Humour at Work Place

Humours at Work-
Place
What is Humor?
1Madhumita Singh | OSB Navi Mumbai
Humours at Work-
Place

DEFINITION OF HUMOUR
Humour
Noun
1. The quality of being funny
2. The ability to appreciate or express things that are humorous: a sense of
humour
3. Situations, speech, or writings that are humorous
. ! state of min"# moo": in astoun"ingly goo" humour
$. !rchaic any of %arious flui"s in the bo"y: aqueous humour

Verb
To be &in" an" in"ulgent to: he "eci"e" the patient nee"e" to be humoure"
Humours at Work-
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WHAT IS HUMOUR ?
'umor is a quality of perception that enables us to experience (oy e%en when
face" with a"%ersity. Stress is an a"%erse con"ition "uring which we may
experience tension or fatigue, feel unpleasant emotions an" sometimes
"e%elop a sense of hopelessness or futility. )e cannot feel stress, angry,
"epresse", anxious, guilty, or resentful an" experience humor at the same
time. *i&e beauty being in the eyes of the behol"er, humor is in the funny
bone of the recei%er of the experience
Humours at Work-
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Humours at Work-
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'umor is a complex phenomenon. There is no general theory of humor or
e%en an agree" "efinition. )hen we try to "efine exactly what counts as
humor an" what "oes not, or how humor operates, we fin" it quite "ifficult.
Humor is comprised of three components: wit, mirth, and laughter.
)it is the cogniti%e experience, +irth the emotional experience, *aughter the
physiological experience.
)e often equate laughter with humor, but there are many instances of
laughter ,tic&ling, ner%ousness, etc.- that clearly ha%e little to "o with humor.
Similarly, there are many instances of humor that "o not result in laughter
,"ue to the moo" of the appreciator, the social context, etc.-
.n short,
'umour is intrinsic to human nature an" helps us &eep a balance"
perspecti%e of life.
'umour "efines us as humans.
The true of humour is in its ability to help us, han"ling e%ery"ay life.
Humours at Work-
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Humours at Work-
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Humour in Workplace
Humour In The Workplace Actually Means.
/mployee frien"ly en%ironment an" fun
en%ironment
.n%ol%ing some sort of surprise or exaggeration that ma&e people feel
goo" 0 lea%e them with a smile an" sense of relief from all the tension.
.t nee" not mean e%o&ing gales of laughter, (ust pleasant feelings, that
ma&es the wor&place li%ely1.
'umor is a great resource for the wor&place. .t re"uces stress, enhances
communication an" ma&es the en%ironment more en(oyable. 2our greatest
ally in bringing humor to wor& is your boss an" your colleagues. .f they are
not humor a"%ocates, you may not be able to change them. 3ut you can
change your attitu"e an" your approach. .f you can bring integrity to the way
you promote humor, you stan" a goo" chance of con%incing others that
humor at wor& is wor&able.
"Employee friendly" workplaces
/mployee welfare is a %ery broa" area of interest. .n the best en%ironments
employers will a""ress employee welfare in the wor&place itself an" also
consi"er employee welfare in terms of the pressures you will experience
outsi"e the wor&place.
Humours at Work-
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WORKPLACE ISSUES
!n employer who is genuinely intereste" in the welfare of employees ,an"
consequently strengthen their pro"ucti%ity- shoul" be concerne" about
creating a positi%e wor& en%ironment where in"i%i"uals recogni4e they are
%alue". The big tic&et item here is pro%i"ing a wor&place free of bullying,
harassment an" "iscrimination. !s an employee ,or prospecti%e employee-
2ou might loo& for5 6lear policies an" proce"ures relating to bullying,
'arassment an" "iscrimination.
! commitment to /qual 7pportunity regar"less of gen"er, race, marital
status,pregnancy,sexuality,"isability or age.
8rie%ance proce"ures that are clear an" acti%ely implemente".
7ngoing training an" "e%elopment opportunities.
Humours at Work-
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9r. 9a%i" !bramis at 6al State *ong 3each has stu"ie" fun at wor& for
years. 'e:s "isco%ere" that people who ha%e fun on the (ob are more creati%e,
more pro"ucti%e, better "ecision5ma&ers, an" get along better with co5
wor&ers. They also ha%e fewer absentee, late, an" sic& "ays than people who
aren:t
'a%ing fun.
The benefits to a pleasant an" happy wor&place are that happy employees are
more loyal an" pro"ucti%e employees. The absenteeism an" tar"iness rate
may "ecrease as people loo& forwar" to going to wor&. The turno%er rate may
"ecrease, as employees feel content an" loyal to an organi4ation. !n" the cost
associate" with illness may "ecrease as people experience the positi%e
;hysiological an" psychological effects of laughter.
A fun and entertaining session about the strategic use of
humour in the workplace
.t is important to recogni4e that e%eryone has a sense of humour,i.e.
2our colleagues 0
customers
'umour is a matter of
opinion an" is :learne":
3eha%ior so it is
.mportant to be flui"
an" flexible in your
approach to humour
'umour can both be
unlearne" an" relearne"
an" it is possible to
"e%elop a goo" sense of
humour
The &in" of language
you use has significance particularly gi%en "i%ersity in the wor&place
an" the "ifferent frames of reference that people ha%e
'umour has the power to "i%i"e so you shoul" recogni4e when you
start to bac& off from ha%ing fun an" why<
.t:s not what you "o in the wor&place# it:s how you "o it
Humours at Work-
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WHY HUMOUR SHOULD BE USED?

WHY TO USE HUMOUR?
=! sense of humor can be use" in stress re"uction, problem sol%ing, team
buil"ing, an" impro%ing communications without e%er telling a (o&e.>
Scott ?rie"man, a popular spea&er an" author who hol"s "egrees in mar&eting
an" psychology, says ='umor creates an instant bon".> 'e also says it
remo%es negati%e, non5pro"ucti%e feelings an" creates a fresh new approach
to situations.
Humours at Work-
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The i"ea is to laugh about a situation while it@s happening A it &eeps oxygen
going to the brain an" &eeps a person thin&ing more clearly. 3ut one has to be
careful, because sometimes laughter has to occur internally. ?or example, you
"on@t want to brea& out with laughter when the boss announces that sales are
"own 2$B. Cor "o you want to be ma&ing light of e%ery little thing that
happens at wor&.
For example, one small business owner ha" an employee who treate" e%ery
situation with humor. !t times the employee@s humor was inappropriately
"isplaye", an" people were offen"e". !t other times the excessi%e use of
humor "istracte" employees from being pro"ucti%e, because all they coul" "o
was anticipate how =+r. 8oo" 'umor> was going to ma&e a pun or a
wisecrac& aroun" the topic being "iscusse". .t was clearly a case of too much
of a goo" thing.
'umor can be li&e salt: ! little can be goo". Too much an" it loses it@s
punch. !s the /nglish poet Samuel 3utler once sai", =it is tact that is gol"en,
not silence.> !n" . belie%e it was Sha&espeare who sai", =3re%ity is the soul
of wit.> !ll goo" quotes when it comes to humor.
9r. Doni Dohnston of )or&place Eelationships offers a few tips for using
humor at wor&:
1. ;ay attention to clues about your co5wor&er@s moo"
2. Trust your intuition
3. Ta&e yourself lightly
. Fse humor as the icing, not the ca&e
$. !%oi" playful insults
Dohnston says that humor has to be use" at the right time, in appropriate
amounts, an" shoul"n@t ma&e fun of an in"i%i"ual. .n other wor"s, ma&e fun
of the situation A not a person.
Dustice@s approach for using humor to combat stress is imagining the stressful
situation at its absolute worse. )hen you ta&e the situation on a mental
(ourney to the point where it becomes absur", it then can become funny ,it
also ma&es the present situation not seem quite as ba"G-.
Humours at Work-
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?or the s&eptical, much me"ical research has shown that humor re"uces
stress, an" helps gi%e people a sense of control A %ital when hea%y stress is
weighing people "own.
.t@s &in" of li&e what 3ill 6osby says: =.f you can laugh at it, you can
sur%i%e it.>
Humour and Laughter Go Hand In Hand
=! smile is the shortest "istance between two people> accor"ing to Hictor
3orge. This has important implications, because the bottom line is that humor
can be an effecti%e way to buil" positi%e wor&ing relationships an" to
impro%e morale. This has %ery serious implications in these times when
creati%e teamwor& is essential to organi4ational inno%ation. There "efinitely
is a connection between '!'! an" !'!A humor an" creati%ity go han" in
han".
.n an inter%iew in our *!F8'.C8 +!TT/ES maga4ine, Ien 3lanchar",
author of the best5selling 7ne5+inute +anager, notes J'umor an" laughter
in organi4ations can increase the amount of fee"bac& you can get, the
honesty, an" the capacity for people to tell you goo" things. !ll the solutions
to problems in organi4ations are within your own people, but the problem is
half of them "on:t want to say anything, because they usually get 4appe"A you
&ill the messenger. .t:s through humor that you can open up the lines to
communication.J
'umor has long been consi"ere" one of the most effecti%e tools to (u"ge the
quality of any relationship. .f there is laughter present you can assume that
the relationship is a healthy one. )hen the laughter ceases you can be quite
certain that the relationship is on the "own sli"e. This laughter barometer can
be applie" to any relationship at home, at wor& an" at play. *aughter means
that you:re ha%ing fun an" fun means that things are going well..
! hea"line in the business press trumpets :*aughter a 6ure for )or&place
)oes:. !nother article refers to the general manager of !ustralia:s largest
retailer urging her staff to woo customers by ha%ing fun. ! conser%ati%e
metropolitan law firm a"%ertises for legal staff an" promises :a fun
en%ironment an" a "ay off on your birth"ay:. 'umour in the wor&place has
Humours at Work-
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become a serious business an" serious businesses are being public about its
impact.
The concept of utilising humour in the wor&place is not a new one. ?ew
woul" argue that employees prefer to be part of a happy an" positi%e
wor&place rather than one where people are "ispirite" an" "emorali4e".
?ewer still woul" argue against the increase in morale an" pro"ucti%ity that
humour might bring. 'owe%er, there is a nee" to loo& beyon" the fren4ie"
bu44, the upbeat generali4ations, the generic chec&list of fun acti%ities an" the
:one si4e fits all: approach, an" to consi"er humour for its unique ability to
form, re%italise or change the culture of an organi4ation.
*ea"ers who acti%ely analy4e the culture of their organi4ation, who "etermine
its health an" fit within the pre%ailing business en%ironment, an" who
strategically a"(ust that culture to meet the "eman"s of their current reality,
will ha%e a "istinct competiti%e a"%antage. The power an", in"ee",
irresistibility of humour comes not from a goo" belly laugh but from
humour:s ability to play a role in that analysis an" a"(ustment.
'umour is highly effecti%e when it is ta&en at more than face %alue, when it
is use" as more than (ust a ban" ai", an" when it is un"erstoo" to be an
in"icator, "ri%er an" change agent of corporate culture. *ea"ers who a"opt
this broa"er approach, who mo%e their use of humour from management fa"
to in"ispensable management tool, en" up ha%ing the last laugh.
Humours at Work-
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HUMOUR AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL

