Humor at work
Use humor to be a better leader, build a better team and live longer!
I have always thought of myself as funny1. So, when I saw a recommendation for a book named Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life, I grabbed it. The authors teach a class on Humor and Leadership at Stanford. They gave a TED talk too.Below are my takeaways.
Humor works at work
Have you ever been in a boring or tense meeting and felt the energy change after a humorous exchange? I have been in a number of customer demonstrations in which a self deprecating comment from someone on the customer side, made the discussion more real!2
The authors make the case that humor is underused at work. It helps with
bonding,
building trust,
increasing creativity and
fostering psychological safety
Humor helps leaders
Leaders who use humor are seen as more motivating3.
How to Humor
Genuine observations can be funny. You can find your humor style by taking a quiz.
Think about how the audience will feel. And do not bother about appearing to be funny4.
Do not punch down
So, humor is not just the best medicine, it is so much more…
You want proof huh! What is blue and is not heavy? Light blue or Blue light - both works. hahaha. See!
This maybe a stupid question, but I am going to ask it and blame it on my covid!
How much more, you ask? 27% more
Note to self