“Humor is an intrinsic part of living and working” is the conclusion of an older article I was recently given. The article, titled Humor in the Workplace: A Communication Challenge by Robert A. Vartabedian and Laurel Klinger Vartabedian, professors of speech communication, explores the value of humor at work.
Some interesting notes from the paper:
- “Humor plays an important role in corporate culture…the more astute one is regarding the uses and misuses of humor, the more effectively one is perceived.” (page 4)
- The four areas humor is most positively applicable include: social benefits, and leadership, psychological, and physical enhancement. (page 7)
- “…research has shown that managers displaying a good sense of humor are given more opportunities in organizations than those without a sense of humor.” (page 8)
- Some of the social benefits of humor include: group cohesiveness, reduction of status differentials, diffusion of conflict, and team-building among diverse groups. (page 9)
- “Humor helps individuals view themselves and others more objectively and helps build rapport, trust, and acceptance of diversity among team members.” (page 9)
- Humor allows people to see novel connections and otherwise elusive relationships by stimulating the right part of the brain which controls creative thinking. (page 9)
- Using humor doesn’t mean being a full-time comedian: “One opening joke can set a positive tone for an entire meeting.” (page 11)
Source: Humor in the Workplace: A Communication Challenge by Robert A. Vartabedian and Laurel Klinger Vartabedian, presented at the annual meeting of the Speech Communication Association, Miami, November, 1993.
Enjoy this post? Get the latest humor via RSS or sign up for the Humor Newsletter and receive a free eBook on Humor in the Workplace.
More Humor:
