| Humor at Work |
ISSUE 735 - July 25, 2018 |
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Speaking Mirth to Power |
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I recently attended the International Society for Humor Studies annual conference in beautiful Tallinn, Estonia, where more than 200 humor researchers from around the globe gathered to share insights and a few laughs (these were mostly academics, so perhaps not as many laughs as you
might imagine). Here are just a few of the relevant findings that remind us all to be more intentional about the type of humor we use at work:
- "Speaking mirth to power" can be an effective tool - when front line employees use humor they often get away with sharing more difficult truths to senior managers.
- There's a direct correlation between humor appreciation and humor creation - the more you appreciate humor, the more likely it is that you can also create humor more effectively.
- A study on the use of humor in tourism found that humor helps attract customers, boosts marketing campaigns, improves customers' perceptions of their tourist experience, helps build connections within groups, and encourages tourists to stay longer at tourist facilities.
- People who use self-disparaging humor (humor that puts themselves down in a negative way) may result in teammates thinking less of their abilities, people who use disparaging humor that puts other people down can result in teammates thinking less of their integrity, while people who use non-disparaging humor tend to be trusted more.
- For humor to be effective in a business setting you need to make sure it's the right type of humor. "Maladaptive humor" is associated with aggression, hostility and neuroticism, whereas "adaptive humor" - humor that is playful and accepting - is associated with greater openness, agreeableness, higher self-esteem, and an increased likelihood of laughing all the way to the bank. Or, in layman
terms: Don't be a jerk with your humor!
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Mike's Fun at Work Tip |
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Create a recognition station in your workplace.The Finnish company Futurice (whose office I had the pleasure of touring through) has a "Jolt Station" to encourage peer-to-peer recognition.The "Oasis for Positive Feedback" is stocked full of fun office toys and snacks, with the following instructions:
1. Notice when a colleague does something awesome, no matter
how big or how small.
2. Write their name and the awesome thing they did on the list.
3. Choose something fun or delicious from the Jolt station.
4. Give it to your colleague and tell them why!
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Quote of the Week |
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“The fact you can turn something very dark and make light of it is one of the few superhero powers people have.” Merril Markoe
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It's a Wacky World |
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August is International Pirate Month (Arrgust), Read a Romance Novel Month, Panini Month and Happiness Happens Month. The list of offbeat theme days are posted here on the website, including such notables as:
August 3: International Beer Day
August 4: International Hangover Day (please see above)
August 6: Root Beer Float Day
August 7: Ridiculously Preposterous Packaging Day
August 8: Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Night
August 10: Duran Duran Appreciation Day
August 11: Presidential Joke Day
August 13: International Left Hander’s Day
August 18: Bad Poetry Day
August 22: Be an Angel Day
August 25: International Tongue Twisters Day
August 28: Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day
August 31: World Daffodil Day
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Cost-Savings to Bring Mike in to Energize Your Workplace!
New Brunswick: Aug. 21-23
Montreal: Aug. 24-Sept. 4
Toronto: Sept. 14-19 Vancouver: Sept. 24-25
Edmonton: Sept. 27-28
Toronto: Oct. 8-10 Winnipeg: Oct.15-16 Sydney, Nova Scotia: Oct.18-20
Texas: Oct. 24-26
Costa Rica: Jan. 3-18 Winnipeg: Jan. 23-24
Back Issues of Humor at Work can be found Right Here!
More Reading
Mike is quoted in the Business Insider article: 8 Things to Do at Work Before Leaving on Vacation So You Won't Feel Stressed Out!
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Copyright © 2018 Humor at Work. All Rights Reserved.
mike@mikekerr.com
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