Manager accuses employee of skipping a meeting because she didn't remember that he was there: 'Apparently not contributing made me invisible in that meeting.'

His camera was off, and he didn't contribute, so it makes sense his coworkers would forget he was there.

Is it better to be quiet in a work meeting where you don't have much to say, or talk in a meeting just for the sake of talking? It really depends on what kind of a meeting it is. If it's an all-hands meeting with the whole company, it would take hours and hours if everyone tried to contribute something unique to the conversation. Some meetings are about distilling information, and while some of those meetings could be emails, it's best practice to sit for an hour and listen to what the company's leaders have to say.

Other meetings are about problem-solving through collaboration. In meetings like those, it's best to try to contribute at least a little to the conversation, even if you don't think it's very good. Chances are, it's a lot more salient than you give yourself credit for. Even if it isn't, it reminds the people in the room that you are there and part of the conversation. If you take the energy to listen to what your coworkers are saying, you might discover that they aren't actually NPCs with no brains in their heads, and they have some pretty good ideas. If you just sit through a meeting without saying anything, it's a lot easier to start daydreaming, making the meeting an actual waste of your time.