Humor is like Social Prozac.
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They didn’t get the joke, the only thing I heard was a gasp followed by silence.
It was January, 2007 and our business unit had gathered for a team meeting of Addiction staff (for a little more about my experience as an Addiction Therapist, see my article on The Accidental Leader). The Manager started the meeting with some introductions and asked the group to share one of their New Year’s resolutions.
I like to use these moments to make people laugh. But this one was a Bouncing Betty.
When it came to my turn, I shared my brilliance: “My goal this year is to start smoking so that next year, I have something to quit.” Silence. And then Margaret gasped. (Yes, her name really was Margaret. Recently, she entered in the witness protection plan, so I can use her name all that I want).
Humor is Misunderstood
Every time I tell that story, people laugh. It is a funny line and yes some groups are WAY too serious, but I misread the group.
I hope you see the irony here: It is funny how humor can make us so serious.
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Some people take the response as evidence that work is no joke, and it is no place for humor. “Humor is for Saturday nights and coffee shops.” Other people ignore the gasps and use humor inappropriately. It is sad that humor can undermine a reputation.
I hope you see the irony here: It is funny how humor can make us so serious.
I know very funny people who become Morticians in meetings. (Maybe there’s a joke about a Mortician in a meeting who is very funny but no one laughs, because the crowd is dead? Oops, Bouncing Betty). I don’t get it. Why does humor die when we close the door? Why is funny seen as not taking things seriously? When did taking things seriously become a positive trait? Why is light heartedness reserved for the warehouse floor or for private conversations?
Humor is Productivity
As you can tell, I like to ask a lot of questions. I work for Addictions and Mental Health and I get paid per question.
It is understandable why we avoid humor at work. Inappropriate humor can be destructive when it degrades because of gender, sexual identity, religion, race, socioeconomic realities, or appearance. Mockery is never a healthy experience.
Despite the risks, I think that humor should have a seat at the table. We need to avoid inappropriate humor, but our companies need to lighten up.
Mesmer-Magnus, Glew and Viswesvaran completed a meta-analysis of positive humor in the workplace. (In geek-speak, a meta-analysis can provide a strong case because the researchers review so many studies that a better sample and effect size can be evaluated.) They reviewed 49 studies, with a total of 8,532 participants. Their results suggest that:
Humor promotes improved “work performance, satisfaction, workgroup cohesion, health, and coping effectiveness, as well as decreased burnout, stress, and work withdrawal” (p. 155)
Interestingly, the same study found that when Management loosens up a little, staff work performance improves along with job satisfaction, perception of supervisor effectiveness, team cohesion and increased engagement.
Moshref, Salehzadeh and Poor, studied 276 Irainian bank employees on humor and how it can influence behavior at work. They found that appropriate humor:
- Is like a relief valve, releasing pressure and stress
- Helps to bond people and create better team relationships, and
- Can reinforce positive traits like altruism, social virtues, courtesy, conscientiousness and sportsmanship.
Two Graduate researchers, Miznikova and Schönfeldt studied 8 managers in medium-large sized Swedish companies. Their qualitative project demonstrated that leadership humor:
- Reduced stress and improved group cohesiveness, communication, creativity and leadership effectiveness
- Is often overlooked as a key management skill
- Needs to fit the person, their personality and their context
- Can cause stress when Managers feel they need permission to be funny at work
Humor is Leadership
Funny is hard work. Funny has risks. Funny can be serious business. And funny can be perceived as not taking things seriously. So why bother?
Funny is leadership. Funny is vulnerable. Funny relieves stress and bonds. And funny is what makes us human.
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Because funny is leadership. Funny is vulnerable. Funny relieves stress and bonds. And funny is what makes us human.
If you like to laugh and you think funny has a place at work, sign up for my email list. Then send this to your boss. I will say more about the serious work of humor at work, but you have to sign up to be part of the mayhem. Or you can just go back to your morgue. The choice is up to you.
For a superb article on laughter, see James Altucher’s article on What happened to all the laughter?
Keep It Real
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Sean writes at smswaby and is an Editor for The Good Men Project. If you have a story to tell about humor at work, the power of wellness or any other health and wellness topic, email me at [email protected].
Photos by John Benson and Stewart Black.
David,
Thanks for the article and I will have a look at the article.
Sean
Great article Sean!
Here’s another take on humor at work from Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times, one of the more amusing columnists going around at the moment, talking about having a laugh at work:
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b48c48fa-b7a0-11e5-bf7e-8a339b6f2164.html#axzz3yH0QHILF
Humour left the office during the 90s, and the military as well. Right about the time oversensitive busybodies started suing for being offence for shit the overheard, and were WINNING huge sums of money. And it is still happening today, look no further than the key words DONGLE +JOKE+FIRED.
Boris, The day that humor leaves the office was the day that the office will lose some of what it truly can be.
Sean