Speak, Listen, Mirror

Most people think they are good listeners. Most people are wrong. This exercise slows communication down to a pace where I can actually notice what is happening in my own head while someone else is speaking, the urge to formulate my response, the assumptions I make, the half-attention that drifts to my phone.

Theory

One person tells a story, the second listens actively, the third mirrors back what was heard. Then rotate. Focus on real listening, not giving advice. This strengthens empathy and presence.

Kapitel 4 identifies communication and self-reflection as the core practices that hold personal relationships together. The mirroring exercise slows conversation down enough to make those practices visible: you notice when you are formulating a response instead of hearing, when assumptions fill the gaps where attention should be. Building on the psychological safety established in Activities 1–4, this structured intervention gives the team direct experience of what it feels like to be genuinely listened to. Most team friction comes not from disagreement but from people feeling unseen, and this exercise rewires that habit one rotation at a time.