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There’s a quiet shift happening in how we connect as a professional community. Starting in February, our new standard for all video meetings will require cameras on - no exceptions. If you’re not on camera, you won’t be in the meeting. That’s a firm line, and it’s worth sharing why we’re drawing it.

What’s Driving This Change

We ran almost 200 video calls last year. Along the way, we tracked what really works when it comes to engagement and relationship-building. The signal was clear: meetings where everyone is visible are more productive, collaborative, and personal. It’s not about policing - it’s about unlocking the kind of peer interaction that actually moves us forward as a community.

There’s growing research to back this up. Studies show that teams with “cameras on” see higher participation, increased trust, and stronger recall of shared content compared to audio-only or hybrid sessions. Visual presence drives nonverbal cues - nods, reactions, even the occasional eye roll - that keep conversations real and honest. In a community built on trust and shared learning, those signals matter.

The Upsides for Our Community

A “cameras on” standard isn’t about compliance for compliance’s sake. We’re doing this because the benefits are hard to ignore:

• We see richer discussion and more idea-sharing when faces are visible.

• Relationship-building happens faster, even in large groups, when people are recognized and remembered.

• Engagement metrics from our own meetings show a direct link between cameras on and positive feedback scores from attendees.

In other words, this isn’t just about maximizing attention. It’s about maximizing value for everyone investing their time with us and with their peers.

What I’m Watching

The part that gets missed in camera-off culture is the erosion of connection. It’s easy to default to multitasking or lurking when your screen is blank. But that passive experience leads to weaker ties and, over time, a less supportive network. This is a community leadership decision, not a technology decision. If we want to create a space where senior TA and HR leaders genuinely lean in, we have to make it easy, and expected, for everyone to show up.

What About Privacy and Accessibility?

It’s fair to ask about exceptions. We’ll always accommodate genuine accessibility needs, and we’re open to discussing concerns one-on-one. But thus far, in every scenario we’ve seen, the upside of turning the camera on far outweighs any temporary discomfort.

The Leadership Takeaway

If we want to continue to foster real engagement and stronger relationships in this digital sharing and connecting era, we need to model the behaviors that make those outcomes possible. This is about setting a higher bar for participation - not just for the sake of the meeting, but for the health of our entire community.

Are you willing to be visible, even when it’s easier not to be? That’s the leadership challenge in front of all of us.