No Joke! The Workplace Needs a Good Laugh

A friend of mine sent me this article from MSNBC about the importance of Humor in the workplace during these tough economic times (thanks Chris).  Naturally I’m a huge proponent of what they talk about in the article.

Here are a few highlights from the article:

• “Companies that have the highest propensity to succeed and outperform their competitors are those that encourage fun at work.”
• “According to a Harvard Business Review study on ‘What Makes a Good Leader,’ one of the key hallmarks of a great manager is a ‘self-deprecating sense of humor.’”

If you are a believer in humor, but aren’t sure how to get started, here are a few ideas:

• Start your presentations off with a joke, quote, story, or interesting picture or video.
• Play some improv games as a way to warm-up the mind for brainstorming, or as a team-builder or mid-afternoon break.
• Challenge each other to some riddles or a game of Scrabble.
• Create a “Favorite Comic Strip” board and have people post their favorite strips for others to read.

There are any number of ways to share a laugh today.  Be creative, engage others, and most of all have fun.

Tagged as: humor, humor research, laughter, stress, team-building

More Humor:

1. Let the Good Times Roll: Building a Fun Culture
2. Ha! Laughing is Good for You!
3. Humor in the Workplace: A Communication Challenge
4. 6 Myths of Using Humor in the Workplace
5. Anticipating a Laugh Reduces Stress