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Mirroring body language

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Has anyone got any ideas as to how I can get delegates to experience how mirroring another person's positioning can lead to greater rapport, feelings of comfort etc vs not mirroring?
Emma Newman

2 Responses

  1. Mirroring
    Hi Emma,
    I’m not sure if this will help but there is an acting exrecise that gets couples to mirror each other’s movements (not quite the same as mirroring body language). What I have found with this exercise is that a bond is usually created when the pair are in unison. Thus the process should start slowly and it might be a good idea to point out that they are trying to mirror each other rather than catch each other out. Also they should exchange the lead – one starts the other mirrors, then the follower takes over (without stopping)and then the lead can move between the pair.
    The interesting thing is that some pairs WILL actually mirror each other’s body language when they finish – they sometimes stand using the same posture.
    Hope it helps. If this is unclear then drop me an email.
    Regards,
    Nigel

  2. Ask people to pair up to chat and watch the body language
    Hi Emma
    It can be real eye opener for people just to pair up and start chatting (you could offer some topics such as their family, what they’re proud of, their favourite holiday etc) whilst you observe. When you see some good examples of matching and mirroring going on ask everyone to freeze (perhaps best for forewarn them of this before the exercise starts) and point out what you have seen. Because people haven’t been told anything about the concept in advance it works really well to bring out the key points. It is an additional bonus if you also spot some examples of where people are not matching. Email me direct if you want any more details.

    Jenny James