In the war of wits, take time for a laughing skit!

“Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lip is a sign that the person deep down has a pretty good grasp of life”

 - Hugh Sidey

With business dynamics constantly changing in an VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environment, the need for a stable people capability is even more enhanced in today’s world. Globalization, technology disruptions and changing nature of the workforce are factors defining the new rules of the game – what organizations are looking at creating are long term leaders with the capability to juggle various roles with utmost effectiveness and efficiency. Performance pressures coupled with high standards of personal aspirations has created a cut-throat environment where no-nonsense business attitude and professional approach are the key to unlock long term success. But the question still remains – we are all human, is this “unlocked” trigger for success sustainable in the long term? With societal norms and social structures changing, ensuring a “balanced approach is critical to creating a healthy social system in the workplace. Here is where the “softer” aspects of balance, creativity, managing work-life and humour come into the picture in snatching a light moment from the inner sanctums of the human brain and creating a relatable comfort zone.

Humour and Culture

And yet the very idea of introducing humour at the workplace elicits the strangest of responses. Different expressions with jaw-dropping connotations spring up the moment a “humourous intervention” is discussed – “Make Work more fun?”, “Lighten our job?”, “Forego seriousness in the workplace?”, “But surely that is not possible at work?” And so on and so forth. In fact these responses are customized basis the culture – a direct outcome of whether the organization promotes innovation, openness and the willingness to “be yourself” , Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and president of the organization “Humour at Work” has highlighted the strong correlation between the application of humour and open culture. In fact, the cultural ethos has such a powerful influence on the individual that even people who aren’t always comfortable sharing humour tend to do so in more relaxed environments where the use of humour is imbibed as an integral way of life.

The What and Why of Humour at the workplace

Culture is like the invisible fuel to building the apt leadership capabilities to steer the organization through choppy uncertain waters in the right direction. While connect , creativity, change management, communication, cohesion and conflict management are key leadership traits that serve as bolts in building this leadership ship, the fact remains that humour, when used in the right way , enhances these capabilities across levels in the organization. Two types of humour are particularly useful in formulating this “glue” that binds the organization together. Affiliative humours is the interpersonal humour, commonly used to bring people closer. Comments and information discussions fall under this category, the catalyst to developing this culture being the “talk your mind” open attitude. Another kind of humour is more individual-forward – Self enhancing humour. This is the kind of humour that individuals adopt and reiterate to themselves to cope with situations in a positive manner. It is a form of mind-conditioning that helps direct focus, relieve stress and divert the mind to more productive directions.  Both of these when used through appropriate messaging can help open up windows to the true pulse of the organization, thereby serving as a window to the inherent leadership traits and the needs. For example, affiliative humours is used by managers in organizations where power distance is to be minimized, thereby an informal interaction is initiated that helps employees to open up in a more direct manner, fostering communication and collaboration. Not to mention that Self enhancing humour increases employee morale and motivation by acting as an energizer for the mind, body and soul. After all, who does not enjoy a genuine laugh from time to time? 

Laughter is the best medicine

A cliché of yesteryears, and yet it stands ever the more true today. With people juggling various roles and activities, employee wellness is a key concern, an essential that goes hand in hand for employee productivity. Humour has been medically proved to release the relaxing chemical serotonin in the human brain – a driver to enable focus and attention span. In fact laughing 100 times can burn as many calories as 10-minutes on a stationary bicycle! So here is your route to a healthy and productive you, just a short laugh away!

Take it with a Pinch of Salt

Humour is a tenet that manifests itself as deeply ingrained in the culture. A sensitivity check is necessary to ensure the incorporate of humour at the workplace does not affect the sensitivities of the people. A thin line exists between humour and harassment – with increased globalisation and boundary less working, cross cultural differences are a way of life for the knowledge worker of today. What may be apt in one culture, may be outright demeaning in another context.

How can we institutionalize humour at work?

Happiness is not something ready made, it comes from your own actions. – Wise words by the great Dalai Lama that can be applied to both individual and corporation. And so how do we “Act” to institutionalize humour to enable happy and productive people at the workplace? Andrew Tarvin, humour engineer and founder of Humour that Works, has worked with more than 100 organizations coach and train them on incorporating humour. The core essence of engaging in humour at work is that it should be modelled by top management – Walk the Talk spreads a culture of trust that humour shall be understood and appreciated. This partnered with firm execution such as incorporating fun at the workplace, open communication to propagate the relevant values and encouraging and coaching managers to adopt the language of humour in interactions. Using humour to boost happiness and effectiveness is but a gradual yet conscious change –openness and trust being unabashed accomplices on the path to success.

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