Humours at Work-
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HUMOUR AS MANAGEMENT TOOL
'umor programs are %ery effecti%e stress management tools. 'umor
gi%es you a "ifferent frame of min" to loo& at your wor&loa". .t also wor&s
well to use as a team buil"ing tool for both staff an" %olunteers. 'umor tools
can also be use" at home to "eal with stressful situations that arise in
e%ery"ay family matters. 'umour as management tool performs %arious
functions li&e Ee"uces stress, .mpro%es employee morale, Strengthens team
spirit, 3oosts creati%ity an" o%erall performance, 3oosts sales, .mpro%es
communication, 'elps in problem sol%ing. 'umour plays many roles in
management .some are as follows:
Top fi%e role humour plays in the )or&place:

1. Stress 3uster A *aughter is me"ically pro%en to release physical an"
emotional stress. ! goo" belly laugh aerobically exercises e%ery large
muscle in your bo"y an" you "on@t ha%e to wear span"ex, which ta&es
the concept of business casual way too far anyway.
2. .mpro%es )or& /n%ironment 5 Fnexpecte" fun brings unexpecte"
results. )hen wor&ers fear a pin& slip an" instea" recei%e a
permission slip to ha%e fun, outloo&s an" attitu"es impro%e.
3. Eeconnects 6o5)or&ers A 'umor enhances interpersonal
rrelationships.6ubicle walls crumble when people relate to each other
with a renewe" sense of humor. !s& any sales manKwoman 5 *aughter
is the most effecti%e sales tool they@%e got. +anagement appears
much more human when the laughter an" sense of fun starts at the top.
. .ncreases ;ro"ucti%ity A 'appy employees are pro"ucti%e employees.
6ol" cash incenti%es are nice, but most professionals will tell you a
positi%e, (oyful wor& en%ironment also hol"s an important appeal.
$. ?uels 6reati%ity5 ?ree"om to thin& Loutsi"e@ the box often pro"uces
profitable results. )hen you are allowe" to bring your inner chil" to
wor& pro"ucti%e fun is guarantee" to follow.

Humours at Work-
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The
FOUR SENSE OF HUMOUR
'umour can ha%e many positi%e or negati%e effects. +ost people ha%e
witnesse" or ha%e use" any one of the following four general types of
humour.
1. Self-Deprecating Humour 5 ;o&ing fun of oneself can pro%i"e a much
nee"e" relief from tense situations. 6on%ersely, an excess of this type
of humour may ma&e other people uncomfortable an" lea" to serious
low self5esteem issues.
2. Put-Down Humour 5 This type of humour in%ol%es teasing, sarcasm
an" ri"icule an" it ten"s to be a popular form of humour aroun" the
water cooler. .f aime" at politicians, actors etc. it is harmless an" can
Humours at Work-
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help to form social bon"s, although if aime" at fellow wor&ers, it can
become a form of social aggression.
3. Bonding Humour 5 ;eople who exhibit bon"ing humour are generally
fun to be aroun". They tell funny (o&es, lighten the moo" an" parta&e
in witty banter. 3on"ing humour can either pro%i"e a sense of
togetherness or it can isolate in"i%i"ual employees.
. Observational Humour 5 7bser%ational humour is the healthiest of all
of the four types. ;eople who use this type of humour ha%e a unique
outloo& on life. They are always able to see the bright si"e of things
an" they "on:t ta&e themsel%es too seriously. This enables them to "eal
more easily with "aily stress in their life at wor& an" at home.
7bser%ational humour is the only type of humour which can be
en(oye" alone. !s a result, stu"ies lin&ing humour with health ha%e
ten"e" to concentrate on this type of humour.
Harnessing the value of Humour in our business culture
produces:
1-'igher profit margins
2- .ncreased resilience
3- 3etter staff morale
- 8reater employee engagement
$- .ncreased productivity
M- Ee"uce" staff absenteeism an" turno%er
N- 3etter customer ser%ice
O- !n enhanced corporate identity
Humours at Work-
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The benefits of humour and laughter are numerous:
Ee"uce" stress
6learer decision making
9e%elops perspecti%e
;romotes clear an" effecti%e communication
/nergi4es in"i%i"uals
.mpro%es health
/nhances lateral thin&ing an" creati%ity
The Times of India.Com
Date:

August 11, 2008

Article: Humour in workplace is good thing
)!S'.C8T7C: Those who thought that &i""ing aroun" at the wor&place
isn:t goo" better get rea"y to eat their hats, for a new stu"y has foun" that a
Humours at Work-
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bit of humour at the wor&place really is a goo" thing. The research has been
con"ucte" by 6hris Eobert, a Fni%ersity of +issouri56olumbia researcher
Eobert insists that particularly (o&ing aroun" about things associate" with the
(ob has a positi%e impact in the wor&place.
To pro%e this he an" collaborator )an 2am, examine" theories on humour
an" integrating literature from a wi"e %ariety of "isciplines. 3ase" on the
research, the two conclu"e" that a little humour enhances creati%ity,
"epartment cohesi%eness an" o%erall performance. J'umour has a significant
impact in organisations. 'umour isn:t incompatible with goals of the
wor&place. .t:s not incompatible with the organisation:s "esire to be
competiti%e,J Eobert sai".
=.n fact, we argue that humour is pretty important. .t:s not (ust clowning
aroun" an" ha%ing fun# it has meaningful impact on cohesi%eness in the
wor&place an" communication quality. The ability to appreciate humour, to
laugh an" ma&e other people laugh actually has physiological effects on the
bo"y that cause people to become more bon"e".J Eobert stresse" the
international aspect is an important part of the research an" sai" the paper
a""resses some of the &ey cultural "ifferences between FS an" !sian
economic giants li&e 6hina an" .n"ia.
Appropriateness of using humour
'umour can be use" to shape or change a culture, but it is effecti%e
only where it is appropriate, properly intro"uce" an" timely an" where it
meets stan"ar"s an" basically ma&es sense. !ppropriate humour stimulates
wit, mirth or laughter. .t creates closeness an" intimacy. .nappropriate
humour creates pain an" "istance.
.t is appropriate to use humour in the wor&place when:
The situation is socially appropriate
The humour is well time" an" tie" to the tas& at han"
The employee has a strong relationship with the other person
The employee aims the humour at himself or herself
Humours at Work-
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The humour is use" to po&e fun at a situation but not at another person
or group
The employee has establishe" his or her wor& ethic, competence to "o
the tas& or un"erta&e the role allocate" before using humour or a
lighter style.

It is not appropriate to use humour when:
.t is ru"e, cru"e, physically "angerous or counterpro"ucti%e
7ther people are the butt of a (o&e or when it is use" to woun"
in"i%i"uals. This cannot be tolerate" in any organi4ation. To
humiliate publicly is unforgi%able. ! prompt an" clear statement
shoul" be ma"e if an attempt at humour misses the mar&. *aughing
with others is an ice brea&er, while laughing at others is an ice
ma&er.
Do&es or puns are ma"e at the expense of either sex, or any ethnic,
religious, national or racial group. 8et this wrong an" it coul" be
costly.)or&place policies shoul" permit humour to thri%e, but
shoul" also pro%i"e a filter to inappropriateness.
!n unteste" assumption has been ma"e that one person:s i"ea of
humour is the same as that of the person initiating the humour
.t is an exclusory tactic. 'umour can "efine who is truly :on the
team: an" who is not. There is power in being part of the :in group:
an" signaling opinions through the shorthan" of humour.
/mployees, on exiting a company, often remar& that they li&e" their
(obs but felt :humour barre": or exclu"e" from the camara"erie.
.t is use" to challenge authority or sub%ert corporate goals.
/mployees nee" to "e%elop more transparent ways of expressing
"isagreement or concern.
.t clearly frustrates an in"i%i"ual who is eager to ha%e a serious
communication or a""ress issues of concern. Fnless the use of
humour is well conceptuali4e", an in"i%i"ual who uses humour may
appear to lac& appreciation or to be "isrespectful of a situation.
Humours at Work-
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.t suggests that the initiator is important.
Office humour adds to job satisfaction
1P Sep 2QQO
S29C/2: 'a%ing a goo" laugh at the wor&place contributes to high le%els
7f (ob satisfaction ,accor"ing to a latest stu"y.
Swinburne Fni%ersity of Technology psychologist +aren Eawlings foun"
that in"i%i"uals who use, an" are surroun"e" by, positi%e humour in the
wor&place ha" higher le%el of (osb satisfaction than those who "on@t.
Eawlings sur%eye" 3QQ wor&ers from 2Q countries about their in"i%i"ual use
of humour in the wor&place, an" how they percei%e" the humour use" by
their colleagues.
J. foun" that the more positi%e the humour climate was in a wor&place, the
greater the (ob satisfaction of employees,J sai" Eawlings. J.n fact, personality
an" moo", combine" with humour use, explaine" o%er QB of wor&ers: (ob
satisfaction.J
!ccor"ing to the psychologist, pre%ious research has also foun" a strong
correlation between a wor&er:s (ob satisfaction an" pro"ucti%ity le%el.
'er fin"ings contra"ict a common misconception that people who en(oy
themsel%es an" ma&e (o&es in the wor&place are not as pro"ucti%e, reports
Sciencealert.
J;eople bemoan that there is no time for humour, an" that being humorous is
not appropriate>she sai".
Dust as positi%e humour was foun" to increase (ob satisfaction, Eawlings: also
showe" that no humour or negati%e humour "ecrease" le%els of (ob
satisfaction in employees.
Humours at Work-
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Changing Culture Through The Power Of Humour

