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Most agree that humor in the workplace can have beneficial effects. Yet not all humor is good humor. The challenge: how to interject appropriate humor and fun into our serious jobs without hurting others or seriously undermining the company. When used appropriately, humor can work for you. Humor that Uploads Also UpliftsHumor has the power to
make people feel special. When you include people in fun it simultaneously
improves morale, reduces stress and facilitates team building. With the prevalence of telecommuting
and workgroups scattered geographically, the challenge of furthering working
relationships, bonding and building camaraderie is real. At one Bay Area
company a workgroup staged an elaborate Remote Baby Shower. The expectant mother, who was
out-of-state, called in for a pre-arranged conference call with her workgroup.
When she did...surprise! Everyone was having a party in her honor. They
uploaded digital photos of a decorated conference room and each other, and
e-mailed sound files with well wishes. Everyone shared in the good cheer. This creative use of technology brought
employees closer to each other, figuratively if not literally. Humor That Brings People TogetherWorkplaces are full of
opportunities to use humor for the benefit of all. Milestones are a natural place to employ humor. Dress like
the recipient as a tribute during a surprise birthday party. Other celebrations
to mark anniversaries, project completions or similar accomplishments are
perfect opportunities to utilize humor. Even surviving certain projects is
cause for celebration and fun. Holidays are another
natural time to employ humor. Halloween is a time for contests to see who can
best decorate conference rooms; for other companies the anniversary of their
founding is cause for celebration. Silly speeches, skits and spoofs abound. And the Award Goes To...Staging award ceremonies
is a great way to have fun, recognize each other and revel in the shared work
experience. Whether the categories
mimic those found at the Oscars, Emmys or Tonys, or are derivative, esprit de
corps rises when the team laughs at itself and each other. Best Supporting Actor, Best
Impersonation of an Inanimate Object, Best Special Effects, Most Likely to
Secede, or Lifetime Achievement Award. Humor Is The Winning TicketPranks can alternately be
uplifting or uprooting. A desktop publisher, on April Fools Day, adorned his
co-workers cars' windshields with mock yellow parking tickets, complete with
envelopes for remittance. Upon closer inspection, these true-to-life replicas
of tickets had whimsical offenses of significance to the recipients. The
departmental joker's ticket cited him for "excessive use of farce"
and the hard charging corporate counsel's infraction charged him with a
"Failure to Yield." Of
course the initiator of the gag was later cited for impersonating an officer.
Everyone laughed at the spoof once they realized it was a joke. Judge Judy's
signature at the bottom of the ticket gave it away. Pole PositionA fast growing company
didn't have enough office space for full cubicles for its new hires. One
unfortunate hire's assigned cubicle had a giant pole in its midst. To her credit she never complained. Co-workers felt for her. One night they hit the streets,
collecting various fliers from telephone poles in their neighborhoods. The next
day when the new hire reached her cubicle, the offending pole was now covered
with notices about missing pets, renters seeking apartments, cheap movers for
hire and even local GRE study groups.
Not only did the employee know her co-workers felt her frustration, it
bonded them as well as they pulled together to help one of their own. One Person's Humor is Another Person's HorrorWhen targeting humor
consider targeting yourself.
Everyone has a different idea of what's funny and what's not. Many a well intentioned prank or joke
has backfired. One co-worker sent
another a prank letter impersonating a local media figure. The recipient
mistook it for real, interpreted it as harassment and called the FBI. Oops! The Benefits of Self-Effacing HumorWhen we make fun of
ourselves it actually demonstrates our healthy outlook, showing we don't take
ourselves so seriously. As a result, we're regarded as more approachable and
down to earth. Don't make fun of yourself excessively. Such humor loses its effectiveness
with overuse. Everyone from politicians
to CEOs to Southwest Airlines flight attendants use self-deprecating humor -
humor that makes fun of themselves - to get people laughing at, and
consequently with them. You can too. While gallow's humor may feel appropriate during layoffs and cutbacks, strive to employ humor that uplifts and taps universal themes for best results. Here's to laughter! Craig began his humor career at the age of eleven when he went door-to-door selling Used Jokes. Read all about Craig's Humor programs, including JEST PRACTICES. Download the description of JEST PRACTICES in PDF Format
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