John Cutler examines the difference between using mirrors and practicing mirroring, two ways of reflecting back what teams and people do. He describes how his own thinking about this distinction has evolved over the years. The core idea is that merely holding up a mirror to a team or organization is not the same as deliberately reflecting its patterns in a way that drives change. Because the distinction shapes how leaders and product people give feedback and surface problems, it is useful for anyone who coaches teams or tries to improve how work gets done.
01Key takeaways
- Holding up a mirror to a team is not automatically the same as mirroring its behavior in a useful way.
- Reflecting patterns back to a team should be deliberate, with the goal of prompting reflection rather than just showing data.
- Feedback that reflects how work actually happens can be more powerful than abstract critique.
- Your own perspective on coaching and feedback can evolve, so revisit assumptions about what helps teams improve.
02Key sections
- Introducing the distinction
- Cutler sets up the difference between mirrors and mirroring as the central idea of the post. He frames it as a shift in his own understanding over time.
- How the thinking evolved
- The author traces how his view changed through experience, suggesting that the distinction only became clear after working through it in practice.
03From the post
“There’s a difference between mirrors and mirroring. Over the years I’ve come to see that difference, and I wanted to share how my thinking has shifted.”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.