Inowing how an organi4ation measures up on the "imensions
of sociability an" soli"arity is an important lea"ership competence. Inowing
how the company:s culture fits the business en%ironment is critical to
competiti%e a"%antage. 3usiness en%ironments "o not stay the same#
organi4ations ha%e life cycles. Successful lea"ers "iscern whether they ha%e
the culture they thin& they "o# whether the cultural beha%iors that at first
glance can loo& positi%e, e%en welcoming, are in fact pro"ucti%e# an" whether
they ha%e the culture they nee" at a particular time. This in%ol%es a %ery
subtle appreciation of human relations an" an a"(ustment of either sociability
or soli"arity, or both.
6learly the tools require" to a"(ust each "imension are "ifferent an" complex
but targete" use of humour can assist both. 'umour is a tool for stu"ying the
social forces in an organi4ation because the content an" form of humour
reflects social relations, power "istributions an" changes in both. .n fact,
humour can be use" to a"(ust both the "imensions, as necessary, an" to
facilitate the change itself. 'umour can emphasi4e the human element "uring
organi4ational uphea%al an" pro%i"e the resilience nee"e" to cope with
change.
!n organisation:s culture is shape" by choices. *ea"ers can choose to a""ress
the le%el of sociability by employing a range of strategies "esigne" to buil"
emotional relationships. They can choose to a""ress soli"arity through
strategic "ecisions an" the manner in which those "ecisions are
communicate". !stute lea"ers can choose to use the power of humour to "o
both.
Humours at Work-
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Why Companies are Putting Fun to Work
The most stri&ing feature of most corporations to"ay is change. The pace
of change is faster than e%er before an" continues to increase. 6ompanies
recogni4e that if they want to sur%i%e e%en thri%e in the global mar&et place,
they ha%e no choice but to be able to a"apt quic&ly. They also &now that
employees ten" to resist change. . often hear employees saying, J.t ta&es us a
full year to really get to the point where we@%e mastere" the new technology.
!n" then, what "o they "o< They change itG They say, L)e@%e foun"
something that will be much more efficient an" help you "o your (ob better.@J
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~A company that has fun, where employees . . . put cartoons on the wall
and celebrate, is spirited, creative, and usually profitable. (David
Baum)
+ost companies ha%e become leaner in recent years, but are still trying to
increase pro"ucti%ity, creating the nee" to J"o more with less.J There are also
constant pressures to "o things faster, to assimilate more information, an" to
learn new s&ills an" a"opt new responsibilities. !ll of these changes in the
past "eca"e ha%e triggere" more (ob stress than e%er before. !n" it is
precisely because of the growing con%iction that stress le%els are getting
unmanageable that employers are now trying unortho"ox approaches ,that
they woul" ne%er ha%e consi"ere" a "eca"e or so ago- to help employees "eal
with their stress. 6ompanies want stress management techniques which help
their employees "eal with (ob stress, but which ma&e wor& more en(oyable
an" boost pro"ucti%ity at the same timeG
*earning to lighten up on the (ob to ta&e yourself lightly while continuing
to ta&e your wor& seriously achie%es all three of these goals. 2our sense of
humor is one of the most powerful tools you ha%e for coping with any source
of stress in your life. )hen you@re able to fin" a light si"e of "ea"lines,
conflicts an" other aspects of your (ob especially on the tough "ays you ha%e
a tool for letting go of the frustrations an" upsets of the moment. This enables
you to sustain a frame of min" con"uci%e to "ealing more effecti%ely with the
problem of the moment. 3ringing your sense of humor to your (ob ,when
appropriate- also goes a long way in helping ma&e your wor& fun. Ee"uce"
(ob stress, greater en(oyment of your wor&, an" sustaining a frame of min"
con"uci%e to effecti%e wor&ing all ma&e a significant contribution to the goal
of increase" pro"ucti%ity an" quality ser%ice.
The pro"ucti%ity benefits of humor are e%i"ent in the following letter,
which was sent to me by a corporate manager following my program for the
company.
J)or&ing with people on a "aily basis can be so rewar"ing when there is
laughter in the en%ironment. .n many crises . experience on the (ob55wor&
stoppages, natural "isasters, an" emergenciesRlaughter helps ease tensions,
an" the focus on getting the tas&s "one becomes more en(oyable an" less
stressful. .@%e hear" other managers an" their employees comment on my
employees@ attitu"es. . often hear, L'ow "o they ma&e their sales an" ser%ice
Humours at Work-
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ob(ecti%es< That group laughs from the time they come in until the time they
lea%e.@ 3ut the laughter is infectious, an" the employees an" . en(oy coming
to wor& with each other e%ery "ay.J
The value of Humour in management.
1- 'igher profit margins
2- .ncrease" resilience
3- 3etter staff morale
- 8reater employee engagement
$- .ncrease" pro"ucti%ity
M- Ee"uce" staff absenteeism an" turno%er
N- 3etter customer ser%ice
O- !n enhance" corporate i"entity
Humours at Work-
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Theories of Humour
'umor is a term which may be use" in both a wi"e an" a narrow sense.
.n the wi"er sense, it is applie" to all literature an" to all informal speech or
writing in which the ob(ect is to amuse, or rouse laughter in, the rea"er or
hearer. .n its narrower sense, humor is "istinguishe" from wit, satire, an"
farce. .t is less intellectual an" more imaginati%e than wit, being concerne"
more with character an" situation than with plays upon wor"s or upon i"eas#
more sympathetic an" less cruel than satire# more subtle than farce. 7n the
other si"e, it sha"es into fancy an" imagination, since it is concerne", as they
are, with exploring the possibilities of unli&ely situations or combinations of
i"eas, but "iffers from them in being concerne" only with the laughable
aspects of these imagine" situation.3ut what exactly is it about a situation
that ma&es it laughable< )e all &now that some things "o ma&e us laugh# but
it is %ery har" to say (ust what it is that these laughable things ha%e in
common. Theories of humor ,in the wi"er sense- are attempts to sol%e this
problem. They may be "i%i"e" into three main types: superiority theories,
incongruity theories, an" relief theories. ! fourth type of theory, which ta&es
the central feature of humor to be ambi%alence, a mingling of attraction an"
repulsion, is of minor importance.
SUPERIORITY THEORIES
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Hery often we laugh at people because they ha%e some failing or "efect, or
because they fin" themsel%es at a "isa"%antage in some way or suffer some
small misfortune. The miser, the glutton, the "run&ar" are all stoc& figures of
come"y# so is the henpec&e" husban" or the man who gets hit with a custar"
pie. )e laugh, too, at mista&es: schoolboy howlers, faulty pronunciation, an"
ba" grammar. These are all fairly cru"e examples, but it may be that e%en the
most subtle humor is merely a "e%elopment of this, an" that the pleasure we
ta&e in humor "eri%es from our feeling of superiority o%er those we laugh at.
!ccor"ing to. this %iew, all humor is "erisi%e.
INCONGRUITY THEORIES
+any writers on humor ha%e refuse" to accept the %iew that humorous
incongruity consists in "egra"ing something exalte" by bringing it into
contact with something tri%ial or "isreputable. They not only hol" that
incongruity is quite "istinct from "egra"ation, but also insist that incongruity,
an" not "egra"ation, is the central feature of all humor.
RELIEF THEORIES
Since humor often calls con%entional social requirements into question, it
may be regar"e" as affor"ing us relief from the restraint of conforming to
those requirements. The relief may be only temporary: a smo&ing room story,
for example, is not usually a serious challenge to con%entional morality# but it
"oes enable us to air the sexual impulses which society ma&es us repress.
+oreo%er, people who ha%e been un"ergoing a strain will sometimes burst
into laughter if the strain is su""enly remo%e". .t may be, then, that the
central element in humor is neither a feeling of superiority nor the awareness
of incongruity, but the feeling of relief that comes from the remo%al of
restraint.
CONCLUSION
Humours at Work-
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/ach of these theories of humor is able to explain some types of humor, but it
may be "oubte" if any of them can satisfactorily explain e%ery type of humor.
Superiority theories account %ery well for our laughter at small misfortunes
an" for the appeal of satire, but are less happy in "ealing with wor" play,
incongruity, nonsense, an" in"ecency. .ncongruity theories, on the other
han", are strong where superiority theories are wea&est, an" wea& where they
are strongest. Eelief theories account a"mirably for laughter at in"ecency,
malice, an" nonsense ,regar"e" as relief from Jthe go%erness, reason>- but
are force" to conce"e that there is an intrinsic appeal in incongruity an" wor"
play that is quite in"epen"ent of relief from restraint. /ach type of theory
"oes, howe%er, illuminate some aspect of humor
.ts an employers own enlightene" self interest to help employees with
chil"ren care issues, enabling flexibility an" creating that healthy balance
between wor& an" home. .t pays huge, huge "i%i"en"s when employees feel
that these issues are important to their company. 'appy an" loyal employees
will always go the extra mile.
SS;eter bur&i
6/7 of *ife6are .nc.
THE A-T APPROACH TO WORKPLACE HAPPINESS
/%ery human being nee"s to be engage" in some form pro"ucti%e wor& in
or"er to sur%i%e an" secure mental stability. ! person@s (ob can be the source
of such internal satisfaction. +aterialistic requirements, social urges an"
relationship bin"ings are factors that fulfill the human nee"s an" pro%i"e long
term human satisfaction ..n this context, society playa a %ital role. )or&place,
which is also &nown as in"ustrial society, to a great extent enables an
employee to satisfy these nee"s. )ith more an" more people employe" in
"ifferent sectors an" in"ustries are spen"ing consi"erable amount of time
there the wor&place has emerge" to be the next home for them. Thus,
employer shoul" ensure that employees are satisfie" in all aspects which will
impro%e the wor&place en%ironment an" earnings of the enterprise.

