The Hump Day Humor-Gram, February 28, 2007     Issue Number 207
 
Please feel free to pass this along, forward it to your
mother-in-law, staple it to your boss’s forehead or 
translate it into Swahili . . . 

1. Use Humour as a Message Softener 
2. Mike’s Fun at Work Tip   
3. Deep Thought of the Week
4. It’s a Wacky, Wacky World 
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1. Use Humor as a Message Softener 

When asked what he thought of Western civilization, Gandhi
famously responded, “I think it would be a good idea.” This
funny, elegant and insightful response demonstrates how humor
can so often be a tool to deliver a more serious thought or
message. Humor, as long as it’s not bitingly sarcastic, can
help people disagree with each other without being disagreeable. 
It’s the old sugar-with-the-cough-syrup trick that can help make 
difficult news harder to swallow. And rather than sounding pushy 
or authoritarian, humor can help you deliver requests in a way
that makes people more likely to comply with what is being
asked of them. A great example is the following sign which is  
popping up more and more in businesses: “Unattended children
will be given a free espresso and a puppy.”  
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2. Mike's Fun at Work Tip 

At BMC Software, employees get their cars washed twice a month 
while they are parked in the office parking lot as a fun reward.
When you pull your vehicle into Jasper Park Lodge, an employee
of the lodge immediately starts washing the front windshield. 
So I guess today’s fun at work tip is wash people’s cars. 
(It’s not the most profound advice I’ve given, but hey, I’m a 
little sleepy this week.) Wash your customers’ cars or their 
car windows once or twice a month on a sunny Friday afternoon. 
Wash your employees’ cars, or another team’s cars, as a way to 
say thanks, or hold a team fundraising carwash to raise money 
for a local charity. 
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3. Deep Thought of the Week

“According to statistics one third of all workplace accidents
go unreported. But . . .how on earth do they know?” Jimmy Carr 
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4. It's a Wacky, Wacky, World  

Ever think your workplace dress code is a bit odd? Well, it could 
always be odder. An owner of a Romanian bakery asked all his 
employees to shave their heads so they “better resemble the bread
they bake.” (Good thing he doesn’t manage a veterinarian clinic.)  

Happy Hump Day! As always, may the farce be with you. 
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Copyright Michael Kerr, 2007  mailto:mike@mikekerr.com     
Reach Michael at 1-866-609-2640, http://www.MikeKerr.com.