When Humor at Work Is an Appropriate Thing

Too often, you may think that work has to be all professional and reserved. Clients may not take you seriously, or so you think. Humor has its place, you tell yourself, and that place is after business hours.

But you’ve forgotten about the saying: “Laugh and the world laughs with you.” As small business owners, we consider humor at work to be life-saving. A balance of humor and seriousness is the key to success. We often choose to laugh instead of cry when the going gets rough.

For entrepreneurs and business people in general, humor at work breaks the spell of seriousness. It refuses to allow you to take yourself too sternly. If you’re not having fun, if you’re not at least enjoying your work, then it’s time to leave and find a career path that does delight you. Life is much too short to spend eight, 10 or 12 hours a day in misery!

Well-Documented Laugh Tracks

Famous — and successful — leaders throughout time have extolled the virtues of humor at work:

• “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower
• “A good laugh makes any interview, or any conversation, so much better.” — Barbara Walters
• “It is a curious fact that people are never so trivial as when they take themselves seriously.” — Oscar Wilde
• “No mind is thoroughly well organized that is deficient in a sense of humor.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• “Next to power without honor, the most dangerous thing in the world is power without humor.” — Eric Sevareid

Unfortunately, in an age that’s super-charged with political correctness, being funny, cracking jokes or letting your wit shine can be a tricky proposition. You don’t want to offend, but real humor very often does just that — at least in the eyes of serious, overly-sensitive clients and co-workers.

Why Humor at Work Works

The culture of your workplace and your business overall plays a key role in the amount and kind of humor at work that feels comfortable. As an owner, you obviously set the tone for the company, so be careful if you catch yourself getting too serious as your business grows, when you make more hires and as your client base diversifies.

Instead, laugh every day. You and everyone around you will be grateful you keep it light. There really are some good foundational aspects to this whole funny business side of work too. Consider that your sense of humor may actually go even further by:

• Relieving stress. Nothing busts up stress like a good belly laugh.
• Boosting creativity. When you’re relaxed, your creative juices flow more easily.
• Building goodwill. People do business with people they like. And if you can make them laugh or even smile, you have a much better chance of making friends.
• Creating a positive atmosphere. There’s less tension in an environment where people don’t have to constantly worry about busting out with a joke.
• Being unique. While your competitors may be burrowing down in serious number-crunching, you and your team are laughing all the way to the bank.

Oh No You Didn’t

It’s tempting to begin taking yourself too seriously as your bank account fattens. Instead, maintain your sense of humor at work so you don’t turn into old Mr. Potter, guarding his money and alienating the entire town of Bedford Falls. Let co-workers and employees see your funny side. Take your clients and staff by surprise every once in a while by busting loose on your own foibles and laughing at yourself.

People trust others who can laugh at themselves. They don’t worry as much about making a mistake, which in turn boosts morale better than any pizza party can. And if you aren’t sure whether to try to bring a little more humor to work today, remember: indecision is the key to flexibility.

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