Humours at Work-
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?or "eca"es, %arious companies ha%e been a"opting se%eral human relate"
strategies for strengthening wor& relationships between employees an"
maintaining a congenial wor&place. )or&place safety an" health ha%e always
been gi%en a priority in "ifferent firms. /mployers ha%e reali4e" that quality
ser%ice can be ren"ere" by quality people. Therefore, they are ta&ing all
measures to nurture employee potential an" &nowle"ge. /%ery wor&place has
its own "anger elements but the "egree has been re"uce" o%er the years with
the help of new an" inno%ati%e measures initiate" by the companies. The
humani4ations of wor& after the human relation mo%ement an" the emotional
intelligence moment ha%e brought in a new insight to the "efinition of a
=happy wor&place>.

The !ST approach ,! to T- is (ust an attempt to highlight the "ifferent
"imension of a happy wor&place. 6onsi"ering the monetary, time an"
resource constraint, it may not be possible for e%ery organi4ation to relate to
all the factors affecting wor&place happiness an" satisfaction. 'owe%er, an
initiati%e can be ta&en to pro%i"e employees a better place to wor& in. some
of the "imension are liste" below:
Attitude of the Management
The positi%e attitu"e of the employee plays a %ital role in retaining an"
moti%ating employees. The go%ernment is also un"erta&ing initiati%e to
"e%elop a positi%e attitu"e of the employees of the employees "ealing with
stressful situations in their personal li%es. ! three5 year program calle"
=action on stigma> has recently been launche" by the FI@s +inistry of
'ealth. 7rgani4ations are being as&e" to a"opt this program which "eals with
six principles that inclu"e ma&ing staff aware of the top this for loo&ing their
mental well being, warning signs to loo& out for an" nee" to see& help early
on they "e%elop a problem.
Behaviour of the Employer
/mployer bran"ing is the mantra of the mo"ern management. /%ery
employer nee"s to create an" sustain the image of its company among the
employees for recruitment, career management an" long term retention.
Therefore, beha%ioural "imension becomes one of the crucial components of
Humours at Work-
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the employer@s profile. The goo" beha%iour of the employer reinforces
positi%e beha%iour among the employees.
Colleagues
Con acceptance of new employees by co5wor&ers %ery often "issua"es
employee participation in the organi4ational process an" acti%ities. .t is the
responsibility of each an" e%ery employee to initiate better relationships with
their colleagues. !lso the wor&place atmosphere may not be as congenial as
one aspect because of certain employees who may appear to be frien"ly but
their acti%ities are far more "angerous an" harmful.
Direction
.t is the &ey area of responsibility of any super%isor to act as a lea"er an"
"irect the employees towar"s goal accomplishment an" business ob(ecti%e.
9ue to ina"equate information an" lac& of training facility, usually
employees face the problem of not achie%ing their expecte" targets. They
expect the managers to lea" an" "irect them in such circumstances. !ny
failure on the latters part of lea" employees will result in (ob satisfaction.
Empathetic approach
This is the fifth habit "escribe" by Stephen E 6o%ey in his boo&. The Se%en
'abits of, 'ighly /ffecti%e ;eople. 'e urges e%ery human being to =see& first
to un"erstan", then to be un"erstoo".> This reflects the significance of
emphatic communication. There are e%i"ences that many companies an" their
managers suffer from communication gap an" "issemination of a"equate
information to the grass roots of the organi4ation.

Freedom and empowerment
The tra"itional management emphasi4e" on the unity of comman" in or"er to
regulate the employees in wor&place. The free"om to follow pro(ects from
the i"ea stage to the finishe" pro"uct, free"om to be creati%e, free"om to
participate in the business "ecision are some areas of employee autonomy.
!n empowere" team is more effecti%e than an in"i%i"ual performer.
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Goal clarity
The success of employees in the organi4ation "epen"s on how well the goal
an" role ha%e been communicate" to them. /%ery lea"er nee"s to
communicate in"i%i"ual ob(ecti%es. The %ision of the company an" align it
with the in"i%i"ual ob(ecti%es. +any lea"ers ha%e felt the nee" of clear goal
perception among the problems.
Humor
Stress is the biggest enemy of the employees an" to get ri" of it, me"ical
experts usually a"%ice a"equate laughter an" humour at wor&place. *aughter
increases the le%el of energy an" relaxes the bo"y. .t regulates the bloo"
circulation. To enhance humour at wor&place, organi4ations ha%e come
forwar" with se%eral exercises to infuse laughter an" create a stress free wor&
en%ironment. 'umor impro%es relationships. ?unny props "isplaye" at
"ifferent corners of the wor&place, use of appropriate (o&es, Ee" Cose "ay
'umour bulletien boar", funny shirt "ay funny birth"ay an" funny newspaper
hea"lines to a great extent can lighten the tense moo" of the employees.
Information
.nformation is the bac&bone of any organi4ations. The responsibility rests
with the managers to "isseminate %ital information to all the employees.
Transparency shoul" be maintaine" while communicating information relate"
to employees rights.
1oy
!n exciting wor&place can bring in (oy among the wor&ers. .t is an
exhilarate" feeling. Doy can be achie%e" from a meaningful wor&. !
satisfying lea"ership style of the manager, a social support networ&, an"
trustworthy relationships with the cowor&ers bring wor&place Doy.
Knowledge Management
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Inowle"ge management practices inclu"e i"entifying, creating an"
"istributing &nowle"ge an" application of intellectual &nowle"ge towar"s
organi4ation learning. ;eople management, process management an"
information management are the three components of &nowle"ge
management.
Leadership Style
There are three types of lea"ership styles: !uthoritarian, ;articipati%e an"
"elegati%e. The manager nee"s to i"entify the groups of people in a team A
new in"uctees, experience" wor&ers, lai"5bac& wor&ers an" self5 moti%ate"
employees5 an" use all three styles "epen"ing on the types of employees an"
the situation.
Materialistic Benefits
;erformance awar"s, time5off awar"s, incenti%es, Six Sigma benefits, stoc&
options an" bonuses are a few examples of monetary gains.
Networking
!"equate steps shoul" be ta&en to impro%e bon"age an" relationship between
the employees. /ffecti%e networ&ing strategies can impro%e employee
relationship.
Occupational Safety
)ith the intro"uction of new technologies an" manufacturing processes,
there is a growing concern for occupational health an" safety in almost e%ery
organi4ation. The ser%ice sector is not an exception. )or&place %iolence is a
serious threat to occupational safety. !ny wor&er shoul" not be "enie"
compensation in case of serious in(uries an" acci"ents.
Positive Culture
! positi%e wor& culture is highly flexible an" a"aptable to changes. .t aims to
nurture, rewar" an" %alue the effort ma"e by the employees towar"s
achie%ement of business goals.
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Quality of Work Life
The components of wor&5life quality are safe wor&ing con"itions, satisfactory
wor&ing hours an" fair salary. The flexi5time wor& benefits, lea%e options
an" employee benefits enhance the quality of wor& life.
Recognition and rewards
Eewar"s an" recognition tools are important for employee moti%ation.
Eecognition refers to ac&nowle"ging the goo" wor& of an employee. The
rewar" an" recognition program nee"s to be carefully "esigne" an" %alue" by
the employees. The rewar" shoul" lin& pay with performance.
Stress management
Stress is a psychological an" physical reaction towar"s an internal or external
stimulus. The growing competition in the business en%ironment an" the treat
to sur%i%al are %ital reasons that lea" to stress among the employees. Stress
management programs help to re"uce the le%el of intense stress among the
employees. !part from the tra"itional stress5relaxing techniques, companies
li&e +aruti, ;epsi, +ahin"ra an" +ahin"ra, Telco, CT;6 an" !33 are
wi"ely a"opting the spiritual form of stress5 relie%ing programs for the
employees.
Team spirit
/xponential gains in organi4ation effecti%eness are possible at the
intersection of team an" spirit. 9espite the potency of this synergy of team,
an" spirit, the notion is still incompletely un"erstoo" by mo"ern enterprises.
Conclusion
'uman resource "e%elopment strategies fail to bring about wor&place
re%olution if employees not transform their personality in context to the
organi4ation the wor&. 7ptimism, gratitu"e, forgi%eness an" buil"ing on
strengths are basic human attributes which shoul" be "e%elope" for long term
organi4ational sur%i%al. The !5T approach has all ingre"ients a pro"ucti%e
wor&place.
Humours at Work-
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Humours at Work-
Place
Article from: Indian Management
!ugust 2QQM
Sea of change
In today`s fast paced world, the mantra of life has become work
rather than ~life itself.
'eraclipes once wrote that Lnothing en"ures but change@ implying that
change is the only constant in to"ay@s worl". 6hange an" inno%ation are,
in"ee" healthy to the extent that they help o%ercome stagnation, complacency
an" plan bore"om. They also help in "e%eloping a cutting e"ge o%er ri%als by
buil"ing sustainable business practice, pro"uction processes an" technologies.
?urther, they pro%i"e the spring bore" for the newer in%ention that ma&es our
"aily chores easier an" refreshingly "ifferent.
'owe%er, the rapi"ity, extent an" complexity of change ma&e it
relentless process from where there is no going bac&. .n this process, one gets
suc&e" into a %ortex A a churning sea where one has to either swim with the
ti"e or sin&. The question at the en" of one@s wor&ing life woul" then be: was
it really worth it< 6an wor& not be a more pleasurable an" emotionally
satisfying experience<
Why do we have to work so hard?
.t is commonly accepte" that the people wor& to ma&e a li%ing, to fulfill their
goals an" aspirations, to earn the recognition an" ultimately gain self5
contentment an" happiness. 3ut in an executi%e@s scheme of things, har"
wor& is ta&en to a "ifferent plane. Their perception is that gi%ing their high
Humours at Work-
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emoluments, they are expecte" ,if not they are gently remin"e"- to wor& at a
restless pace for longer than normal wor&ing hours to pro%e their total an"
unqualifie" commitment to the company@s fortunes. They are also expecte" to
get emotionally in%ol%e with their wor& for the betterment of the firm
sometime e%en ignoring personal nee"s.

.t was recently reporte" in me"ia that an" unscrupulous arrangement
was ma"e between the management of airlines an" pilots on long haul flights.
These comman"ers woul" sacrifice their man"atory rest at stopo%ers at
airport abroa", for compensatory extra allowances of up to twenty fi%e
thousan" rupees. This can be "angerous as it places the life of both the pilot
an" passenger in gra%e (eopar"y. This may be an extreme case but it ser%es to
"raw our attention to the potentially healthy an" life en"angering situation
that can occur. )e nee" to seriously as& oursel%es in "oubling the hours of
wor& gi%en us proportionately that amount of self5 contentment an"
fulfillment with our families.

