When you take a look at all of the benefits of humor, it’s hard to understand why there isn’t more humor at work. This is getting better (I don’t think they were having a whole lot of fun in the coal mines, but I could be wrong), but there is still far too little fun in the workplace.
photo by sarej
So what’s preventing work from actually being enjoyable? Here are 5 things people believe that are stopping them from having more fun.
1) Humor at work is inappropriate.
The biggest reason most people don’t have fun at work is they think it’s inappropriate. They believe that “business is serious, so we better be serious.” Apparently no one told Google or Zappos this.
The reality is that humor in the workplace leads to happier, healthier and more productive employees.
2) No one will take me seriously.
Some people worry that if they use humor in the workplace, no one will take them seriously when it comes to actual business. Luckily, this isn’t true. In fact, leaders use humor, not ignore it. As Mr. Smith (that’s Sydney Smith, not Agent Smith) said:
“You must not think me necessarily foolish because I am facetious, nor will I consider you necessarily wise because you are grave.” – Sydney Smith
3) There’s nothing fun about what I do.
Many people refuse to believe that there job can be more fun. And while I won’t deny that some jobs are less fun than others, it doesn’t mean any job can’t be improved. Whether you work at a fast-food restaurant, do data entry or manage a small company, your work can be more fun, it’s just a matter of finding out how.
Simple challenges to yourself or coworkers can help you get you through your day; setting your desktop background to something you want to achieve can give you inspiration; playing with a slinky during downtime can give you something to do–there are hundreds of ways to have humor at work.
4) It takes too time / cost too much money.
Some people fear that incorporating humor in the workplace means huge effort and spending money. Humor at work doesn’t require elaborate events or special props–phone calls can made more fun by playing some music or sharing some pictures.
Keep your humor effort simple and you’ll have fun without any additional overhead.
5) No one else cares.
People desperately want you to help them have fun. Think about who you like to spend time with in the office, it’s the people who always have that interesting story to share or that funny video from YouTube.
Using humor at work requires leadership, and you’re a leader aren’t you? Even if you are in the lowest position at your company, you can take the initiative to make the workplace more enjoyable. All it takes is a little creativity.
Need ideas on adding humor at work? Check out some posts on how to use humor in the workplace. Got a few ideas of your own? Leave ‘em in the comments.
photo by flaivoloka
With the advent of the Internet and the growth of International companies, building an effective team across timezones, languages and cultures is becoming increasingly more important.
Gone (or perhaps going) are the days when your entire team resides on the same continent, let alone floor, and it’s becoming more common to be working with someone you’ve never met before.
But there are ways to still have a fully functional team even when your team doesn’t share the same first language. Below are 6 tips for working with a global team:
Handling Timezone Differences
One of the most difficult work arrangements to handle is when one or more employees live at opposite ends of the timezones. A United States employee working with someone in China can mean a 12-hour difference in work schedules. To combat this remote challenge:
1. Be fully aware of the timezone difference.
Often times, many of the problems that arise from working in different timezones is people just aren’t aware of what the difference really is. Taking a look at a timezone map or changing your Outlook calendar to include an additional timezone is an easy way to realize that the call you’re about to make will be at 3am on the other end of the phone.
2. Take advantage of the difference.
When my manager worked in China for 3 months, we setup a system to leverage the fact that we worked 12-hours apart. I would track all of my questions and requests in a single email throughout the day and then send that one email before leaving work. My manager would answer my questions and provide any guidance when his day started, and I’d have a response sitting in my inbox when I started the next morning.
The added advantage to this was that I became more independent and found myself answering my own questions before ever sending the email.
Breaking Language Barriers
In many companies around the world, the designated language is English. But for employees who work outside of the United States or Kingdom, it’s rarely the first language learned. Avoid confusion and work better by:
3. Create a list of common phrases and jargon for your area.
One of the hardest things to learn in a new language are the colloqualisms and slang because you don’t often encounter it until you start conversing with native speakers–few English textbooks define the acronym CYA. By creating a lst of common phrases and jargon related to your work and your region, you’re providing a cheat sheet that can help avoid confusion. Of course in some companies, the corporate lingo can be so confusing that such a sheet is required even if everyone has spoken English their whole life.
4. Talk pictures.
If all else fails when trying to describe or communicate something, turn to visuals to convey your message. Pictures are worth a thousand translated words because regardless of what language you speak, a keyboard still looks like a toetsenbord (that’s Dutch for keyboard).
Team-building Across Cultures
A common mistake of International teams is neglecting important team-building exercises that can help create a group mind. Many people assume that there is little that can be done and so remote teams remain disjointed and ineffective. Build your global team by:
5. Use Telehumor.
There are a number of ways to take advantage of everyone’s remote locations to build your team. You can use video conferencing services, conference calls, and online surveys to conduct interactive meetings with an emphasis on learning about one another. With just a little extra effort and some creativity, you can come up with a number of ways to use humor in a remote office.
6. Learn about each other’s culture.
With programs such as Rosetta Stone, sites like Busuu, and techniques like those from Tim Ferriss, learning the basics of a language isnt as hard as it once was. You can also use sites like Every Culture to find out more about the culture of some of your fellow employees. This can generate personal discussions that will go a long way in building the dynamic of your team, as well as teach you something new.
Got your own tips for working in a global team? Share them in the comments.
As companies continue to globalize, it’s becoming increasingly more important to be able to communicate across culture and language gaps. Here are a list of resources that can help you bridge that gap.
Note: This is part of the What I Learned on the Internet Series.
- Picture the Words - Pete Lidwell shares a great tip on using Google Images whenever you get stuck looking for the right word in another language.
- Stay Current – Website Newseum can help you understand what is happening in your co-workers country with its interactive map of front pages of newspapers from all over the world.
- Learn the Lanugage – The Open Culture website rounds up the best free resources for learning a new language.
- Practice the Language – Busuu.com will help you practice speaking and writing to help you learn a new language.
- Know the Names – Public Profiler provides a nice webapp that will map the popularity of surnames all over the world.
- See Exactly Where They Are – Vic Gundota explains how to use Google Latitude to show exactly where you and your contacts are located on a map.
- Learn the Culture – Website Every Culture lists the history, culture, and much more of almost every country in the world.
- Translate Your Search - Google Translate offers the ability to search for terms in websites written in another language, automatically translating them for your reading pleasure.
