Humor has always been my thing, and it’s right for business too.
Using humor as a leader isn’t necessarily about being funny, but rather about making the work more fun.
You may have heard about the study years ago that babies & kids laugh 400 times a day and adults only 15. Only 15!!
Humor can diffuse so many tense situations when used appropriately.
The pandemic has allowed us to be so much more human at work. How many people played zoom bingo in the last year (officially or unofficially)?
Example: Recently I was in a zoom call/board meeting for one of my clients. In the middle of the meeting, my 14 year old comes waltzing into my office, in camera frame, in just a towel asking if his laundry is done. At this point, everyone was unfazed but I said well at least he showered!
Humor has always been my thing. I can easily lighten a situation with an appropriate one-liner. I've used it in social situations, medical situations and yes, professional situations.
So humor in your everyday life can be pretty easy. But what about humor in a professional setting? Is it acceptable? Is it appropriate?
Humor combats stress, relaxes muscles, decreases blood pressure, and improves your immune system. Laughing can help you brainstorm! It releases serotonin, which improves focus, objectivity and overall brain power.
Humor builds relationships. Humor has been shown to build group cohesiveness, reduce status differentials, diffuse conflict, and aid in team and trust building among groups. Humor strengthens relationships. Using humor as a leader isn’t necessarily about being funny, but rather about making the work more fun.
Humor boosts creativity. And before the accountants in the room say well that doesn't apply to me, think again. Creativity is not manipulating numbers. It's creating the story that the numbers tell - which is an art in itself.
And guess what? People who can laugh at themselves will make less mistakes and will recover from them quicker.
I usually end with a quote but in this case, I'm going to end with a dad joke: What did the ocean say to the beach? Nothing, it just waved."
Follow this link to my podcast, Thriving in the Chaos with Dorothy Kolb (or wherever you get your podcasts), for more personal journey humor moments.