8rueling long hours of wor& an" man"atory social e%enings are taxing in
impinge on once capacity to spen" enough wa&ing an" quality hours for
personal time.
Work sensibly
Humours at Work-
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7f late, it has become a fashion to use the expression =wor& smart> , which
implies the capacity to sift essentials of a problem an" with all tools of
planning, organi4ing an" "elegation lea%e the lesser important functions to
the subor"inates to han"le. 'owe%er, that connotation is rapi"ly changing
with top management unwilling to "elegate, in their anxiety that nothing
shoul" go wrong. The false notions of perfectionism spawn the 4ero5failure
syn"rome. This e%entually ma&es a person to ta&e wor& home5than&s to new
emerging technologies.
)ith "ifferent management (argons in %ogue, how one classifies to"ay@s
fast5mo%ing manger<
The bold and brash yuppie
L. am young an" stan" the strain. Cow is the time to slog, buil" my
"ossier an" ban& balance. +arriage an" %acation are now on hol"@. This is a
plausible stance, but without trying to "enigrate this approach. 7ne woul"
well as&. =for how longJ
'ere, we ha%e a person who wants to car%e a niche for him as he
benchmar&s his own performance le%els. 3ut he har"ly reali4es that he is
losing out on the en(oyment of his wor& an" (oy that goes with it.
The man in a hurry

L. am %ery ambitious an" in a hurry to get to the top which is why . am a
perfectionist an" . cannot suffer lesser efficient people aroun" me. . suffer
from the =4ero5failure> syn"rome. . ha%e to pro"uce results at any cost. . am
therefore hesitant to "elegate e%en if it means increasing my punishing wor&
sche"ule an" ta&ing wor& home.@ This is the case of a man with =fire in his
belly.>
The one who is too full of himself
Humours at Work-
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=. am the blue5eye" boy who is expecte" to wor& later hours an" not lea%e
until my boss ,whose clone . am- lea%es. +y wife (ust "oes not un"erstan"
that . am now consi"ere" part of the higher echelons of the company an" my
ser%ices to &eep it prosperous an" in"ispensable. . simply ha%e to be at the
bec& an" call of the boss in whose shoes . expect to fit in the not too "istant
future>. This perception is totally self5create" an" (ustifie" the un"ue an"
incorrigible a""iction to wor& at cost of one Ts health an" family Ts happiness.
The ~fear-of-failure type

=. am basically insecure an" fear that . may be fire" unless . measure
up to the company Ts high stan"ar" e%en as . cannot wor& smarter, . try to
ma&e up by showing intense "iligence hoping that . will be notice" by the
boss an" rewar"e" for my har" wor&. . nee" to wor& extremely har" as if
there is no tomorrow. !n" if there is, it must be the =!ppraisal 9ay> as if it
were my "oom "ay. . "o not want to be foun" wanting on any account e%en if
. ha%e to spen" %ery long hour an" occasionally sleep o%er night in the office.
+y only concern is to sa%e enough money for my family an" pay my
outstan"ing loans.>
This attitu"e is symptomatic of a si4able number of executi%es for whom
wor& is meant to be barely e&e out an existence as they struggle to cope in the
harsh competiti%e en%ironment.
Enjoying work and play
The urge to compete with the best e%en if it means sacrificing one Ts
happiness, peace an" contentment is burning out executi%es. They seem to
ha%e forgotten that =all wor& an" no play ,rea" rest an" recreation- ma&e (ac&
a "ull man.> /n(oying the wor& en%ironment an" the (ob itself are more
important than "oing wor& for material gains. !t the en" of the successful
an" rewar"ing carrier, what really boils "own to is whether one Ts wor&
allows the pleasure of family happiness. .t is in"ee" possible to allow wor&
an" family to go han"5in5han". .nno%ation human resources policies must be
wor&e" into the last corporate philosophy to buil" a happy team. 6onsi"er
these:
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?or starter let it be a mantra that there is nothing that cannot wait for
tomorrow. 7ffice must shut at $.3Qpm an" all employees must be force" to
go home lea%ing there laptops as well as there mobile phones chec&e" in at
the safe "eposit loc&er. /%ening an" night are for family.
?ear of failure an" 4ero5error tolerance must be remo%e" an" "elegation
of authority must be encourage". ;erfectionism must be encourage" but only
to at "egree. .t is far better to ha%e a happy an" moti%ating team of me"iocre
people.
/xecuti%e must learn to relax, encourage" to be gregarious an" wor&
,an" also play- as a team. *et there be compulsory calisthenics an" wor& out
in the gymnasium or at the bas&etball or %olley ball court ,team an" contact
sports are better for bon"ing-. *i&ewise, regular an" monitore" physical
chec&ups ,most executi%es on the pretext of being too busy an" regret when it
is too late- are necessary.
Eest an" recreation are essential for tire" executi%e. Eecreation is the
"eri%ati%e of the wor" =create.> ! well5reste" an" refresh wor& force entering
office is more raring to be a part of a creati%e team.
.n to"ay Ts highly competiti%e corporate scenario, it nee"s har"ly any
emphasis that a contente" wor& force is a happy an" eternally loyal ban" of
people, which will be in measurably reflecte" in balance sheet an" wor&ing
result. *et us not un"uly emphasis on the new5foun" approach, =inno%ation or
perish.> Eather, let us temper our passion for inno%ation with a "own5to5earth
approach to the nee" of buil"ing a reser%oir of creati%e talent an" harness this
for the greater goo" of the company.

Humours at Work-
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ROLE OF HUMOUR AT WORKPLACE
(I) REDUCES STRESS
)hat is Stress<
Stress is a "irect result of an in"i%i"ual@s
assessment of the "eman"s ma"e on them by
their en%ironment, which are percei%e" as
threatening an" are reflecte" in the bo"y@s
physical responses i.e. .ncrease" heart rate,
muscle tension, increase" bloo" pressure an"
perspiration, sweaty palms, "ry mouth, chest
palpitations, nausea an" restlessness
.n prehistoric times, it was important to "eal with the physical threats all
aroun" us, an" it was often necessary to ma&e spee"y (u"gements on a course
of action in or"er to sur%i%e. ?or example, primiti%e man, confronte" by an
attac&ing "inosaur or a sabre toothe" tiger, percei%e", in such a threatening
situation, that a "eman" for imme"iate action was necessary an" that he neede
to:
1. Stan" an" fight
2. Eun
3. 'i"e
The bo"y@s stress response, couple" with a heightene" sense of awareness was an asset in these situations an" helpe" primiti%e man
sur%i%e the many "angers he face" throughout his life.
Humours at Work-
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'owe%er, mo"ern man, whose bo"y@s stress responses are the same as those of his ancestor, faces Lthreatening@ situations of a
completely "ifferent &in". These are triggere" by mo"ern "ay "eman"s, such as:
9eath of a close family member
+arital Separation
9i%orce
+o%ing 'ouse
)or& Eelate" .ssues
Eetirement
;ersonal .n(ury
Humour Is the Opposite of Stress
Cot only "oes stress re"uce our ability to thin& clearly, scientists say it
actually &ills brain cells. Humour increases brainpowerG
Humour assists resilience 5 using humour as a coping mechanism is a
metho" of "etachment. Humour enables one to "istance oneself from
professional an" personal problems# that is, to "etach or "isengage mentally
to put those situations into a proper perspecti%e. Or, to put it another way;
if you can joke you can cope!

"Nothing is good or bad. It is thinking that makes it so."
William Shakespeare
!ll of us, whether in our business li%es or personal li%es, are un"er stress to
pro"uce, abi"e by rules an" to exist compatibly on the (ob an" with others. .t
is expecte" of us to interact with co5wor&ers, super%isors, frien"s an"
relati%es. )e are to "o this without causing har"ship to oursel%es or others.
/ach "ay brings new, stressful situations we must "eal with in our business
li%es an" our personal li%es.
Stress is not confine" to upper management an" the people that ma&e the
ma(or "ecisions. Stress is foun" at all le%els of life. The anxiety of stress
shows in our li%es as a negati%e situation. )hat we nee" to "o is teach
oursel%es how to stay positi%e about (ob an" personal life situations. )e
nee" to learn philosophies in critical situations to pre%ent burn5out,
"epression, an" anger.
Humours at Work-
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3ecause of the manager@s position, it becomes pi%otal for them to i"entify the
warning signs of stress. .n or"er to "o that, the manager must first be able to
i"entify stress of their own.
'umour helps people to "iffuse stress by enabling them to %iew the worl"
with perspecti%e. Those in stressful situations might not be able to change the
reality of the situation, but they "o ha%e control o%er their sense of
perspecti%e about it. 'umour a"(usts meaning so that the e%ent is not so
powerful.
'umour can affect moti%ation an" pro"ucti%ity. !ccor"ing to research,
people who laugh a lot wor& better an" faster. 7ne sur%ey showe" that OB
of executi%es an" personnel "irectors belie%e that employees with a sense of
humour "o better wor&. ;eople who say they ha%e fun at wor& are also more
satisfie" with their (obs, are better able to meet the "eman"s of their (obs an"
are less li&ely to be absent or late. ;eople in a goo" moo" organise "ata
better, are more creati%e in wor" association an" "o better in tas&s in%ol%ing
memory. 'umour is sai" to impro%e "ecision ma&ing an" negotiating abilities
as well.
'umour can be a creati%e force. .t stimulates intellectual play with i"eas.
*aughter pro%i"es a psychological stress re"ucer as it snaps our thin&ing to
another channel ,what Corman 6ousins U calle" :train wrec&s of the min":-.
This is because one of the characteristics of humour is incongruity. ;eople
fin" something humorous when it is incongruous or mismatche". 8oo" (o&es
gui"e people "own one path only to trac& them onto another. The trac&ing is
calle" the punch line. !s people are :trac&e" o%er:, their thin&ing shifts,
brea&ing their min"5set an" this lea"s to increase" creati%ity.
'umour can facilitate learning. !ccor"ing to Dohn 6leese, people learn
nothing when they are asleep an" %ery little when they are bore". .f they ha%e
to ta&e anything in, they ha%e to be intereste"# an" if they ha%e to remember
it, they ha%e to be in%ol%e" emotionally. 'e belie%es that nothing can
compare with humour for this power to burn lessons in"elibly into the
consciousness
There are many ways to re"uce stress such as !ttitu"e, +e"itation, ;rayer,
+usic, /xercise, Cutrition, Sleep *istening, 6ommunication, *o%e, *aughter.
Humours at Work-
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Eealignments, mergers, global competition, peer pressure force the
employees to wor& har"er.
The employees "on@t ha%e fun because of steep pressure.
The employees wor& mechanically to meet "ea"lines.
Such people put themsel%es un"er pressure for no reason
They create negati%e energy in the wor& en%ironment
)or& is often associate" with stress, an" we &now that stress is one of the
main causes of illness, absenteeism, employee burn5out, etc. 'umor is a
great stress relie%er because it ma&es us feel goo", an" we can:t feel goo"
an" feel stress simultaneously. !t the moment we experience humor,
feelings li&e "epression, anger, an" anxiety "issol%e.

