Inspiring Workplaces: Humor That Washes On, Washes Off

Published: Wed, 09/07/16

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Humor at Work ISSUE 645 - Sept 7, 2016
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      Humor That Washes On, Washes Off 
   
  It's time for another lemon-scented edition of random ideas, musings and stuff (I think that's the technical term)...
  • Do you want to be a more valuable team mate and employee? Then be the person who finds the solutions to problems instead of the person who finds a problem in every solution! 
  • The graphic design company Canva is known for celebrating milestones in quirky ways, including smashing plates and releasing doves. Are you remembering to celebrate your milestones?
  • A study by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University found that the excessive use of air conditioning in offices may be lowering productivity. Employees in warmer environments (25.5 C/78 F) were more productive and made fewer keyboard mistakes than employees working in colder environments (21 C/70 F). Now before you convert your office into a sauna - mistakes rise and productivity drops when it's too warm as well, so you need to tap into "the Goldilocks zone!" 
  • Humor in action - a car wash sign advertising: "All Employees Trained By Mr. Miyagi" (In case you're too young...it's a callback to the The Karate Kid movie..."wash on...wash off"...)
  • Cartoonists from Calgary, Alberta have adopted a popular program from the United States.Several local cartoonists visited the Calgary Children's Hospital recently where they drew whatever the children requested. A fabulous idea that they are now expanding into a fundraising program. 
  • In an effort to encourage better sleep habits, employees of Aetna receive a $25 bonus every time their Fitbit monitor registers 8 hours of sleep.
  • A little comedy trivia that says something interesting about the nature of humor: According to John Cleese, the three biggest laughs in the movie A Fish Called Wanda corresponded to the three scenes that also registered the highest number of complaints for offending people.
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    Mike's Fun at Work Tip
 
I've noticed more and more restaurants where the wait staff wear tags identifying where their home base is. At a recent meal my wife and I talked to employees from Uruguay, Australia and Ireland. The tags served as fun icebreakers and helped personalize the dining experience. So why not do a similar thing with your front line customer service staff? Or do it with all employees for a day or even a week, where everyone wears a stick-on label identifying their birthplace. 
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    Deep Thought of the Week
 


"You're never too old to learn something really stupid."
 
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    It's a Wacky World
 
This must be the most Canadian criminal of all time: A thief wearing hockey goalie gear (complete with a goalie stick) stole two-fours of beer from a store in Russell, Manitoba. (If only the thief and his accomplice had fled atop a moose...that would be the icing on the...er...rink.)
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Cost-Savings to Bring Mike in to Speak
Okanagan: "I need to see Mom" special rate on-going!
Toronto: Oct. 21-24
New York: Oct. 24-26, and Oct. 31
Ottawa: Nov. 7
Vancouver: Dec.1-2
Edmonton: Dec. 5-7
Winnipeg: March 16




More Reading
An excerpt from The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank: Big Ass Branding in Cyberspace: How Humor Can Help Your Business Stand Out

 
 
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mike@mikekerr.com