The Hump Day Humor-Gram
Humor Me for Better Workplace Relationships
Humor Me
A study by State University of New York involving drinking straws,
made-up languages and learning new dance steps resulted in findings
that yet again reveal the importance of bringing more humor into
our workplaces.
Break This Summer BEFORE You Break!
Breaking Up is Sometimes Too Easy to Do, So Take a Break!
We interrupt our usual format at Humor at Work because it’s time
for our annual summer break. Now a recent survey I came upon
suggests fewer people are taking their vacations than ever before,
Is a Noisy Workplace Adding to Your Stress?
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
A Globe and Mail newspaper survey found the following workplace noises the most irksome: loud talking (47%); cell phones (16%); co-workers listening to music/playing games (12%); speaker phones(10%). (The noise issue links to a curious trend in Japan where young people are buying “therapeutic ring tones”
for their cell phones, which promise to ease a host of stressors, including hangovers!) Adding to the stress, a recent study found that listening to half a phone conversation is more distracting than overhearing a two-way conversation because our brains get distracted by the missing half of the conversation.
So on the noise front consider a few noise-friendly options:
- Change your ringtone to a more calm or fun ringtone
- Use headphones (especially when listening to Barry Manilow)
- Create a noise-free, tech-free day/half-day/hour at work
- Create a noise-free zone where people who want to read, focus, relax or think can hang out in peace
- Be aware of your own decibel level, something people in airport lounges talking on cell phones seem completely UNAWARE OF!
- Put up fun signs reminding people to be considerate, because it’s not always just what you say, or how you say it, but HOW LOUD you say it!
I’m not suggesting you suck the energy out the place, or turn your workplace into a morgue or library full of shushing police, but we do need to be careful we’re not inadvertently adding to each other’s stress in an increasingly noisy world.
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Mike’s Fun at Work Tip
If you want to combine some wacky fun with some health and wellness benefits tossed in on the side, then hold a hula hoop contest with your team. The longest-lasting hula hooper wins a prize. Guaranteed laughs and as an added bonus it’s a great way to practice the moves required to perfect the “fun dance!”
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Quote of the Week
“Two things reduce prejudice: education and laughter.”
Laurence J. Peter
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It’s a Wacky World
It’s official “Donald Duck Day,” which just quacks me up!
Ask Inspiring Questions to Create Inspiring Workplaces
Before they implement a new idea or change in policy, Atlanta
Refrigeration Service asks the following questions:
- Is it right for our customers?
- Is it right for our employees?
- Is it right for our community?
- Is it right for the environment?
- Is it what we want to be known and remembered for?
- Does it reflect our values?
- Is it the right thing to do?
What a great idea, for so many reasons! And what a good segue to
let you know about a new Humor at Work e-book for you: “Inspiring
Questions for Inspiring Workplaces,” 365 inspiring workplace
questions in nine different categories. Purchase and download it
immediately at: http://tinyurl.com/2vl4hdx
Don’t wait for the movie!
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Mike’s Fun at Work Tip
Set aside time every meeting for a thought-provoking or fun
question of the meeting, drawn from a hat or jar (or e-book) full
of interesting questions. You don’t need a lot of time, you can
always do a speed round of 5 or 10 minutes with everyone giving
their top of mind responses. Or if you have time, delve deeper
and see what ideas people can come up with. This is a great way
to generate discussion, spark creative thinking and curiosity,
break down barriers, engage people and get everyone to consider
different aspects and issues around workplace success and culture.
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Quote of the Week
“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can
tell whether he is wise by his questions.” Nobel prize winner
Naguib Mahfouz
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It’s a Wacky World
Here are a few tourist questions I collected in a humor file,
and featured in my book “When Do You let the Animals Out?”:
- Do the hotels allow you to stay overnight?
- Am I lost? How far do I have to go before I’m lost?
- How much time does the 3-hour hike take?
- How many undiscovered lakes do you have around here?
