Cultivate Laughter at Work to Boost Well-Being and Performance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any time you walk through the halls of an elementary school or frequent a playground all you hear are giggles and laughter, but when you walk the maze of cubicles at work, aisles in a store or warehouse or along the hallways in your office, you rarely hear those same sounds of glee. It's not that we have outgrown laughter as we have entered adulthood, but work is generally viewed as a place to be serious so that lots of work can get done. Now research tells us that a little humor and laughter at work can go a long way.

In the fast-paced world of work, we often overlook the value of humor. Maybe it's because we tend to laugh less as we get older. According to Gallup, while a 4-year-old laughs around 300 times daily, by the time we reach 40, we only laugh about three times a day.

What's even more telling is that we laugh less on workdays compared to weekends. This underscores a sad truth: Work is a serious environment where laughter is not encouraged.

A lack of levity can be detrimental to your team. When there is no humor, aspects like productivity, well-being, and creativity plummet.

Often referred to as the "best medicine," laughter at work is gaining ground as an easy way to brighten the workday and boost the overall health of your workplace or organization. Because there is a growing amount of research that supports the benefits of laughter at work, humor is now getting the professional respect it deserves.

The benefits of laughter at work:

·        Laughter increases productivity.

·        Those who laugh out loud are more creative at problem solving.

·        Those who laugh have better memory retention.

·        Those who laugh experience less stress.

·        Laughter is a major coping mechanism.

·        Those who laugh together may work more effectively together.

Victor Borge remarked, “Laughter is the closet distance between two people.”

A study conducted at Canadian financial institutions found that managers who most frequently used humor also had the highest level of employee performance. Dr. William Fry of Stanford University found that laughing 200 times can burn as many calories as rowing intensely for 10 minutes, boosting your energy and giving you that alive feeling.

David Sloan Wilson, an evolutionary biologist at Bingham University, discusses laughter at work in his book, 'Evolution For Everyone.' Wilson finds laughter to be a good thing for any workplace. "When it is appropriate, laughter puts everyone in a merry mood. Mechanistically, the brain releases a cocktail of chemicals similar to those that we take artificially to give ourselves a good time such as opium or morphine. So besides feeling good, we also act good."

Humor at Work

Take What You Do Seriously; Yourself Lightly

This does not necessarily mean learning to tell a good joke. It’s more about reconnecting with something you already have inside you—a sense of humor and playfulness. Human beings have the natural ability to see the funny or absurd side. We have the innate ability to be playful in a fun and kind way with others and ourselves. A wise person said, “he who can laugh at themselves will never cease to be entertained.” So true!

Embrace Humor to Recover and Learn from Mistakes

Humor can be a valuable asset in helping us move on from mistakes. To build a culture of innovation, it is vital not to take ourselves too seriously. Diffusing the tension often associated with mistakes helps us learn.

When a coaching client was searching for a flight on Skyscanner, he found a glitch suggesting a 47-year layover. He humorously asked on social media, "What should I do during the 47-year layover your website suggested?"

The response from Skyscanner's employee was equally witty. Instead of simply apologizing for the mistake, she suggested, "Unless you're a huge fan of the Terminal, I'd probably recommend spending those years outside of the airport."

Use Humor to Encourage Open Communication

Humor encourages people to voice their opinions without fear of judgment. It creates an environment where ideas can flow freely and innovation can thrive. Pixar uses humor in their "Braintrust" – collective feedback meetings – to ensure honesty.

Pixar's Braintrust meetings are designed to review and critique ongoing projects. While the directors welcome critiques from everyone, they particularly value them from fellow storytellers. Humor plays a crucial role in ensuring a relaxed and open environment. As Ed Catmul reflected on one of the sessions, "They were funny, focused, smart, and relentlessly candid when arguing with each other."

Utilize Humor to Navigate Through Difficult Times

During challenging periods, humor can be a vital tool for teams to build resilience and momentum. It acts as a coping mechanism, helping teams navigate challenges with a lighter heart. Humor provides a much-needed reprieve from stress, according to research.

Trevor Smith, Certified Laughter Leader of the World Laughter Tour, emphasizes the power of humor in difficult times, "Humor is a great tool to use in a crisis that helps us look at that situation in a positive way that will us deal with the crisis. Humor lightens one's burdens, inspires hopes, and keeps you grounded, focused and alert."

Leigh Anne Jasheway, M.P.H. and comedian, says that you don't want to encourage pranks or have everyone at work turn into the court jester, but recommends these methods for using laughter at work:

·        Include humorous quotes in communications.

·        Use improv games as icebreakers and stress busters.

·        Organize group activities outside of work that include community service and fun.

It’s worth the effort to foster the work/fun fusion.  Now there is scientific research that proves it is. A little laughter at work is just what people need in this time of change and challenge. If laughter is also proven to make us happier, more effective workers, then bring on the whoopee cushion!

On the other hand...

 

 

 

 

 

To your greater levity and merriment!

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step...
Interested in learning how to develop your organization's leadership capability, culture, and employee engagement ? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please 

contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, energy storage, facility services & maintenance, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.