|
Did you know that
the average preschooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day? That
number drops to 15 by the time people are 35 yrs. old. Isn’t it
amazing what stress and too much responsibility can do? So who
says that work always has to be serious? Work environments where
humor is encouraged, tend to be happier, less stressed and more
productive. Incorporating humor into our jobs increases feelings
of solidarity and cohesion amongst co-workers and provides a
non-threatening medium through which an employee or employer can
communicate with others. This is the type of environment most
people prefer to work in.
Humor in the workplace helps us think. "Taking time out to laugh
can help us to get rid of negative feelings and allow us to
better concentrate on what we are doing," says noted
psychologist Dr. Ashton Trice of Mary Baldwin College in
Virginia. It allows the time and space to put things in
perspective; not personalize a situation. When we are feeling
good about ourselves and the environment in which we work, our
work flows smoother, production improves, generally creating an
increase in income for the company.
Appropriate humor in the workplace is a welcome and tasteful
surprise. It is about seeing the humor in everyday situations
and having the confidence to laugh at your self. When you tell a
story poking fun at your self, it portrays you as more human.
Your life experiences are probably not unique. This provides
comic relief and invites people to be comfortable and see the
humor of their own life situations. We have all laughed at
comedians and generally they are commenting on daily life.
However it is important to remember that humor should not be
offensive or disrespectful to the average person.
Humor in the workplace is a stress reducer. Studies have shown
that humor activates our physiological systems, including the
muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular and skeletal. It lowers
blood pressure and increases endorphins. This leads to a sense
of satisfaction and well being which reduces the possibility of
burnout. When we laugh, we feel physically better, lighter and
more relaxed. We have the same positive physiological experience
when we smile.
Humor partners with laughter to increase creativity and
productivity. This leads to thinking "outside the box,"
producing more and different products and services, leading to
greater profits. Everyone wants to work in a positive upbeat
environment. People get along better with co-workers,
absenteeism and tardiness is reduced and decision making
improves.
Fran worked at a company where staff frequently complained about
many things. Managers were critical of their team members and
negativity permeated the office. To counteract this, Fran and
several colleagues generated ideas to bring levity to the
workplace. This included the smile of the day, humorous cartoons
in the lunchroom and beginning every meeting with a joke. When
the atmosphere lightened, the negativity diminished and the
level of conflict among employees was reduced.
Incorporating humor in your workplace provides tremendous value
without costing a lot in terms of time and resources. Some
suggestions are:
* Exaggerate or understate.
* Poke fun at yourself.
* Tell stories, jokes and personal life stories.
* Use humor to break the ice (start a meeting or presentation).
* Clip cartoons from a newspaper or magazine and post on a
bulletin board.
* Participate in a laughter club (people who meet for no reason
except to laugh.)
Use laughter and humor in the workplace throughout the day.
Laughing with others is a great way to promote peace and fun in
the workplace. It takes 16 muscles to frown and only 3 muscles
to smile. Which would you prefer?
Copyright 2006, Gail
Solish. All rights reserved.
|
|
About Smart Woman Guides
Read the Smart Woman Manifesto and get to know Vicki Flaugher,
creator of Smart Woman Guides |
Smart
Woman Articles
Meet the writers,
share their stories, then share your story too... |
"Speak Out!" Blog
Speak out on topics
important to Smart Women...what you think matters. Be heard! |
Smart Woman
Store
Forresources to
enhance your life as a Smart Woman.
|
Need
more info? 