There are many reasons that we tend to tone down our humorous endeavours in the office, including:
Fear of offending someone
Fear of our jokes flopping
A wish to be taken more seriously
Reluctance to be the first to attempt humour
I'm sure you can add to this list….
The point is that we easily find excuses to keep the office free from all things light-hearted, when really that's what it could use most.
Well-placed, tasteful and appropriate humour at work can have a hugely positive impact on group productivity and morale, as well as - as many studies have suggested - give you an advantage over your co-workers (one study indicated that 91% of executives believed that a sense of humour was an important consideration for career advancement).
The ability to express tasteful humour at work also has various other benefits, including:
Stress Reduction
Humour is a wonderful stress management tool in that it enables you to view your stressors in a different light. Laughter itself also provides stress-reducing benefits on a physical level as you tend to relax when having a giggle.
Promotes Creative Thinking
Introducing a bit of humour into your thinking allows you to see things in new ways and play with your ideas, which helps to get your creative juices flowing.
People Like Working With You
If you are able to employ humour in a way that doesn't offend anyone, you'll find that people enjoy working with you more. For this very reason leaders should spend some time thinking about how to introduce more appropriate humour into the workplace with a view to raising productivity and creating more cohesive teams.
People Trust You More
When we venture to the more humorous side of life we tend to reveal a bit more about who we really are, which is all people really need to start trusting us more. Higher levels of trust lead to better teams and better results. Period.
You Appear More Approachable
We've all worked for that one boss. You know the one…. Door is always closed, you never know what mood they'll be in and as a result you do your best to avoid them. Humour, however, particularly from a leader, shows your human side and promotes communication, which as we all know is one of the keys to successful businesses.
It's like someone once told me: You can go a mile with a smile…
Staff Training is a soft skills training provider offering Stress and Time Management, Leadership Training and Communication Skills Training (full list of available courses). Contact us for more info and bookings.