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Copyright Michael Kerr, 2010 www.humoratwork.com
Humor at Work: Workplace Spirit Boosted by Humor in the Workplace
Humor at Work, May 26, 2010 Issue 353 ==================================================================
How’s Your Spirit Working for You?
One of the definitions of spirit is “the enthusiasm and loyalty
somebody feels through belonging to a group.” Now spirit may seem
like a trite or cliché term to talk about workplace culture, yet
many of the most successful organizations in the world would rank
high on a “spirit scale.”
Southwest Airlines, one of the most successful airlines in the
world, uses the phrase “Southwest Spirit” to embody three principle
workplace values:
- Work can be fun, it can be play – so enjoy it!
- Work is important – do not spoil it with seriousness.
- People are important – each one makes a difference.
SWA uses “Southwest Spirit” as a shorthand reminder and a guiding
light as to how people should behave at work.
So how would you rank the level of spirit in your workplace? How
would you summarize or define the spirit that lives in your
workplace?
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Mike’s Fun at Work Tip
Try out this fun idea that one workplace does every week: “Third
Person Thursdays”, wherein everyone speaks about themselves in the
third person all day. (So if you were fortunate enough to have me
as one of your colleagues, I would say, “Wow, Mike is looking forward
to lunch today.) Or you can try it as a theme for one of your
regular workplace meetings. (Caution: I probably wouldn’t do this
with your clients unless you know them really, really well.)
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Quote of the Week
“The first law of humor is that things can be funny only when we
are in fun.” Max Eastman
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It’s a Wacky World
A couple of upcoming days you should be aware of: this Sunday is
“Hug Your Cat” day. And next Tuesday is “Say Something Nice Day.”
Of course, you could combine the two and say something nice to your
cat while you hug it. And, although I don’t want to overburden you,
you could always start saying something nice today and get a
jump on the crowd.
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Copyright Michael Kerr, 2010 www.humoratwork.com
Humor at Work: Job Swaps and Rules Diet
Job Swap to Spark Creative Thinking
Creativity feeds off of making random associations and changing perspectives, which is one reason why the company Bonasource Inc. has each employee spend one week per quarter in a department totally unrelated to their own department. The mini sabbaticals help people stay fresh and keep motivated, and results in a big payoff in new ideas and enhanced creativity. Job swaps like this also help to break down silos, encourage a greater sense of team unity and facilitate better communication between departments. If you can’t handle once a quarter, try it on for size once every 6 months, or at least once a year. =====================================================================
Mike’s Fun at Work Tip: Go on a Rule Diet
Let’s face it, too many rules and too much bureaucracy can suck the
fun out of any workplace. (That’s why I love Google’s dress code:
“You must wear clothes.”) So go on a rule diet in your workplace.
Challenge your assumptions about the need for some of your rules.
Slay sacred cows. And make it fun by playing up the notion of a
diet, complete with a “weigh-in” before hand or before and after
posters. And don’t forget your customers. Identify unnecessary
rules that may be getting in the way of your customers fun! And
if you are unsure if you can live without a certain rule, then
try fasting for a month or two to see what the impact is.
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Quote of the Week
“I believe in laughter. I think it is food for the soul.” Tommy Lasorda ====================================================================
It’s a Wacky World
North Korea’s “It’s So Funny” is one of the longest-running TV comedy
shows in the world, despite the fact that the show has very little,
well, um, humor. Laughing at the show is, evidently, optional,
unless soldiers in the audience are ordered to laugh at the funny
parts. Reminds me of the old line, “The beatings will stop once morale
has improved!”
Stress Awareness: Speaking of Stress at Work
Speaking of Stress
April is Stress Awareness Month. So how aware are you of the level
of stress for the rest of the members on your team? People often
tend to bottle everything up inside until the cork blows (and
not in a fun, champagne celebration kind of way).Take the time
to sit down with your team and ask a few simple questions:
- What is everyone’s level of stress these days?
- What are people doing to cope with their stress?
- What can the rest of the team do to help?
