Have you ever noticed that the most successful people you know are often some of the funniest? Oh sure, there is that occasional stern doctor or businessperson, but they are statistical outliers. It is fair to say that the most successful people in almost any field are known for their sense of humor.
Creating a culture in the workplace where levity is part of the makeup is a topic of great study at this time. Findings show that when people who work together can laugh together it makes their relationships closer. For laughter to occur there has to be an understanding that is built on a relationship between the sender and the receiver. We all know what it is like when you say something funny and the other person does not laugh, there was not a connection with that person with what you were trying to transmit to them. It is the emotional connection, the shared meaning between the sender and receiver that is the key. There is an intimacy in humor when you laugh with someone, it is a bond that says "I understand what you are saying, I get it".
This is because no matter how good you are at what you do, you will run into difficult, awkward, or even hostile situations. The most effective way to defuse these is by injecting a little levity. Of course, you don't want a doctor to crack a joke when she's telling you that you have cancer, but if you are able to laugh over the course of your treatment, it can only help. (Numerous studies back me up here. Look it up.) The oncologist who treated my grandmother was one of the funniest people I've ever met. I'm sure that alone extended her life a bit, and it certainly made her last years more enjoyable.
Humor can make your (sometimes) dreadfully boring safety meetings come to life I've been there-I drew the shortest straw, and thus had to represent my department at the mandated monthly safety meetings. In other words, I, like most of the other folks at the table, HAD to be there. But wouldn't it be better if people WANTED to be at your safety meetings? If they WANTED to be fully present? If they WANTED to participate and share their ideas?
I have been involved with business negotiations where a quick joke sealed the deal. As a matter of fact, this happened to me just the other day. The client was telling me about how hard times were. I cracked a self-effacing joke. He laughed. Within minutes, I had a check in my hand.
HA + HA = AHA! Humor sparks creative thinking There is, in fact, a huge correlation between humor and creativity. Humor in the workplace reduces stress, promotes lateral thinking and again, helps us see things in a different way. Both humor and creativity are about looking at your challenges and seeing them in a fresh, new way. So if you need to get creative about solving some of your safety issues, creative in terms of how you secure more money out of the old budget, or you need to get more creative with your safety messages, then, once again, a little humor goes a long way.
So learn how to be funny. It will serve you better than any "A" you ever got in math.
Creating a culture in the workplace where levity is part of the makeup is a topic of great study at this time. Findings show that when people who work together can laugh together it makes their relationships closer. For laughter to occur there has to be an understanding that is built on a relationship between the sender and the receiver. We all know what it is like when you say something funny and the other person does not laugh, there was not a connection with that person with what you were trying to transmit to them. It is the emotional connection, the shared meaning between the sender and receiver that is the key. There is an intimacy in humor when you laugh with someone, it is a bond that says "I understand what you are saying, I get it".
This is because no matter how good you are at what you do, you will run into difficult, awkward, or even hostile situations. The most effective way to defuse these is by injecting a little levity. Of course, you don't want a doctor to crack a joke when she's telling you that you have cancer, but if you are able to laugh over the course of your treatment, it can only help. (Numerous studies back me up here. Look it up.) The oncologist who treated my grandmother was one of the funniest people I've ever met. I'm sure that alone extended her life a bit, and it certainly made her last years more enjoyable.
Humor can make your (sometimes) dreadfully boring safety meetings come to life I've been there-I drew the shortest straw, and thus had to represent my department at the mandated monthly safety meetings. In other words, I, like most of the other folks at the table, HAD to be there. But wouldn't it be better if people WANTED to be at your safety meetings? If they WANTED to be fully present? If they WANTED to participate and share their ideas?
I have been involved with business negotiations where a quick joke sealed the deal. As a matter of fact, this happened to me just the other day. The client was telling me about how hard times were. I cracked a self-effacing joke. He laughed. Within minutes, I had a check in my hand.
HA + HA = AHA! Humor sparks creative thinking There is, in fact, a huge correlation between humor and creativity. Humor in the workplace reduces stress, promotes lateral thinking and again, helps us see things in a different way. Both humor and creativity are about looking at your challenges and seeing them in a fresh, new way. So if you need to get creative about solving some of your safety issues, creative in terms of how you secure more money out of the old budget, or you need to get more creative with your safety messages, then, once again, a little humor goes a long way.
So learn how to be funny. It will serve you better than any "A" you ever got in math.
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