Humour is Attractive But So Distracting!

Author: Selina Frederick View other articles by this author here.

"Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available." -Jim Beggs
Humour is very attractive!
All of us prefer to work with a pleasant, fun person. In fact, we are all attracted to those who have a sense of humour and use positive humour in their lives.
A positive sense of humour in the workplace guarantees better productivity, job satisfaction, morale, creativity, and teamwork. It also helps to reduce stress and therefore reduce absenteeism.
Humour works by distracting us from those negative things that are causing us both physical and emotional harm. Staying in a good frame of mind, and nurturing a good sense of humour, makes us less likely to get sick and heal faster, if we do end up with an illness.
Injecting a bit of humour is like pushing the reset button. It allows us to take a step back and look at the situation in a more realistic and rational way.
When we take things too seriously, the small things in life grow into imaginary mountains of anxiety and we get sick, become bitter, give-up hope, or burn out.
"Laughter is an instant vacation from everything that troubles us." -Milton Berle

Why should you incorporate humour into the workplace?

Author: Selina Frederick View other articles by this author here.

For an answer to that question, read this sign which appeared in an Optometrist's Office: “If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place.”
How about this sign, which appeared at a passport office: "If you feel as bad as you look in your passport picture, you are too sick to travel." Common sense tells us why humour should be part of your workplace. Humour is good. Work stress can be bad. Humour makes stress seem not so bad. There are also lots of studies, which support the need for humour in the workplace. Dr. William Fry, from Stanford University, found that 20 seconds of intense laughter, even if it is faked, can double the heart rate for three to five minutes. It would take three minutes of strenuous rowing to do the same thing. I don't know about you but I would pick the laughter over the rowing any time. Dr. David J Abramis, a psychologist at the California State University's School of Business Administration, in Long Beach, studied 341 workers and found that those, who had the most fun at their jobs, were likely to be the most productive. Humour distracts us from the stresses in our day. Injecting a bit of humour is like pushing the reset button. It's like stepping back to catch your breath ---- only you follow through with a good guffaw. Think of the times when you had fun at work. Was humour not present? When humour is sucked out of a situation, out goes the fun. Are you really surprised when you read that healthy people tend to be more productive? Laughter contributes greatly to mental and physical health. Laughter improves circulation, stabilizes blood pressure, and changes the body's chemistry. Encouraging humour in the workplace creates a fun atmosphere. It relaxes mental tension and, ultimately, allows employees to focus more intently on their work. How can I effectively incorporate humour into my workplace?
Using humour does not mean you have to be a stand-up comedian. It doesn't mean you have to have people laughing all day or be telling jokes every time you see them. Many people fear using humour in the workplace because they are afraid of encouraging a lazy attitude or a lack of focus on important work. They think it will take away from the productivity, if the workplace is fun. But, worry no longer. It is possible to create an enjoyable place to work without losing credibility. Just remember that humour is like seasoning. If you put too much in your soup, you can’t swallow it. Just a sprinkle and it is delicious. As a manager or leader, you have influence over your work environment. If you are responsible for hiring new staff, ask candidates if they like to have fun. Ask them how they might use humour on the job. Look for positive attitudes in potential employees. Successful companies hire people for attitude and then, teach them the skills.As a manager, you can also add humour to meetings, presentations, newsletters, emails, and bulletin boards. The more fun you add, the more your staff will want to be there. Here are some simple ways to add humour to your workplace: • Use a light, playful tone when writing memos. Your memos may be the only ones that get read all the way through! • A little self-deprecating humour can do wonders. Say, "I don’t make stupid mistakes. Only really, really clever ones.” Don’t say, "Oops". Say, "Hmm... now, that is interesting.” • Keep a file of the funny things you find. Then, if you need something humorous for a presentation or meeting, you have a ready resource file. • During the next staff meeting, stand up and say, "I have forgotten to bring my lunch today and I want a standing ovation." • Page yourself over the intercom. Don’t disguise your voice • Designate a bulletin board as the humour board and post it in an area where employees gather. Encourage people to submit cartoons, jokes, and other funny items for consideration for posting. • On a piece of toilet paper, write a list of all the people who have angered you. At the end of the week, flush it down the toilet. To end, I want to share my favourite humour tool for the workplace --- a red clown nose. I have often put it on during a tense situation. The ensuing laughter relieves the tension and offers a break in the stress. Rather than losing focus, we regain it. Often times, great creativity and problem-solving flows out of the laughter.

Humouris Communication Made Easy!

Author: Selina Frederick View other articles by this author here.
"The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished." -George Bernard Shaw
Good communication is often complicated by the fact that we are stressed and overloaded. We often have to compete for attention and interest.
Good communication is all about "Getting Their Attention" and "Making a Connection". There is no better tool than humour to achieve this.
Get Their Attention
Teachers, managers, supervisors, and leaders, can expect barriers to exist between them and those with whom they are trying to communicate. Humour breaks barriers to acceptance. It overcomes objections. It creates a positive emotional disposition towards both the message and the messenger.
Humour relaxes listeners and helps open their minds to the possibilities being expressed. This state of relaxed alertness is the most effective environment for communication and learning.
Humour is an effective tool for easing into sensitive or awkward topics. Used appropriately it can be usedful for "testing the waters" before delivering bad news or dicussing topics that might cause anger or frustration. Humour can be used to get a negative message across in an inoffensive way.
Make a Connection
Connecting with people is all about being able to "sell" your thoughts and ideas and have "buy in". This is especially important if our goal is to motivate people into action.
Humour triggers memory and facilitates the retention of subject matter. When something is funny, we tend to repeat it both verbally and through our actions. We do this to recall the good feelings generated by the laughter within ourselves and with others.
Research into sales techniques has shown that a buyer was willing to pay a higher price when the seller used jokes and verbal humour.
Humour is motivational. When we laugh, we feel physically better and emotionally stimulated. This creates enthusiasm for the subject.
"The shortest distance between two people is through humour." -Victor Borge

Positive Humour vs Negative Humour

Author: Selina FrederickView other articles by this author here.

Humour has the power to build up or tear down; to harm or to heal. It is essential that we use this power responsibly.
Negative humour clashes with the needs and self-esteem of others, causing personal injury.
It is positive humour that we want to incorporate into our daily lives. To do this, we must be careful when poking fun at something that cannot be changed. By ensuring that our humour is about situations rather than people, we can realize and share humour's many healing benefits.
The myth that laughing is disrespectful, was created and is fed by the misuse of humour.
"Humour is like salt. If you put too much in your soup, you can't swallow it." -Selina Frederick

The Many Benefits of Humour

Author: Selina FrederickView other articles by this author here.
Over the last ten years, we have witnessed a change in attitudes towards humour. It was not too long ago when humour was considered "not appropriate" or "silly nonsense". Today humour has become a topic that is studied and welcomed throughout society. Many professions and organizatons have come to appreciate and acknowledge the power of humour and its benefits.
Humour is one of the most powerful tools to heal, create rapport, reduce tension, build bonds, persuade others, deflect criticism, remove barriers, reduce burnout, bolster trust, boost morale, elevate self-esteem, create motivation, manage conflict, sustain positive attitudes, reduce stress, stimulate creativity, and trigger memory.
The exciting thing is the list of benefits grow almost daily as we continue to research and study this topic!