|
| Humor at Work |
ISSUE 501 - Aug. 14, 2013 |
|
|
|
|
|
IBM Meets The Office?
|
|
|
|
IBM, good old "Big Blue", conjures up terms such as conservative, CORPORATE or staid. But what about self-deprecating? Humble? Hilariously funny? What if I told you that Comedy Central chose a series of on-line videos posted by IBM as one of their "staff favorites"?
Taking a page from the sitcom The Office, IBM produced a series of self-deprecating,"mockumentary" style videos. The Art of the Sales video series were shot in-house using IBM employees in only a day and a half. The hilarious, deadpan videos have been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people on-line, translated into several different languages, been shown by other companies at their sales conferences and have garnered free publicity for IBM in numerous media outlets. By showing they can laugh at themselves, the videos have boosted employee morale, softened IBM's image and put a more human face on the company. A fabulous lesson for any organization. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Mike's Fun at Work Tip |
|
If you cruise around the bike path that meanders around False Creek in  Vancouver B.C. this summer you'll likely stumble upon one of three public pianos, all with very colorful designs. Each piano my wife and I rode by a few weeks ago was being played by random members of the public, with numerous pedestrians and bikers stopping to enjoy the impromptu concerts. Public pianos are also cropping up in other cities around the world (we recently spotted one in on of the cavernous walkways in London's Heathrow airport.)
What a fabulous way to add some life and energy to public spaces, and what a fantastic way to add some fun to any workplace. SAS, the software analytics company renown for their employee perks, has a piano in one of their employee cafeterias. Another company installed a piano in the lobby of their building after discovering one of their employees was an accomplished pianist, allowing her to practice her passion and entertain guests during lunch or coffee breaks.
So why not invest in a piano? Imagine piano music greeting your clients in the lobby of your hotel, office highrise or reception area. Imagine the impromptu concerts in your local grocery store, doctor's office, or insurance company. (Of course if your musical tastes lie more towards, say, the bagpipes, you could always go that route, though that could be tempting fate just a wee bit.)
|
| |
|
Quote of the Week |
|
"I always try to go the extra mile at
work, but my boss always finds me and brings me back." Anonymous
|
| |
|
It's a Wacky World |
|
An Israeli scientist has developed a computer algorithm to detect sarcasm. (Yeah, that's going to be soooo useful. I think it's a great idea. Seriously.) | |
|
|
Cost Savings to Book Mike
New Brunswick: Sept. 23
Toronto/Ottawa: Sept. 27 - Oct.1
Kelowna/Penticton: Week of October 14
Montreal: On-going
Inspiring Reading
| | |
|
| |
|
Follow Humor at Work
|
|
|
| |
|
Copyright © 2013 Humor at Work. All Rights Reserved.
mike@mikekerr.com
| |