Humor and, its partner, laughter also reduce stress by activating the
physiological systems including the muscular, respiratory,
cardiovascular, and skeletal. Laughter has been labeled a jogging and
juggling of the internal organs. When we laugh we feel physically better,
and after laughter we feel lighter and more relaxed.

In addition, humor provides a psychological stress reducer as it
snaps our thinking to another channel. Norman Cousins called it
trainwrecks of the mind. One of the characteristics of humor is that it
involves incongruity. We find things humorous when they are
incongruous or mismatched. Good jokes guide us down one path only to
suddenly track us onto another. The tracking is what we call the punch
line. As we are tracked over, our thinking shifts and, in fact, breaking the
mind set of the thinking leads to increased creativity.
Humours at Work-
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How to Reduce Stress in the Workplace

;ositi%e (ob factors can play an important part in &eeping stress in chec&.
'a%ing supporti%e co5wor&ers, managing time effecti%ely, being acti%e in
social groups an" not ta&ing wor& home with you are effecti%e ways to
minimi4e stress.
+anagement can pro%i"e in%aluable assistance to employees ,an"
themsel%es- by setting effecti%e stress management techniques. Some of the
%ital ways to "o this are:
Set realistic goals and priorities: encourage employees to be part of the
priority5setting process. )hen they feel they are part of the "ecision, they are
more li&ely to ta&e responsibility, rather than grumble about Jmy nasty bossJ
an" Jthis terrible placeJ.
Encourage good time-management techniques: planning for important
acti%ities, sche"uling them in a"%ance, following up with others, an" &eeping
goo" recor"s help people get things accomplishe" on time an" reali4e their
%alue. Ta&e time to ma&e note of successes an" pro(ects accomplishe".

Take short breaks after a particularly stressful event encourage
employees to ta&e a $ minute wal& aroun" the bloc& or a few minutes of quiet
me"itation to re5balance their energies. Se%eral short brea&s throughout the
"ay can &eep employees wor&ing at pea& performance.
Rehearse and prepare: being prepare" re"uces stress. 3e prepare" in
a"%ance of stressful situations for all possible outcomes.
Don`t procrastinate: procrastination an" "elay bree"s stressG /liminate
items which won@tKcan@t get "one an" "o those that are important first.
Know your limits: be realistic about what you can accomplish.
Humours at Work-
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Change your attitudes :Thin& of stressful situations as a challenge to your
creati%e thin&ing. Inow that e%entually e%erything will either get "one or it
won@t 5 worrying won@t ma&e it better.
Learn to say "no": when your sche"ule is full, say JnoJ to acti%ities you
"on@t en(oy, to unrealistic "eman"s, to responsibilities that aren@t yours.
9oing this with tact an" "iplomacy ta&es some practice an" may require
special training.
Schedule your stress: stagger &nown stressful acti%ities an" prepare for
&nown stress in a"%ance.
Encourage employees to treat their body right: eat a balance" "iet, get
enough sleep, exercise regularly. 6ompanies that encourage employees to
ta&e a Jfruit brea&J or $5minute wal& fin" the employees will wor& more
effecti%ely than if they are Jhype"J by cigaretteKcoffee brea&s an" little
physical exercise in their (obs.
Encourage positive self-talk: use positi%e self5reinforcement affirmations,
li&e J. can han"le this one step at a timeJ an" JSomehow the whole team will
wor& this outJ.
Give positive reinforcement: ma&e sure that all managers an" super%isors
tell people when they "o a goo" (ob, complement them on their neat offices
or conscientious wor& habits.
Set up employee recognition programs: J/mployee of the +onthJ or
J6reati%e SuggestionJ systems encourage people to "o a goo" (ob. /%eryone
nee"s a pat on the bac& an" a sense of being a %aluable person. 6onstant
criticism is counter5pro"ucti%e an" causes har" feelings. ! "aily positi%e
comment goes a long way, at no costG
Take responsibility: encourage employees to ta&e responsibility for their
own (ob an" for their contribution to the success of the company as a whole.
This encourages a feeling of control o%er their life. *et them &now how
important their efforts are to the o%erall plan.
Humours at Work-
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Provide a sympathetic ear: often stressful situations can be manage", if
there is someone who is willing to listen to the employee@s concerns an"
pro%i"e positi%e encouragement that they will get through the problem. ?or
many people, 1$ minutes of a sympathetic listener can cancel out many "ays
of otherwise unpro"ucti%e worry.
Most important, MAINTAIN A SENSE OF HUMOR : !s a wise
philosopher sai", J9on@t ta&e life so seriously, it@s only a hobbyJ. Try to
remember what was stressful in your life six months ago or a year ago.
6hances are, you can@t. Inow that this "ay will be (ust another "ay in history
an" whate%er seems traumatic now will fa"e into obli%ion as time passes.
Laughter is the medicine from the gods but great medicine for humans!
The physical effects of excessi%e stress ha%e long been recogni4e" 55 from
heart attac&s an" stro&es to ulcers an" other gastrointestinal "isor"ers.
6ontinual stress also ta&es a toll on the bo"y:s immune system, causing
frequent col"s an" other illnesses. ;sychologically, stress can lea" to
"epression, anxiety an" e%en panic attac&s. Specifically, the stress pro"uce"
by aggression in the wor&place has Jbeen associate" with physical an"
psychological "istress, resulting in "ecrease" pro"ucti%ity, commitment an"
loyalty,J says 'armon. !lso, %ictims of or witnesses to %iolence in the
wor&place may suffer from a range of trauma5relate" illness inclu"ing post5
traumatic stress "isor"er.
Sixty percent of lost wor&"ays each year can be attribute" to stress. .n
a""ition, an estimate" N$ to PQ percent of %isits to health care pro%i"ers are
"ue to stress5relate" con"itions, costing employers in increase" health care
costs. ! list of physical an" psychological warning signs of stress exhaustion
appears on this page. Stress also can ha%e a "irect effect on the way people
han"le their (obs. /mployees un"er stress may ma&e more mista&es, ha%e
trouble concentrating, become "isorgani4e", become angry or (ust stop caring
about their wor&. The Wall Street Journal reporte" that one thir" of people
sur%eye" consi"ere" quitting their (obs because of stress an" 1 percent
actually "i".
Humours at Work-
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Allow Yourself to Play and Have Fun

Shakespeare wrote: 'The child is father of the man'.
.n other wor"s, how you are as a chil" lays the groun"wor& for the a"ult you
grow up to be.)oul"n@t you thin& that the playfulness an" fun that people
en(oy as a chil"woul" carry o%er into their a"ulthoo"< Fnfortunately this is
not always so.!s we grow up we are tol" to :be serious, grow up, face reality:,
or :get real:.2ou can create a real worl" that inclu"es playfulness an" fun.
+any of the rich an" famous ha%e not lost the spirit of play.+any people fin"
fun an" play in sports of all &in"s. Successful businesspeople obtain
legitimate an" acceptable relaxation an" fun by participating in, or watching,
sport.
The film, tele%ision an" li%e acting in"ustry create humour an" fun for
recreation. )hole empires such as the 9isney 6orporation, ha%e been built
aroun" fun an" playfulness not only for chil"ren but for a"ults as well.
7ne of the most quote" sayings about the 9isney empire is, :Eemember, it
all starte" with a mouse.: !ll aspects of fun an" playfulness allow you to
escape from the monotony or
stress of your "aily life. *aughter releases en"orphins which &eep your bo"y
well an" lengthen your life.
Humours at Work-
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Why is Humour and Laughter Important?
There is a reason why the ol" saying goes, J*aughter is the best me"icineJ 5
laughter "oes cure ailmentsG
*aughter is not only an anti"ote to emotional ailments li&e "epression, it also
plays its part in helping our bo"ies o%ercome physical "iseases.
'umor in our "aily li%es is an essential ingre"ient of happiness. So, learn to
loo& on the funny si"e of things. /%en serious situations. Dust because you
laugh, it "oesn:t mean the situation is any less serious or important. 3ut it sure
"oes lighten an" lift the moo".
!ccor"ing to +ar& Twain, laughter is the Jone effecti%e weaponJ that
human&in" has. So use it. !n" "on:t be afrai" of it. *aughter "oesn:t &ill youG
'a%e you ha" a goo" laugh to"ay< .f you ha%en:t, then please "o 5 "on:t let
the "ay go to wasteG *aughter melts the "istances between people. *aughter

