Try this loop: ask one open question, reflect back content and feeling, then check if you missed anything crucial. This respectful rhythm reduces defensiveness, uncovers hidden assumptions, and ensures solutions address the real problem rather than a comfortable guess.
Tone, pace, and pauses carry meaning your words cannot. Practice mirroring energy without mimicry, and listen for fatigue, excitement, or hesitation. Naming the emotion gently—when appropriate—builds empathy quickly and often reveals timelines, blockers, and needs previously unspoken.
When Leo noticed a teammate growing quieter in standups, he asked one curious question and mirrored back her words. She admitted deadlines felt impossible. Together they renegotiated scope, avoided burnout, and still shipped a lean version customers genuinely valued.
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