The Hump Day Humor-Gram, October 4, 2006 Issue Number 190
1. Just Thought I’d Ask . . . 
2. Mike’s Fun at Work Tip 
3. Quote of the Week 
4. It’s a Wacky, Wacky World 
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1.  Just Thought I’d Ask . . .

Inspiring workplaces encourage questions. Lots of questions. 
Asking employees (and clients) questions on a regular 
basis can demonstrate empathy, show appreciate 
for people’s input, fuel creative ideas, and foster
a more open workplace environment. Here are some questions 
that your team should ask on a regular basis: 

	Are we having fun yet? What will make work more fun? 
	What are we REALLY in the business of doing? 
	What would help create a more inspiring workplace? 
	What are your biggest workplace pet peeves?
	What should we start doing that we’re not doing? 

Inspiring teams ask questions such as these ALL the time. 
Focusing on positive, open-ended questions has also 
been shown in studies to be far more effective than always 
being in “problem-solving” mode. Problem solving takes
energy away from discussions about new possibilities and 
opportunities, and also tends to reinforce negative thought 
modes. So if you want to have more fun at work, start 
asking more questions. (Oh, and it helps if people actually 
listen to the answers. Just a thought.)   
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2. Mike's Fun at Work Tip 

For a fun ice breaker at your staff meetings or retreats, 
try bringing along a “question hat,” filled with a mix of 
personal and work-related questions that participants must
pull out of the hat and answer. Or, to help people mentally
floss and lighten up before a meeting, ask the same offbeat 
question of all the participants to open each meeting: 
“What song is stuck in your head today?” or “What
animal best represents our team?” Create a different 
question to open each one of your meetings. 
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3. 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.” 
Egyptian Nobel prize winner Naguib Mahfouz 
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4. It's a Wacky, Wacky World: Here’s Something to Question 

International Standards Day is fast approaching. It’s
held October 6th in the United States, October 14th in Canada
and October 16th in Europe. Hmmmm. Ironic isn’t it? 
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Copyright Michael Kerr, 2006  mailto:mike@mikekerr.com     
Reach Michael at 1-866-609-2640, http://www.MikeKerr.com.