Humours at Work-
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(II) HUMOUR IMPROVES EMPLOYEE MORALE
)or&ing with people on a "aily basis can be so rewar"ing when there is
laughter in the en%ironment. +any a times wor& stoppages, natural "isasters
an" emergenciesRlaughter helps ease tensions, an" the focus of getting tas&s
"one becomes more en(oyable an" less stressful.
Ee"uce" wor&place morale le" the Cew Dersey 9epartment of *abor in the
mi"51PPQs to recommen" that companies create a morale committee, whose
purpose woul" be to come up with ways to boost employee morale.
7ne of the main causes of lowere" morale has been the hea%y "ownsi4ing
that has been occurring for the past 2Q years. ! 1PP2 stu"y by the !merican
+anagement !ssociation J. . . showe" that of more than $QQ firms sur%eye"
that ha" cut (obs since 1PON, more than N$B reporte" that employee morale
ha" collapse".J !gain, there is ample e%i"ence that this collapse continues
to"ay.
There is strong interest now, among both employers an" employees, in
fin"ing ways to impro%e the quality of the wor& en%ironment an"Rin the
processRboost morale. /"ucate" employees want meaningful wor&, an" they
want to en(oy their (obs. Since low morale generally translates into re"uce"
Humours at Work-
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pro"ucti%ity, it is clearly important for e%ery company to ma&e the effort to
fin" ways to boost morale.
There is no more powerful tool for impro%ing morale ,with the possible
exception of "oubling one@s salary- than ma&ing wor& fun. ?un, humor an"
laughter are en(oyable in their own right, but they also ma&e your wor& more
en(oyable by re"ucing the stress your (ob generatesRas well as the negati%e
emotional state that goes with it. They help let go of frustrations an" upsets
that accumulate "uring the "ay. Do&es relate" to the source of the upset
pro%i"e a means of airing complaints in a way that "oesn@t fee" negati%ity in
the office. This &in" of %enting is especially %aluable in sustaining morale in
situations where you simply ha%e to learn to li%e with a negati%e situation for
the time being.
Some companies use pran&s to boost morale. Sun +icrosystems *aboratories,
.nc. encourages its engineers to come up with elaborate pran&s on !pril
?ools@ 9ay. 7ne "ay, the %ice presi"ent of the company foun" a life5si4e
replica of his office at the bottom of a shar& tan& in the San ?rancisco
!quarium. The management encourages these annual pran&s, because they@re
con%ince" that they boost morale an" stimulate teamwor&..n(ecting a little
fun into the wor&"ay helps impro%e morale.
7ne of my clients who lea"s a call centre, occasionally sets up game "ays
where e%eryone "resses up in a theme an" the teams compete against each
other to get the most sales.
The laughter an" (oy in their %oices bubble o%er into the phones an" their
customers pic& up on the high morale rolling through the team.
5 Ways To Improve Workplace Morale
.ncrease" turno%ers, costly "ecreases in pro"ucti%ity an" o%erall
employee "issatisfaction are all ramifications of low morale in the wor&place.
+oral is a %ital component of any organi4ation or business for it to thri%e an"
!chie%e success
'ere are fi%e ways to impro%e wor&place morale easily an"
inexpensi%ely that will boost your team:s performance an" lower le%els of
Tension an" stress
Install a Humor Board
Humours at Work-
Place

+ost e%ery office has se%eral memo boar"s for important wor&5relate"
information, some pleasant, some not so pleasant. .nstall a memo boar" in a
neutral location that is specifically for people to post (o&es, cartoons, funny
pictures or amusing anec"otes. This way e%eryone can get a little laugh after
arri%ing for wor& on a "reary +on"ay morning.
Adopt Flextime Schedules
.f possible, wor& out a way for employees to ha%e more flexibility in their
sche"ules. 2ou may be surprise" at the amount of stress that can be alle%iate"
by this one thing. )ith "aycares an" househol"s with two wor&ing parents,
an" possibly only one %ehicle, this small mo%e can be monumental to some
people. )or& out a sche"ule or system for employees to lea%e an hour early
or come in an hour late on certain "ays. !lternate "ays an" times so that
/%eryone gets an opportunity if nee"e".
Get Away From It All
'ol" meetings an" conferences at a location away from the office if at all
possible. ! restaurant or local par& woul" be a welcome alternati%e to a
stuffy boar"room on a clear, spring "ay. ;eople may be more alert an" more
recepti%e to the specifics of the meeting in another less stifling en%ironment.
Share the Wealth
7ffer employees incenti%es to JcoachJ their co5wor&ers on their lunch or
brea& times. .ncenti%es coul" come in the form of pai" time off, gift
certificates to stores or restaurants, mo%ie tic&ets or e%en small, simple
mementos to show appreciation. This is a morale booster in a few ways#
firstly, new or confuse" employees can glean %aluable information from their
more experience" colleagues an" secon"ly, it may ma&e the JcoachJ feel
3etter about themsel%es their (obs an" their performance.
Offer Contests and Awards
Humours at Work-
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Special "ays such as JFgliest 7utfit 9ayJ or J3est 9isguise 9ayJ or
J?unniest Story 9ayJ can be a way to lighten the moo" for a bit an"
encourage communication between employees. 7ffer Jawar"sJ which can be
simple
;ri4es an" certificates gi%en to the winners to "isplay.
3oosting employee morale "oesn:t ha%e to be expensi%e or in%ol%e". /%en
contagious cheerfulness on a regular basis can mean the "ifference between a
"our wor&place an" a welcoming, pro"ucti%e one. !s& the employees for
their i"eas an" listen to their thoughts. )or& out a %iable plan that will
moti%ate them an" ma&e them more pro"ucti%e an" happier at the same time.
Benefits of fun at work
.ncrease in pro"ucti%ity: 7rgani4ations where wor& becomes fun are
more pro"ucti%e. The importance of fun an" a high le%el of energy can
ma&e a significant "ifference. .nfosys "escribes its wor& culture thus:
=)e woul" li&e to "escribe our people an" our wor&place in simple
terms. 3ut it isn@t easy when what we are trying to "escribe is a certain
feeling of (oie "e %i%re# a feeling of energy an" %itality, of freshness, of
a place where people are unafrai" to %oice new i"eas, of a place where
there is minimal hierarchy.>
)or&ing for the fun of it: This happens when the wor&force "oes not
atten" office (ust for earning a li%ing but because they "eri%e a great
(oy from their (ob. )hen your "uty becomes a "elight, it is a mar%elous
feeling.
6hec&ing attrition: +ono5tony of wor& is one of the prime reasons for
attrition in the .T an" .teS sector. 'igh attrition rate a""s to the cost
factor an" "irectly affects the bottomline. .ntro"uction of shorter an"
flexible wor&ing hours are a"%ise".
Curturing inno%ation: ! wor& culture that gi%es its employees the
free"om to thin& an" act is the bree"ing groun" for creati%ity an"
inno%ation.
Humours at Work-
Place
9 Ways to Improve Staff Morale
Staff turno%er costs companies millions of "ollars e%ery year. The cost of lost
wor& "ays, inter%iewing can"i"ates, re%iewing resumes, chec&ing references,
filing paperwor& an" training the new staff member is much more expensi%e,
in most cases, than creating a wor& en%ironment where staff members are
happy an" want to stay. .f you:re worrie" about waning staff morale in your
company, here are some things you can "o to &eep employees happy an"
pro"ucti%e.
Give bonuses:
/%en a little bonus can mean a lot. 3onuses impro%e morale an" increase
pro"ucti%ity. /xplore the possibility of "ifferent bonus structures inclu"ing:
holi"ay bonuses, birth"ay wee& bonuses, sales bonuses, hire "ate anni%ersary
bonuses, an" e"ucation bonuses.
Plan a staff retreat:
Time to relax an" get to &now your colleagues in a social en%ironment
impro%es teamwor& an" again, pro"ucti%ity. 'owe%er, many people won:t
want to spen" a wee&en" away from their families e%en if you put them up in
a nice hotel. Thin& one5"ay staff retreats twice a year. 6lose the office on a
wor& "ay an" spen" the "ay at a spa, golfing, at a theme par&, going to "inner
an" a mo%ie, hi&ing, &aya&ing, or at the 4oo.
Pay for education:
+ost community colleges an" computer centers offer relati%ely inexpensi%e
classes to help people impro%e computer s&ills, management an" lea"ership
s&ills, or language s&ills. .f an employee is willing to spen" time ta&ing one
of these classes, rewar" himKher by reimbursing part of the tuition or gi%ing
them a completion bonus. The "esire to increase e"ucation an" learn new
s&ills is an attribute of a goo" employee.
Humours at Work-
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Involve their families:

!n annual holi"ay party or summer picnic is a great way to bring employees
together along with their families. /%en a barbeque at the par& with a game of
softball or water balloons can be a lot of fun. 9uring the holi"ays, rent an ice
s&ating rin& or get e%eryone together to %olunteer at a soup &itchen. 3uy new
chairs an" &eyboar" trays. *et your employees &now that their comfort an"
safety is your concern. +ost employees won:t spen" o%er V1QQ on a &eyboar"
tray, but you coul". !n" who woul"n:t appreciate a top5of5the5line
ergonomically5correct &eyboar" tray that a"(usts for height an" tilt with the
touch of a finger< )e foun" great "eals at Hersa ;ro"ucts
Have casual days :
6asual ?ri"ays are nice, but so are special casual "ays once a month. *et
people come into wor& in (eans an" comfortable shoes an" they:ll be in a
better moo". ?ree &raft ser%ices. +ost employers pro%i"e coffee for their staff
but the staff en" up ma&ing it. 3ring in healthy snac&s once a wee& li&e a
fruit bas&et, in"i%i"ual mini sala"s, or trays of bagels. 2ou can also stoc& up
on Stash or Ta4o teas, biscotti, yogurt, granola bars an" those 1QQ5calorie
bags of chips, coo&ies, an" pret4els. 'a%ing lunch "eli%ere" once e%ery
couple of wee&s is also a nice gesture an" employees will appreciate the
money they sa%e from ha%ing to buy lunch out. !nother fun e%ent is to ha%e
the employees ma&e lunch once a month. !lternate between the men an" the
women, "ifferent "i%isions of the company, etc. +a&e sure e%en upper
management gets in%ol%e". Staff will learn new recipes an" techniques from
other employees an" they:ll ha%e fun. The rest will en(oy eatingG
(III) Strengthens/Bolsters team spirit

