How serious can we be about humor i

How serious can we be about humor in the workplace, and how humorous can we be about the seriousness we often find there? According to a survey, only 15 percent of workers are fired because of lack of competence. The remaining 85 percent are let go because of their inability to get along with fellow employees. When asked about the qualities of an effective employee, the answer is “humor”. Why has humor become a recognized asset in the workplace? Humor facilitates communication, builds relationships, reduces stress, and promotes attendance and energy.Humor provides a non-threatening way for an employee or employer to communicate with each other. Consider the secretary who posts the sign “I have only two speeds. If this one isn’t fast enough, you’re not going to like my other one.” Or the somewhat scattered boss whose messy desk has the sign, “A Creative Mess is Better than Tidy Idleness.” The message is clear, yet the communication is done in a light and, therefore, less stressful way. The secretary’s sign makes fun at the situation, and the boss’s note makes fun at himself.Humor can also facilitate staff connection and a sense of team effort in the workplace. Bulletin boards, electronic mail, office memos, and voicemail are all mediums through which we can share humor with co-workers. Office jokes that take the seriousness of work lightly give us the opportunity to become more connected with others.Work is often associated with stress, and stress is one of the main causes of illness and employee burnout. Humor helps relieve stress because it makes us feel good, and we can’t feel good and feel stressed at the same time. At the moment we experience humor, feelings like depression, anger, and anxiety dissolve. When we laugh we feel physically better, and after laughter we feel happier and more relaxed. In addition, humor helps reduce psychological stress.Humor wakes us up and increases our attention. An office bulletin board full of cartoons, jokes, and funny pictures is one way to invite humor into the workplace. A few moments of humor at work can lead to increased productivity. In working environments where humor is supported, a culture develops that uses humor to reduce stress. Learning to laugh at ourselves and our work lightens the workload.