stories are your amplifier. They cut through distraction, create shared experience, and make people want to listen.
The Identify–Illustrate–Engage framework gives you a repeatable method to do this—so every time you step into a virtual meeting, you’re not just delivering information. You’re leading.
Hybrid and virtual meetings aren’t going away. But neither is our human need for connection. And storytelling is the bridge between the two.
Coaching Reflection
The next time you prepare for a virtual meeting, ask yourself:
What story will you bring to your virtual stage—and how will you use it to create connection?
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