Humor at Work: Are You Too Important to Smile Back?

Published: Wed, 02/06/13

Inspiring Workplaces
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Humor at Work ISSUE 474 - Feb 6, 2013
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Are You Too Important to Smile Back? 

 

Last fall I contributed to an article in Forbes about the importance of starting the workday on the right foot. One of the observations I made was how often employees complain about how their boss breezes past them in the morning with nary a greeting - not even so much as a smile. But could there be more going on than just, you know, plain old rudeness?      
 
Research presented at a Society for Neuroscience conference shows how people reflexively conceal or share a smile based on their rank, power and status. Dubbed "the boss effect," the study reveals how the social pressure of status affects our neurobiology, including how quickly and in what way we respond to photos of our bosses, and how willing we are to smile based on the perceived status of the people around us.   
 
The research found that if people perceive themselves as being powerful they rarely return a high-ranking person's smile, in fact, they'll automatically suppress the tendency to mimic another person's grin!  Conversely, people who feel more powerless at work tend to automatically mimic everyone else's smile, regardless of their rank. 
 
My simple reminder is this:You are not a robot!  Talk to your brain and for Pete's sake remind yourself (yes, I'm talking to you Mr. Grumpy Pants) of how important it is to be human at work and what a difference a simple smile can make, both to you and to the people around you. 


 
 

 

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    Mike's Fun at Work Tip

Did you know February is official Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month,  Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month and Spunky Old Broads Month?  Every month has at least a few dozen themes attached to them, some serious, some, as you can see, not so much.
 
So why not adapt this idea for your workplace, and create one special theme per month that ties into a goal? Some themes could be wacky, some might help raise awareness for a good cause, while others might focus in on a specific value that your organization is trying to reinforce. It doesn't have to take a lot of work: a few e-mail messages, a few posters, a whiteboard display, some stickers or buttons, maybe a parade....okay, so maybe not a parade. Keep it simple, fun and use the theme to reinforce key messages or create new traditions in your workplace.
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    Quote of the Week

"Humor allows us to approach threatening subjects in a non-threatening way. Most people find it difficult to receive information from someone who has little or no sense of humor." Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

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    It's a Wacky World
 
There's a new affliction that's now a "thing": Swiper's Finger!  Yes, it's the new tennis elbow. Apparently people are complaining of finger injuries from swiping their finger excessively across their I-phone screens. (I smell a lawsuit. . .) 
 
For goodness sake people, if your finger gets sore, just do what I do and use your nose!  
 
 
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Humor at Work TV
 
Excerpts from my interview with the CEO of AFA JCDecaux, in Copenhagen, Denmark: Humor at Work Builds Inspiring Culture
 
Inspiring Reading  
 
Mike is referenced in a Times of India Newspaper 
article on the use and misuse of humor in the workplace: Humor at Work 
 
 
Calgary Event!
 
Looking for a gift for your employees or clients? Book a ticket or a table of six for a day of personal/professional development.
 
Monday, March 11th in Calgary, Deerfoot Inn & Casino. Mike is one of six inspiring speakers, and all the profits go to a great cause to boot. 
 
 
 
 
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mike@mikekerr.com