Smile Awhile: Office Humor Is a Joking Matter
by Les McGehee
"The shortest distance between two people is a laugh."
— Victor Borge
There are many ways to use humor while working that are not only fun and healthy but also can help you be more productive.
There's nothing like a little humor to spark a presentation, de-stress a meeting, make a team feel more together or explain a banana peel on the floor. A well-placed joke, story, anecdote or surprise really can lighten up the workplace and liven up the participants. We should learn to invite humor in or at least accept it when it's offered.
What is appropriate humor?
You can choose your style of humor, but be aware that some choices aren't appropriate for the workplace. Business humor can't be rude, crude, physically dangerous or counterproductive. It should be positive, well-timed and tied to the task at hand.
A good joke can be useful, but many people are about as comfortable telling jokes as a politician telling the truth. The most common complaint is they can't remember them. If you hear a good joke that you think others would like, don't just try to remember it — write it down and make sure you understand it.
You can get great results from a joke if you test it and practice delivering it a few times to get your timing down. If it doesn't work, dump it fast.
Here's a pointer. Don't say, "Hey, I've got this joke I want to tell everybody!" It's better to tell a joke in the flow of the conversation.
You also can improve the effectiveness of a joke if you personalize it. Don't start with, "One day there was this guy." Instead, try "Once I ..."
A great way to round out your joke offering is to follow it with a comment that refers it back to the task at hand. This puts the energy of the humor back into the work and might keep your boss from thinking that you've confused the situation with an episode of "Hollywood Squares."
Here's a good example:
"Once I was riding in a cab in New York City when the driver ran a red light. I asked him, `Do you realize you just ran a red light?' The driver said, `Relax. My brother drives like this.' The driver ran another red light, and turned to me and said, `Relax. My brother drives like this.'
"Thank goodness the next light was green, but the driver came to a screeching halt. I yelled, `You ran two red lights saying your brother drives like that, then you come to a green light and stop! What's up with that?' The driver said, `Well, I have to stop at green lights, because my brother might be coming down a side street.'"
You could then make the point that sometimes we do stupid things in response to stupid things done by someone else. The bottom line here is that even if your joke isn't hilarious, you will have made a valid point.
What if you don't like to tell jokes?
Don't worry, you always can tell a humorous anecdote or story to make a point. One of the best things about stories is that you probably have some great ones already. You might have been telling them for years at parties or social functions. You could ask your friends, associates or spouse what some of your best stories are, and they might tell you on the spot. See whether you can discern how one of them relates to your office.
Stories and anecdotes usually are more engaging than jokes because they have the added power of familiarity and truth. Truth in humor is highly effective and comforting, although it doesn't lessen the need for appropriateness. A wonderful book on this subject is Truth in Comedy, by Del Close and Charna Halpern. One quote from their book is: "The truth is funny."
I would add that truth makes it easier to be appropriate. Here's a clue, however — don't use the story if it starts with "Back when I was in prison ..." or "There I was in my underwear ..."
Stories and personal anecdotes should be brief. Don't recall any? The following checklist can help jog your memory:
- An embarrassing experience
- Something funny on the job
Humor is everywhere
Sometimes the best and easiest humor is right under our noses. At a recent meeting with associates, we had lunch brought in. It was delivered by a man who had been frustrated by drivers all the way there. He made a few emphatic complaints, sighed loudly and hurried off. He looked like he had just stuck his finger into a light socket as he prepared to re-enter the driving fray.
The moment he closed the meeting room door, one of us chuckled. Then another joined. We all began to laugh at the bizarre interruption we had experienced together. We found that a wonderful humorous moment had been dropped in our laps. We felt rejuvenated and friendly as we went back into the meeting.
You can greatly improve your productivity and quality of life by learning how to use some humor. Invite humor into your work and take a moment to appreciate it when it happens. Get your favorite joke or story ready. You can look forward to making a point with a laugh, and that's certainly a powerful and productive bonus.
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