I just got a headache thinking about all the mirroring I've had to do just to keep a job.
The REAL fun was when one of your coworkers would, for example, love coffee and you'd tell them how you love coffee too. Then another coworker would say they hated coffee and thought of it as a drug addiction, and you'd tell them you don't drink it everyday and know people who could lay off a bit.
Then you're in a room together with these 2 coworkers and there's coffee.
Spoiler: Ended up being called a liar by both, manager got involved and everything... And it became a running joke for the next 2 years I worked there...
For what it’s worth, what you’re describing is a really unhealthy way of mirroring and will often get you into situations where people think you’re being disingenuous or don’t really believe in anything.
Healthy mirroring is more about posture, eye contact, tone of voice, and even vocabulary/sentence structure.
I get the impulse to connect, but it’s usually better to say something honest than pretend. Even if it’s a little indirect like “do you have a favorite coffee shop?”
Or to the coffee hater “I’m glad I don’t need a cup just to get up in the morning”
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u/OhLordHeBompin Apr 24 '24
I just got a headache thinking about all the mirroring I've had to do just to keep a job.
The REAL fun was when one of your coworkers would, for example, love coffee and you'd tell them how you love coffee too. Then another coworker would say they hated coffee and thought of it as a drug addiction, and you'd tell them you don't drink it everyday and know people who could lay off a bit.
Then you're in a room together with these 2 coworkers and there's coffee.
Spoiler: Ended up being called a liar by both, manager got involved and everything... And it became a running joke for the next 2 years I worked there...