Many of today’s work environments are plagued with grumpy bosses and co-workers, repetitive tasks, and unpredictable market pressures. Stress abounds. Managers often tell me that they cannot afford the time or cost of my humor workshops; How can you afford not to address stress in the workplace?
Clinically we know that laughter and play have medicinal qualities, also offering physical, psychological and physiological benefits. In the workplace, humor and fun can increase productivity, foster creativity, enhance team building, and thus enhance esprit de corps.
While we may not be able to control everything that happens to us in our jobs and work environments, we do have control over how we choose to react. I teach others to create a safe and friendly environment, and I use humor to help maintain a healthy balance between pressure and seriousness that come from high-risk jobs and a competitive market. Remember that humor starts from the inside. Being able to laugh at your own infidels goes a long way toward creating a healthy work environment in which to thrive.
The following are activities and strategies for you as individuals, workgroups, and managers. Get creative and use these ideas to stimulate your own work-stress remedies.
– Adorn your workspace with funny cartoons, headlines or photos that will make your coworkers and visitors smile. Whether you’re surrounded by your childhood favorite Pez dispensers, or tongue-in-cheek cartoons to suit your tastes, let your workspace comfort and entertain you while taking some of the edge off standard office decor.
– Tap a coworker to be your humor partner. Bring a daily joke to share. Sympathize with fun events in the workplace. Keep encouraging each other in good spirits. When things are down, your mood partner can undermine your depression and vice versa.
– Don’t think cubicles limit your options for humor. I’ve seen shower curtains, umbrellas, and other devices used effectively to set a light or semi-serious tone. For some, creativity flourishes behind their cubicle shower curtain. People manipulating your work area? Don’t be mad, protect it with yellow “Crime Scene” tape!
– Subscribe to a humor website to receive a daily or weekly anecdote, joke and humor story by email. Sites like http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/ or [http://www.oraclehumor.com/] are two examples.
You are laughing at me? A manager, known for his bad temper, recognized him with a “Mood-O-Meter” outside his door. He and his employees took turns forecasting his mood – from fiery breath to variable clouds to periodic eruptions, proceed at your own risk. Don’t underestimate the power of modest humor to make you more approachable and loved.
Room for laughter. Some companies designate a room, a work area, or a corner of their office as a rompers room, where they are allowed to frolic and goof around. Whether yours has a punching bag, games, a dart board, or a table football, it’s a room to blow off steam and take a break from the routine.
Don’t whine. Everybody hates crybabies, but we all need to vent periodically. A group of creative trainers and their manager decreed that Thursdays were effective whining days. They checked themselves the rest of the week, making sure not to complain. However, even his Thursday complaints had a departmental sanction and somehow seemed healthier. After all, their tummies hurt together. A domino effect actually boosted the morale of the departments adjacent to yours!
Encounter with humor. Many professionals approach meetings with fear. A dash of humor can make a difference. For regular meetings, allot a minute or two to each meeting for a fun interlude. In a workgroup, a “hand of humor” rotates from meeting to meeting. Employees take turns bringing a lighter tone to the meeting, making sure everyone is engaged. An anecdote, verbal or physical activity focuses the group on the task at hand and brings colleagues together in a spirit of fun.
When not to use humor. Not all humor is good humor. Humor that hurts, excludes, or is cruel will have a detrimental effect on others and on you. Strive for humor that is inclusive, creative, and captures our human essence. By now you know that sexist, racist, anti-aging jokes and crude humor are not only inappropriate, but can lead to sanctions, firings, or even lawsuits. Be sensitive when telling jokes involving layoffs, downsizing (RIF), and personal tragedies. Your pain can last a long time after the fact. . When in doubt, leave it out!
The right humor can make difficult tasks easier, make collaborations fun, and certainly make work days faster. Laugh and the world of work laughs with you!