Do this on a regular basis so that people don’t feel like they’re
alone, and so that the entire team can generate ideas for reducing
or managing stress at work. Just even talking about your stress is
a simple and proven way to lower your stress level, and by sharing
you can not only come up with some great ideas, you can also identify some
stress-busting habits that may inadvertently be causing MORE stress at work!
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Mike’s Fun at Work Tip
Create a superhero nickname for everyone on your team. (I’m sticking
with “The Workplace Energizer”, but you have to picture me in tights,
a red cape, and a big lightning bolt on my chest.) Award a prize to
the person who comes up with the most creative or fitting moniker.
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Quote of the Week
“Once we realize that the boundaries between work and play are artificial, we can take
matters in hand and begin the difficult task of making life more livable.” Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi
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It’s a Wacky World
Here are some rather innovative excuses employees gave for not making
it into work, courtesy of a manger survey at CareerBuilder.com:
- My Mom said I was not allowed to go into work today
- I got sunburned on a nude beach and can’t wear clothes
- I’m just not into it today
Humor in Talks: Choose Substance Over Style
Choosing Substance Over Style
We’ve all been to presentations at meetings where it seemed the presenter was more concerned about style over substance. As Yale professor Edward tuft noted, “It seems the fancier the presentation, the less the content.” We need to keep in mind that whether it comes to using PowerPoint, humor, or telling a story – what matters first is the strength of the ideas being presented. Using humor or technology is simply the means of delivering those ideas. So it isn’t a choice between humor and content, but rather a choice for delivering your ideas with some humor. Focusing on the style of the pitch rather than the ideas can also lead to less open and real dialogue about the merits of an idea. When people deliver their talk with too much reliance on PowerPoint, for example, idea pitches often result in the speaker dominating a meeting, with little opportunity for real debate. If you want more energizing, inspiring and creative meetings focus on substance over format and style. Don’t be afraid to be a little messy. Use PowerPoint sparingly. Use thought-provoking questions to drive the discussion. And use humor to keep the meeting loose and create a psychologically safe space for people to truly participate in a real conversation focused on ideas. =====================================================================
Mike’s Fun at Work Tip
Here’s a simple idea: “Fishbowl Fridays.” Draw an employee’s business card from a fishbowl each Friday morning for the chance to either win a small prize OR to get released from your own fishbowl an hour early. (Or, heck, give them an actual fish!)
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Quote of the Week
“What I want to do is to make people laugh so that they’ll take things seriously.” William K. Zinsser
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It’s a Wacky, Wacky World
Winners of this year’s oddest book title contest include:
“Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes,” “What Kind of Bean
Is the Chihuahua?”, and “Afterthoughts of a Worm Hunter.” I can’t
wait until these are made into movies!
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Copyright Michael Kerr, 2010 www.humoratwork.com
April Fool’s Day at Work
A Fool’s Paradise?
Thanks for responding to our “Fool’s” survey. Some of the results:
- 50% said pranks are NOT encouraged in their workplace
- 47% are planning a joke this year at work
Motivate Employees by Turning Work Into Play
Turn Work to Play, Not Play to Work
According to Daniel Pink, author of “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” we need to be careful that we aren’t unintentionally de-motivating people by overly emphasizing extrinsic motivators such as cash bonuses. Study after study has found that when highly creative tasks become monetized, people’s intrinsic motivators fell, and quality often dropped. External rewards were turning tasks that people enjoyed inherently for the pure joy of doing them into a chore! Once money entered the equation, what had felt like play, started to feel like work. Pink suggests that external rewards such as cash bonuses or prizes are great motivators when it’s a non-creative, boring task, but may actually de-motivate people working on highly creative projects by turning play into drudgery. Isn’t this, though, the key to so much at work? Stifling policies, over burdensome processes and office politics too often turn what should be inherently fun meaningful work into a dreaded chore. Instead, we need to continually ask ourselves how we can make work feel like play? After all, when was the last time you needed to feel “motivated” to go and play?