Spice it up with some humour

“Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as job-hopping. I’ve never quit a job.” I stumbled upon this witty joke recently as I was flipping through the pages of a book on workplace humour.

I love mixing with witty and funny people, but am simply put off by those who are overly serious and hyper-sensitive and have no sense of humour.

Sad to say, many workplaces are devoid of humour as business owners and workers are too busy and uptight to see the funny side of life. An HR manager of a major corporation told me her colleagues are so stretched they can’t have fun anymore. Her assessment is that they’re probably afraid to cross the line for fear of being terminated, so they don’t want to do anything to stand out. “They just want to fly under the radar,” she explains. What she means is that people aren’t laughing and you don’t hear joking or fun within the cubicles.

Welcome to our increasingly staid workplaces where humour is fast being replaced with sharp sarcasm, anger, sadness, impatience and rudeness. For some strange reasons, people seem to be dead serious these days. It looks like tough economic times and the perpetual threat of layoffs in the name of corporate re-engineering and rightsizing are gnawing away at our collective funny bone. Maybe tough times on top of a growing culture of political correctness in our boring workplaces have stifled laughter.

Productivity suffers

Our seemingly sedate and humourless work environment with a strait-laced sense of propriety is bad for productivity, creativity and workers’ general well-being. It’s natural for people to tighten up during tough times, but they also need to lighten up sometimes to counter any form of bad news which seems to grow by the day.

A healthy, positive sense of humour at the right place and time is said to promote success at work. My observation is the amount or type of humour in any given workplace often depends on the corporate culture.

In workplaces that are less hierarchical and more innovative, people tend to be more open with their humour which will in turn encourage even those who aren’t always comfortable sharing their humour to do so. Eventually the use of humour becomes second nature to everyone in such a relaxed environment.

If humour is good for productivity, creativity and workers’ general well-being, why do some people hold back their sense of humour? I’ve noticed people tend to tone down their humour, often hoping to be taken more seriously. Yet, this can backfire as people who take themselves too seriously are often, ironically, taken less seriously by those around them.

Still there’re some people who are afraid to show their funny side for fear of offending others or that their jokes aren’t funny at all. Lack of time could also be another dampening factor for others. They simply don’t know how to bring humour into their busy work life, so they end up being too serious and rigid.

Employees are generally more comfortable showing their funny side to colleagues rather than to their bosses. The reason is obvious: you face a higher risk factor when joking around with your boss because you just don’t know how your sense of humour may be received.

Many managers, especially introverts, don’t know how to safely encourage the use of humour at work and are unsure how to express it in their own management style. Whatever your reasons, you may want to work on injecting more humour into your workday, and trust me, things will surely look up for you.

The old saying “everybody loves a comedian” has regretfully created a society where everybody thinks he or she is a comedian. Just in case you’re not aware, this often-quoted line has a sarcastic twist to it – not everybody is a good comedian.

Not all humour is good 

We all love good humour, but not all humour is good. Humour – to be more precise, the type and timing – can be either a boon or bane to you. It can improve your office relationships or ruin them. It’s an easy way to break the ice with people, and minimise job stress and improve employee productivity and creativity, but telling inappropriate or offensive jokes – particularly to the wrong audience and at the wrong time – can land you in hot water, or worse still, in court too.

It’s quite easy to get a laugh but it’s crucial to distinguish the difference between a compliant chuckle and a sincere chortle. Distasteful or inappropriately timed humour can be a significant liability at the workplace.

Not all jokes are appropriate for the workplace. So what is okay and what is not? Most topics are generally acceptable for jokes as long as they aren’t deemed offensive by others. Before you start cracking people up with your humour, ask yourself if your jokes are likely to put them at ease or cause them discomfort. If you feel your jokes might potentially anger or offend anyone, it’s probably best to keep them to yourself or if you simply can’t but need to share them, please do it with your spouse or buddy – maybe he or she will be more understanding.

You should also limit jokes to appropriate times. For example, certain jokes are great at bachelors’ parties or your favourite pub, but they might be out of place and inappropriate during a conference call or management meeting.

Jokes that are a no-no

Certain jokes are unacceptable at work and these include jokes on race, religion, sex and disabilities. In some instances, lewd jokes could be considered a form of harassment, particularly if you’re singling out a particular colleague in the joke. Jokes that are violent in nature are also inappropriate, as your peers may not see humour in that type of subject matter.

Steer clear of political jokes as they can cause unease as not everyone at your workplace holds the same political beliefs. Such jokes are better suited for your downtime outside of work and sharing among close friends.

Never try to force your humour, as your colleagues will see that you’re trying too hard. The best humour is the type that comes naturally. Make sure you aren’t violating any workplace policies or that people won’t become angered or offended. Be careful when incorporating sarcasm into conversations, as not everyone is able to tell that you’re joking and may be displeased.

Remember, everybody loves a comedian but not everyone is a comedian. You need to be careful when using humour at work. It can be a double-edged sword – it can slice through the toughest of situations to your advantage, or cut sharply against you.

When humour is used to appropriately ease a burden or relieve tension at work it’s greatly appreciated, but when your rapier wit is used as a weapon of humiliation or intimidation you are confusing humour with arrogance. Spice up your management and leadership with some good humour but don’t go overboard. Happy managing!