The Metiss Group's Blog

Mirroring is a rapport-building technique in which one person takes on the behaviors of the person with whom they are communicating.  Being naturally wired to connect with others, we all mirror in our interactions to some degree.  But those leaders who use mirroring effectively connect better with their direct reports.

Understanding the behavioral styles of their direct reports allows leaders to better adjust their behaviors to develop greater rapport. Being able to read another’s natural behavioral style allows one to adapt or mirror their style to create stronger relationships.  For example, leaders who have a naturally more reserved, introverted behavior type should work to initiate conversations and be more direct than they naturally would to better connect with direct reports who have a more extroverted, dominant style.

Some people are better at mirroring than others; it is a skill that can be developed through behavioral training and understanding. Most behavioral assessments provide insights as to how people behave and provide mirroring approaches.

Empower yourself with behavioral assessments of your direct reports and you will experience more success.

This entry was posted on February 10, 2014 at 5:00 am and is filed under Leadership, Performance Acceleration. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.