Why Laughter is the Key Ingredient to Career Success

Sep 23

Hi, everyone,

I have yet to come across anyone who doesn’t appreciate humor in some form. Although we might have all different opinions on what makes us laugh out loud – a shared smile or belly laugh is one of the best bonding experiences around.

At an organizational level, humor is more than just funny concepts; it represents a management tool that can be used to reduce stress, enhance leadership, and build group cohesiveness and creativity.

THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

"A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Humor can be a powerful tool in bringing levity to stressful situations, helping promote perspective, and dissolve tension. Moreover, research suggests that humor is a key ingredient in creative thinking as it helps employees play with ideas, lower their internal critic, and see things in a new way. All of this leads to greater team and organizational productivity and higher employee satisfaction.

THE WEEKLY FLOURISH

Article (5 Minutes)

Sarcasm, Self-Deprecation, and Inside Jokes: A User’s Guide to Humor at Work

However, because humor consists of so many facets and styles, it’s important to consider the different types of humor and how each might contribute - or detract - from creating a positive and psychologically safe work environment. If you’re interested in diving deeper into humor’s dynamic role in the workplace, this HBR article is a great resource as it shares tips on specifically when to use inside jokes, when to use sarcasm, and when to use self-deprecating humor at work.

GREATNESS TAKES GUIDANCE

Why did the chicken cross the road? To sign up for Activate!

Prefer to skip the jokes? That’s ok too. Not everyone has to be the next stand up comedian to succeed in the workplace. Rather, the key here is to incorporate levity into your professional life in ways that feel true for you. In Activate, I coach you on how to contribute to a work environment that reduces stress, increases productivity, develops creativity, expands learning, strengthens relationships and earns you and those around you more money. If that doesn’t make you smile...I don’t know what will.

REMINDER: Today is the last day to sign up for Activate.

-Carrie and Team Leadology

Featured

Leadology’s Founder Carrie Skowronski

Carrie founded Leadology to address a variety of challenges all stemming from the same reality: The workplace is changing rapidly.

Drawing on her global background in organizational leadership, she helps companies establish proactive cultures as they align generations and demographics in hybrid settings.

Check out the links below to learn more about our Learning Journeys.