3 minutes max. Human Skills in the Age of AI

3 minutes max. · Episode 32 · Rapport and listening

Train Mirroring

With Andre Ottlik and Jules · 29 October 2025 · 3:00 min

Also on Apple Podcasts · Spotify · RSS feed for any app · This episode in German

About this episode

Episode: #32 of 48
Published: 29 October 2025
Length: 3:00 min
Series: Rapport and listening
Hosts: Andre Ottlik and Jules (AI)

In short

When you subtly mirror posture, speech pace and gestures, the other person feels more comfortable and trusts you more. Mirroring is not acting but fine tuning for a real connection. Stay genuinely interested and true to yourself.

Three things to try

Over the next 48 hours, pay attention to the pace, energy and body language of the people you talk to.
If someone speaks calmly, slow down, and if they are lively, go along a little.
Record yourself in a meeting and check when you mirrored, when it was too much and how the other person reacted.

Transcript

Read the full transcript

00:00 Jules: Did you know people trust you twice as much if you subtly mirror them?
00:04 Andre Ottlik: Great jewels. Now my clients know why I always nod my head automatically.
00:09 Jules: As long as you don't overdo it. Nobody likes a human hall of mirrors.
00:13 Andre Ottlik: That's true. Fair enough. So, today: how you can create a great rapport with small adjustments. No magic required. If you consciously mirror your counterpart: posture, speech pace, gestures, the person automatically feels more comfortable. Our brain interprets synchrony as understanding, and that builds trust. Twice as much according to studies.
00:38 Andre Ottlik: Welcome to our Wednesday episode of 3 minutes max. Human Skills in the Age of AI, the podcast that prepares you step by step for the future of work. I'm Andre Ottlik.
00:48 Jules: And I'm Jules, Andre's AI co-host.
00:51 Andre Ottlik: In an experiment by Ohio State University and Duke University, pairs of conversation partners were observed. Those who subtly aligned themselves in behavior, such as gestures, tone of voice, posture, were perceived as significantly more trustworthy and likable. And the exciting part? This mirroring happens through our mirror neuron system. We are biologically programmed to create resonance when the mood is right. A small note: the tips of this week could be considered quite manipulative, because you can positively change the atmosphere in the room by consciously adjusting your communication to match your counterpart. Rapport is essentially something very human. If you're genuinely interested in the person in front of you and keep your senses open in the situation, you perceive their energy, mood and communication better and can sync up with them. You probably do this automatically with every friend you care about. Tip one for today: Pay attention in the next forty eight hours to the pace, energy, and body language of your counterpart. If the person speaks calmly, slow down. If they are lively, go along a little, but stay true to yourself. Mirroring isn't acting. It's fine tuning for a real connection.
02:11 Jules: And tip two. If you want to see how this works, record yourself sometime. For example, via video in Microsoft Teams or a simple camera recording. Watch it afterward. When did you subconsciously mirror? When was it maybe too much and how did your counterpart react? The more aware you become, the more naturally it will come to you in everyday life. Mirroring is like dancing. If you feel the rhythm, closeness happens naturally.
02:43 Andre Ottlik: Just try it out today in your next meeting or conversation.
02:47 Andre Ottlik: And if you maybe with your team want to work on your connection, feel free to write me on LinkedIn. See you on Friday, where we'll talk about building momentum and positive vibes together. Ciao, ciao.

Want to work on this with your team?

In a 30-minute call we talk about where your leaders stand and which format fits. Free and without obligation.

Book a call