Laugh It Up
by Laurie Wilhelm
The most recent Express Yourself to Success survey asked:
Does humour in the workplace interfere with productivity and effectiveness?
Forty percent of respondents said “yes” – that humour does interfere with productively and effectiveness and sixty percent said “no, it doesn’t.”
Also, two respondents left quite different comments:
- “mental disturbance hampers the productivity”
- “when it’s positive humour, in fact, it will boost staff morale”
On one hand, I can understand how “mental disturbance hampers the productivity.” If you’re engrossed in a project and “on a roll” and a colleague starts to kid around with jokes and pranks, I can see how that can cause you to lose your train of thought and focus.
On the other hand, when the work environment is really stressful, adding a bit of humour can be a great way to release tension and help switch mental gears to get everyone back on track and better focused. A bit of laughter is also a good way to bring people together in difficult situations – as the other commenter said “it will boost staff morale.”
While I’m a believer that humour is a contributor to greater productivity and effectiveness, it really depends on the situation and what kind of humour is involved. Humour that is in poor taste, are put downs or practical jokes can easily instigate resentment and retaliation from the receiver of the “joke.” Positive, appropriate and inclusive humour that reinforces team work and camaraderie contributes to creativity, resourcefulness, and inspires the imagination which is essential to problem solving.
I’ve just read John Simmons’ book, The Power of Humor – Top Ten Ways to Lighten Up Your Workplace (without getting fired!) which I highly recommend to anyone looking to integrate productive humour into the workplace.
It’s not a joke book or a how-to-be-funny book. It’s a thoughtful and insightful guide on the do’s and don’ts of workplace humour to inspire and bring out the best in employees, staff, and even management.
Simmons starts with a good natured argument for humour – why it’s important and how it can benefit a company. He then covers “responsible” humour and takes the reader through the good, the bad, and the just-don’t-go-there humour. In the final section, he discusses his top ten ways to add humour and lightness to the workplace.
John survived over 20 years as a teacher – an award-winning one – and is still smiling so he’s got to have a good sense of humour. He now takes that wealth of experience and people skills and specializes in helping organizations be better focused, laugh more and approach work with a positive sense of purpose.
The Power of Humor provides a framework for effective humour and is worth the time to read. It’s written in a friendly, conversational tone that’s easy-to-read and not so long that you have to spend every evening for a week to absorb its every detail. To get your copy, go to John’s website at www.john-simmons.com. He also offers workshops and seminars so if your company is looking for ways to be lighter, happier, more creative and productive, you can also contact John through his website.photo©iStockphoto.com/Yuri Arcurs
