| Humor at Work |
ISSUE 826 - June 10, 2020 |
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The Vital Role of the Office Joker |
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Are you flexing your funny bone as often as you should?
An Accountemps survey revealed that 80% of executives felt an employee's sense of humor is important for fitting into their company's corporate culture. And a Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study found that telling jokes at work does more than just help you fit in: Employees who tell jokes, yes, even corny groaners, are seen as more confident and competent by their peers, as long as the humor is positive and not divisive. (There's a world of
difference between being the office joker and the office jerk!)
But what happens when an "office joker" crosses the proverbial "humor line?" A study looking at office jokers in IT companies in New Zealand, reported in the International Journal of Humor Research, considered this very question. The researchers found that the "office joker" played a vital role within these companies by boosting morale, busting boredom, keeping the company's history alive by retelling stories from the
past, making new employees feel more included, strengthening the cultural norms, and by speaking up about uncomfortable truths to senior leaders with humor.
Every CEO in the study agreed that, yes, occasionally the office joker crosses the line, however, each CEO also stressed that the enormous benefits of having an office joker greatly outweighs the occasional misstep. This could be why more and more companies are hiring with humor in mind (as stressed in my soon-to-be-made-into-a-major-motion-picture book, Hire, Inspire and Fuel Their Fire) and even training employees how to safely flex their funny bones more often!
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Mike's Fun at Work Tip |
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A fun meeting icebreaker to try on for size: Ask everyone this question, "If you came with a warning label, what would it say?"
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Quote of the Week |
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“A wonderful thing about true laughter is that it just destroys any kind of system of dividing people.” John Cleese
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It's a Wacky World |
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Speaking of warning labels, my favorite chocolate in the whole world comes from Le Chocolatier, a local chocolate-making shop located far too close to my home here in Canmore, Alberta. They make some of the best chocolate you'll find anywhere. And naturally, because the chocolate is so darn tasty, it comes with a warning label: WARNING: Once eaten, you may float in heaven!
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Culture Leadership Online Course "Five out of five stars! This is a great course, that if applied, could make a huge difference in your workplace!” Mike Chamberland, Sales Manager, CompuTrek
Our early bird 50% discount is ongoing and we've got fantastic cost-savings for group registrations for your team or company. Let's start a conversation: mike@mikekerr.com
For details...
Culture Leadership Academy
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mike@mikekerr.com
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