--- title: What Does Multitasking During Virtual Meetings Signal to Others? description: Multitasking in meetings sends signals about respect, focus, and trust. What are you really communicating to others? image: https://www.advantexe.com/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/A%20realistic%20scene%20of%20a%20professional%20sitting%20in%20a%20home%20office%20during%20a%20virtual%20meeting%20on%20a%20laptop%20The%20meeting%20is%20visible%20on%20screen%20with%20multiple%20parti.png --- [![logo-advantexe-150.png](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-advantexe-150.png?width=150&height=123&name=logo-advantexe-150.png "logo-advantexe-150.png")](https://www.advantexe.com) ![blog-banner-2022](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-banner-2022.png?width=973&name=blog-banner-2022.png "blog-banner-2022") ### The Advantexe Advisor Blog - providing a deep and applicable understanding of the system of business. # What Does Multitasking During Virtual Meetings Signal to Others? By Robert Brodo | Mar 23, 2026 7:41:06 AM | [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-multitasking-during-virtual-meetings-signal-to-others%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-multitasking-during-virtual-meetings-signal-to-others%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-multitasking-during-virtual-meetings-signal-to-others%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-multitasking-during-virtual-meetings-signal-to-others%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=What%20Does%20Multitasking%20During%20Virtual%20Meetings%20Signal%20to%20Others%3F) [![Share on Pinterest](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/pinterest-24x24.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-multitasking-during-virtual-meetings-signal-to-others%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-multitasking-during-virtual-meetings-signal-to-others%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-does-multitasking-during-virtual-meetings-signal-to-others%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) How many times a week are you in a virtual meeting where you can literally see in the reflection of![A realistic scene of a professional sitting in a home office during a virtual meeting on a laptop The meeting is visible on screen with multiple parti](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/A%20realistic%20scene%20of%20a%20professional%20sitting%20in%20a%20home%20office%20during%20a%20virtual%20meeting%20on%20a%20laptop%20The%20meeting%20is%20visible%20on%20screen%20with%20multiple%20parti.png?width=400&height=400&name=A%20realistic%20scene%20of%20a%20professional%20sitting%20in%20a%20home%20office%20during%20a%20virtual%20meeting%20on%20a%20laptop%20The%20meeting%20is%20visible%20on%20screen%20with%20multiple%20parti.png) someone’s eyeglasses that they are doing something else? Not “kind of distracted.” Not “quickly checking something.” Completely somewhere else. It happened to me this week with a vendor we are considering working with, and it was so rude and off-putting that it immediately changed my perception of them. It is one thing to fake attentiveness with the occasional nod and a half-hearted, “Yeah, good point.” It is another thing entirely to be visibly engaged in something else; smirking, smiling, reacting, even laughing at whatever is on your screen while someone else is speaking. Seriously, dude? That is not multitasking. That is messaging. And the message is loud and clear. In a business world obsessed with efficiency and productivity, many professionals convince themselves that multitasking is harmless, even necessary. But the reality is, every time you divide your attention in a meeting, you are sending a series of powerful subliminal signals. The question is: what exactly are you signaling? Here are five answers. **1. “You’re Not Important Enough for My Full Attention.”** This is the most immediate and most damaging signal. When someone is speaking, and you are visibly focused elsewhere, you are telling them, without saying a word, that they are not worth your time. That their input is secondary. Whatever is on your other screen matters more. Customers feel this. Colleagues feel this. Your own team feels this. And once people feel unimportant, everything else begins to erode: trust, openness, and ultimately, performance. **2. “I Lack Discipline and Professional Respect.”** Your professional brand is not built in big presentations. It is built in small moments like this. Are you present? Do you listen? Do you engage? Or do you drift? Multitasking during a meeting sends a clear signal that you lack the discipline to focus and the respect to fully engage. You may think you are being efficient, but others are interpreting your behavior very differently. They are forming opinions. And those opinions stick. **3. “I Am Comfortable Making Decisions with Incomplete Information.”** This is where the [business acumen](https://www.advantexe.com/why-companies-get-business-acumen-wrong) issue becomes very real. If you are not fully present, you are not fully processing what is being said. You are catching fragments. And fragments are dangerous. Fragments lead to misunderstandings. Misunderstandings lead to bad assumptions. Bad assumptions lead to poor decisions. In a world where leaders talk endlessly about data, insights, and analytics, it is remarkable how often people undermine their own decision-making by simply not paying attention to the conversation happening right in front of them. **4. “This Relationship Is Transactional, Not Important.”** Even if the meeting “goes fine,” the relationship often takes a hit. Most people will not call you out in the moment. They will not say, “Hey, I can tell you’re not paying attention.” Instead, they internalize it. *They remember how it felt.* And then they adjust. They may share less with you next time. They may not trust you with important information. They may disengage. Or they may simply decide they would rather work with someone else. Relationships are fragile, and small moments of disrespect have a long shelf life. **5. “This Is the Culture We Accept Here.”** If you are a leader, this one is on you. People do what they see. They normalize what you tolerate. If leaders multitask through meetings, others will follow. Over time, meetings become less effective, conversations become more shallow, and collaboration begins to break down. What started as “just being busy” becomes a culture of partial attention. And partial attention leads to partial results. **Final Thought** Multitasking in a virtual meeting is not just a productivity choice. It is a communication choice. It signals how much you respect the other person. It signals how seriously you take the conversation. It signals what kind of professional and what kind of partner you are. The irony is that in trying to be more efficient, you often become less effective. So, here is a simple challenge: The next time you are in a meeting, close the other screens. Put the phone down. Make your hands visible to other people. *Be fully present.* Because in a world where everyone is distracted**, **attention is a competitive advantage. And respect is still good business. [![BIQ-CTA](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1153922/2e71b14f-6e77-495b-ad84-053dde6a79ef.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1153922/2e71b14f-6e77-495b-ad84-053dde6a79ef) ![Robert Brodo](https://www.advantexe.com/hubfs/Blogs/rob-brodo-author.png) **About The Author** Robert Brodo is co-founder of Advantexe. He has more than 20 years of training and business simulation experience. 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