I've laughed at this meme from the first day I read it. I love that memes became a thing; for years, I collected cartoons that made me laugh and cry, from Ziggie and Zits to Calvin and Hobbs. But, how could we have possibly known the sheer number of funny people in the world who only needed a voice like the internet and a blank canvas? Of course, not all memes start with a blank, but a picture or movie background seems to get the best of our creative juices flowing.
I've mentioned before that I'm in sales, and I'm an introvert; go figure. There is a technique in sales called mirroring [1]; while I won't get into the specifics, the name implies the method, i.e., mimic body language, tone of voice, communication style, etc. I'm good at mirroring people. Unfortunately, I've done it so long (33 years in sales) that I often don't know when I'm doing it, and my beautiful wife will sometimes nudge me during dinner with friends and whisper "stop it" if I start to slouch, or my voice raises to match the couple across the table.
One of the most subconscious forms of mirroring that occurs for me is the ignorance mirror. When someone sitting across the desk from me starts regurgitating something they heard on the news or television, I instantly drop into ignorance mode. I first noticed it years ago; however, I couldn't put the finger on why I would suddenly stare at the person as if they were speaking a foreign language I could not understand. Then, blinking, I'd look at them with apparent confusion when asked a simple question based on their regurgitated summary.
The stumble of thought took me some time to figure out. Nevertheless, I finally realized I was subconsciously dropping to the level of understanding of complex economic questions that the regurgitation implied. Moreover, I realized that I probably wasn't helping by playing ignorant. Of course, no one has all the answers; however, spending 33 years in a single industry does allow for some insight into navigating the complex waters that can, on occasion, swirl around you and your plans for the future.
The trick I learned in overcoming the mirror was to ask questions of the individual. Reverse the role, play not the devil's advocate but the intrigued student. "That's fascinating; why do you think that is?" "What do you think we should do about it?" Before long, the confession will occur "it's just something I read," and generally, "what do you think about it?" Repeating something and understanding something are miles apart. And finding a shared knowledge level is critical to both teacher and student. Upon seeing a shared level, we can continue our discussion partnership and meet the individuals wherever they are on their quest for understanding.
Written September 18, 2022
Reference:
[1] [Everything You Need to Know About Sales Mirroring (hubspot.com)](https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/sales-mirroring)