Ideas for Celebrating Humor in the Workplace

by Terrill Fischer

Areas to Humor

• Staff meetings – Get the staff involved — let them come up with skits to illustrate the points you want to make. It is amazing how much creativity and effort come out when closet thespians are given a chance to "ham it up" Designate a Meeting Jester to keep the meetings from getting too serious.
  
• Newsletters – Add some cartoons or some industry jokes... Have a contest & publish the winners.
  
• Sales meetings – Teach them how to use humor to bond with clients!
  
• Board meetings – Using props like kids toys can make even the most boring people humorous. Why not have an Unboard meeting?
  
• Memos – How can you dress them up in humor? Memos that communicate best are the ones that get read!
  
• Waiting room – What is in your reception area to relieve tension? Or does the reading material add to the frustration?
  
• Breakroom – Is it really a break from work? Or is it full of work stuff. Some companies always have a jigsaw going or a ping pong table. Gives the mind a work break!
  
• Bathroom? – Think of the possibilities!
  
• Bulletin board – Just look at it! Is it fun? Anything funny on it? How about posting favorite cartoons from the paper? contests — Best caption or cartoon about your company, industry, or issues concerning them. Get them reading!

People to Humor

It's about building better relationships...

• Potential customers – How could you reach them with humor. Use This month as a marketing opportunity!
  
• Customers & Clients – Great excuse to say hello! See what else you could do for them!
  
• Employees – Internal customer service, let them have fun. Happy employees are more motivated and loyal. Why not?
  
• Suppliers – If they enjoy doing business with you who do you think they will serve better? Help them out.
  
• Customer Service – These people have to deal with the public! That's TENSION!
  
• The Boss – ‘nough said.

How about sending a Professional Humorist or Comedian as a gift from you to your favorite client? Their staff will love you for it!

How to Strengthen Your Funny Bone

Tips for bringing laughter into your life:

• Explore your own sense of humor. What makes you laugh? Humor is individual and we seldom take a close look at just what makes us laugh out loud.
  
• Learn to laugh at yourself. Good humor always starts with taking yourself lightly. Your willingness to be vulnerable make others more comfortable, too, and those good feelings come back around you.
  
• Spread it around. Share cartoons and funny stories with friends, co-workers and family. Put them on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator, car dashboard or office bulletin board. Mail them to others.
  
• Try to "reframe" a difficult or frustrating situation. Ask yourself, "How else could I see this? Is it really a full-blown tragedy?" Even if it may be tragic, is there anything funny or ironic about it?
  
• Make the deliberate choice to laugh more often.

Popular Office Toys

Hula Hoops, Yo-Yos, Tinkertoys, Slinky, Pez Dispensers, Frisbees, Silly Putty, Nerf Balls, Nerf Guns, Koosh Balls

"We look for attitudes: people with a sense of humor who don't take themselves too seriously. We'll train people on whatever it is they need to do, but the one thing Southwest cannot change in people is inherent attitudes."

— Herb Kelleher, CEO Southwest Airlines

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Humor University specializes in helping workplaces like yours to assess the level of contentment that employees have for their jobs, assesses the "humor quotient" or "laughitude" of your work environment, and then trains and coaches you to excellence in the "Humor in the Workplace" arena.

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