Be Funny At Work
There are some solid reasons to consider being funny at work. Laughter is proven to create a physiological response in your body that relieves stress including increased oxygen intake, improved blood circulation and muscle relaxation. It increases endorphins and cools down your stress response. In addition, according to research, people who show their sense of humor at work are seen as more motivating leaders. That's a positive. But for me the biggest reason to be funny at work is that if we're going to spend such a large portion of our lives in this place, we might as well be having fun.
We all know that funny at work is not quite the same as funny during a night out with friends. Use this post to think about how to be funny at work.
Evaluating risk vs. reward
When it comes to workplace humor, some types are riskier than others. I've developed this chart to help you. It is grounded in nothing and completely un-researched but a fair assessment of the risk/reward trade off of different types of humor. Let's look at some of these humor types more closely.
Puns and Dad Jokes
These are not risky but also not very funny. Green light to use this type of humor at work. It can be very endearing. Examples of this kind of humor:
Why did the developer go broke? He used up all his cashe.
I get so much exercise at work; jumping to conclusions, pushing my luck, and dodging deadlines.
Pranks
Pranks are high risk humor but can be very funny. The key is to pick the right target. Some people are more inclined to be gracious about being pranked than others. What makes this so risky is that pranking the wrong person could really damage your relationship. Don't tell my colleagues, but I'm a great target and if I got to work and my stapler was in jell-o I would find it hilarious.
Observational humor
This is a form of humor based on the commonplace aspects of everyday life. It is the primary type of humor used in stand-up comedy. This takes some effort on your part to both observe something funny and thendeliver that observation in a way that others see the humor too. This is a great humor type for the workplace, but you’ll need to practice.
Here is an observational humor example. I once had to deliver a key presentation to a room full of executives and the only time that worked for everyone was 4pm on a Friday. I opened by making a joke that 4pm on a Friday after a busy week is when I’m at my best and they’re really getting my A-game. I’m clearly not ready for The Comedy Cellar but it got a chuckle and broke the ice.
Memes
Memes are a perfect way to add humor at work because you don’t have to be good at delivering a punch line to share a good meme. They key is to find a solid source and avoid memes with inappropriate images/themes. My favorite sources are @producthumor and @_workchronicles. You can also consider creating your own like I did HERE.
Self-Deprecation
Self-deprecating humor should be used very sparingly at work. It can be an easy way to get a laugh to throw yourself under the proverbial bus, but when you do this too often it impacts your image. People begin to see you in the way that you describe yourself… even if you were doing it in jest. It can also impact your own feelings of self-worth when you describe yourself in unflattering ways.
Types of humor to avoid at work
Jokes about sex/race/religion - can we just stop using these everywhere please?
Physical humor - we don't need you to get an injury at work.
Dark humor - this makes light of a subject that is normally considered serious or painful to discuss. This kind of humor doesn’t appeal to everyone and you never know what your co-workers may have been through. Better to avoid.
Conclusion
As with all skills, your ability to be funny at work will only get better with practice. Not just any practice, but intentional practice. Try out some different types of humor and pay attention to the response you get. Take notes and tweak it. It’s worth your effort to make you more motivational and improve your health.
🎥 TED TALK RECOMMENDATION: In THIS TED TALK behavioral scientists Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bogdonas debunk the myth that leaders need to be serious all the time to be taken seriously.