Humours at Work-
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Team buil"ing pro%i"es employees with the opportunity to use creati%ity in
their wor&. 3y allowing employees to explore their own creati%ity freely
using a team effort they were able to create something that was useful to the
company. .n essence, when employers gi%e employees more free"om to
express their &nowle"ge they are opening the gate for more inno%ate
thin&ing.
Team buil"ing has many benefits such as: buil" stability, ignite staff morale,
moti%ate, an" focus staff especially when facing layoffs. .n a""ition, it is a
way to &eep the more talente" staff challenge" by wor&ing in teams. Team
buil"ing will show how each staff is important to the company.
+ost companies emphasi4e the importance of buil"ing a team spirit
or team i"entity at all le%els of the organi4ation. The i"ea is that if in"i%i"ual
employees feel li&e a meaningful part of a larger whole, they are more li&ely
to ta&e the initiati%e to "o whate%er is necessary to achie%e the goals of the
team. This helps assure the success of the team, an" successful teams mean a
successful company. The challenge of creating "ynamic an" effecti%e teams
that wor& well together has become greater in recent years, howe%er, as the
employees composing teams ha%e become more culturally "i%erse. 'umor is
a powerful tool in buil"ing more cohesi%e groups. !n" this is important,
because cohesi%e groups wor& together better in pursuing common goals
especially in situations where there are expectations for high performance.
+anagers in a %ariety of wor& settings who initiate humor ha%e been shown
to be more li&ely to become an integral part of a socially cohesi%e group.
Humours at Work-
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Achieve Goals and Encourage Teamwork
3ecause humor in the wor&place has the potential to enhance pro"ucti%ity, it
often helps organi4ations complete goals an" meets "ea"lines. 'umor is
especially helpful when lea"ers use it to get a team pro(ect through the
necessary stages towar" completion.
Why is humor so important during a project?
+ost pro(ects come across roa"bloc&s an" problems along the way that can
"erail progress an" cause "elays. *ea"ers who use humor to "iffuse a
stressful situation or face problems with a positi%e outloo& are more li&ely to
mo%e past issues that crop up quic&ly an" efficiently.
The effecti%e use of humor also allows team members to use creati%e
problem sol%ing to resol%e "ilemmas because they feel safe to Jthin& outsi"e
the box.J
The appropriate use of humor "e%elops a sense of trust between team lea"ers
an" members that promotes originality an" imagination. 'owe%er, it:s
important to reali4e that the use of humor shoul" not "etract from the pro(ect
at han". Too much humor can ha%e a negati%e effect on employees if it is
o%eruse", an" harm the pro(ect rather than help it.
Temper humor with professionalism an" stay away from sarcasm an"
ri"icule, which ha%e nothing to "o with light hearte", wor&5appropriate
humor.
How Humor Creates Winning Teams
1) Removal of Barriers that Separate Management from Other
Employees
There are certain barriers that naturally exist between managers an" non5
management members of the teamRthe most important of which is power
an" authority. )hen managers show that they can laugh with e%eryone else in
Humours at Work-
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the group an"R especiallyR can po&e fun at themsel%es, the barriers come
"own, an" the manager is %iewe" as a Jregular person,J li&e e%eryone else on
the team. This is essential to open communication between bosses an" their
subor"inates.
Eesearch has shown that when the manager initiates (o&es an" is also
occasionally the target of (o&es, sKhe ten"s to be %iewe" as a frien", rather
than a boss. This frien"ship, in turn, opens up comfortable an" honest
communication. The in"i%i"uals con"ucting this research argue that the
increase" group cohesi%eness that results from share" humor "oes result in
increase" team pro"ucti%ity, but only when performance norms are high.
Since performance norms ha%e continue" to rise o%er the past "eca"e,
%irtually all employees are now confronte" with such high performance
norms.
2) Emotional Bonding
!s note" abo%e, share" laughter an" the spirit of fun generates a bon"ing
process in which people feel closer together, especially when laughing in the
mi"st of a"%ersity. This emotional glue enables team members to stic&
together on the tough "ays, when members of the team nee" each other to
complete a pro(ect an" assure quality customer ser%ice.
3) Open Communication
! common complaint in many organi4ations is a lac& of goo" communication
with management. ! lighter atmosphere, an" a manager who shares humor
with the team, is a powerful tool in opening up the channels of
communication. .t frees team members up to communicate openly, without
fear of reprisal. This is especially important when an employee &nows that
hisKher opinion "iffers from that of management.
4) Trust
7ne of the by5pro"ucts share" laughter an" goo" open communication is a
growing sense of trust. This is also, of course, partly a result of the emotional
bon"ing that occurs through share" positi%e humor. )hen comfortable an"
open communication is lac&ing, it bree"s a sense of "istrust, an" there is no
Humours at Work-
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way that a team can function effecti%ely when this occurs. )ithout trust,
communications can quic&ly become "efensi%e or "istorte", setting up future
misun"erstan"ings.
5) Improved Morale
)hen teams ha%e fun on the (ob an" share laughter, they en(oy their wor&
more# an" people who li&e their (obs wor& more effecti%ely together. This is
an especially important benefit of humor on the (ob, since employee morale
has been "ropping in many companies in recent years.
6) Reduced 1ob Stress
7ther articles at this website "ocument humor:s power in helping employees
manage (ob stress. 3y re"ucing "aily stress le%els, humor an" a lighter
attitu"e help sustain the focuse" mental state require" to "o one:s wor&
effecti%ely when un"er pressure# it allows you to get a lot "one an" get it
"one quic&ly. .t gi%es employees the emotional flexibility require" to ben"
without brea&ing.
!lso, as anyone who:s e%er wor&e" on a team &nows, e%en when it:s only a
few team members who are experiencing stress, their emotional state can
quic&ly sprea" to other team members, interfering with the entire team:s
performance. The greater the percentages of team members who recei%e the
stress5re"ucing effect of humor, the greater the team:s chances of success on a
pro(ect.
7) Increased Creativity
.t opens up new ways of %iewing things an" stimulates inno%ati%e i"eas for
solutions to "ifficult problems. This effect is especially important in team
settings, where the i"eas of one person can ser%e to trigger no%el i"eas for
resol%ing problems in someone else.
!s note" abo%e, a lighter atmosphere re"uces fear of re(ection of one:s i"eas,
ma&ing team members more willing to ta&e ris&s in proposing unusual i"eas.
!lso when your own i"eas are not a"opte", a sense of humor helps Jlet goJ of
the upset we all occasionally feel when someone else:s i"eas are (u"ge" more
%aluable that our own. This frees you up to wor& more effecti%ely with the
i"eas the team puts up on the table.
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So you ha%e e%ery reason to *ighten FpG Teams that *augh, wor&G
'ence, team buil"ing is always goo" for staff to "e%elop their creati%ity,
buil" morale, an" encourage interaction among staff. /mployees nee" to feel
special an" team buil"ing is a tool e%ery employer shoul" use in "e%eloping
people.
(IV) Enhances creativity

6reati%e thin&ing in the wor&place is more important now than e%er before.
)ith the rapi" pace of change that has been occurring throughout this "eca"e,
e%ery company in the country has ha" to face up to the fact that the ol"
solutions "on:t wor& any more. .n fact, the problems themsel%es are often
new. This means that it is essential to ha%e employees in your organi4ation
who are capable of Jthin&ing outsi"e the box,J an" coming up with
inno%ati%e an" effecti%e solutions that your competitors ha%e not thought of. .
. There has been research since the 1P$Qs "ocumenting a close relationship
between humor an" creati%ity. ;eople with a better sense of humor ten" to be
more creati%e. There is e%en e%i"ence that you can boost scores on a
stan"ar"i4e" test of creati%ity by exposing people to humor or other
con"itions which establish a Jplayful atmosphere.J
6orporations aroun" the worl" ha%e "isco%ere" that in perio"s of rapi"
change, the ol" solutions to problems "on:t wor& any more. 6ompanies nee"
creati%e in"i%i"uals who are able to come up with inno%ati%e an" effecti%e
solutions to problems they:%e ne%er encountere" before. They also nee" to
pro%i"e a wor& en%ironment con"uci%e to such creati%e problem sol%ing.
.mpro%ing your sense of humor has been shown to boost scores on creati%ity
Humours at Work-
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tests, an" appropriate forms of humor an" laughter on the (ob are an effecti%e
way to sustain the &in" of mental state an" wor& atmosphere &nown to be
+ost con"ucti%e to creati%e problem sol%ing.
'umor ma&es us thin& more flexibly. ;eople who thin& funny "o better on
creati%ity stu"ies. To put it really simply, humor loosens up your brain to
thin& of more possibilities an" be more open to the wil" an" wac&y ones.
Example: ! bunch of paint engineers were moaning an" bitching about how
har" it is to get paint off a house. 7ne guy says, =)hy "on@t we (ust put
gunpow"er in the paint an" blow it off the house<> That le" people to thin&,
=)hat coul" we "o that woul" be the equi%alent of gunpow"er<> They came
up with a chemical they a""e" to the paint an" when you wante" to remo%e
the paint you "i" a light wash with a secon" chemical o%er the first one. That
"i"n@t blow it off the house, but it allowe" it to "rop off.
6reati%e thin&ing in the wor&place is more important now than e%er before.
)ith the rapi" pace of change that has been occurring throughout this "eca"e,
e%ery company in the country has ha" to face up to the fact that the ol"
solutions "on:t wor& any more. .n fact, the problems themsel%es are often
new.
This means that it is essential to ha%e employees in your organi4ation who are
capable of Jthin&ing outsi"e the box,J an" coming up with inno%ati%e an"
effecti%e solutions that your competitors ha%e not thought of. .n an e%er5
more5competiti%e global mar&etplace, you nee" all the creati%ity you can
muster up to be successful.
There are three ways to increase the le%el of creati%ity within your company:
1- create a wor& en%ironment con"uci%e to more creati%e thin&ing 2- hire
more creati%e employees an" 3- fin" ways to buil" up the creati%e abilities of
the employees you ha%e. ?or maximum results, you can mo%e in all three
"irections at the same time, an" humor has an important contribution to ma&e
in each case.
(V) Boosts Sales
Humours at Work-
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!ny experience" sales person can tell you about the power of humor in sales.
'umor helps brea& "own any initial ob(ections the potential buyer has by
creating a positi%e emotional "isposition towar" both you an" the pro"uct or
i"ea. .t also hol"s the buyer@s attention e%en when sKhe may prefer to "irect
attention elsewhere. This is why ra"io an" tele%ision commercials now use
humor so often.
(V1) Increases Communication
8oo" communications are extremely important for the cor"ial atmosphere
an" goo" pro"ucti%ity in the wor&place. .nability to communicate effecti%ely
with the colleagues an" bosses might lea" mista&es that that coul" lea" to
poor pro"ucti%ity an" losses. /ffecti%e communications are an absolute must
for buil"ing up trust, frien"ship or relationships in life.
+eeting people personally an" ha%ing
"iscussions with them, is the best way to
communicate. )hen you meet people an"
un"erstan" each other:s bo"y language, you
woul" be able to buil" a rapport with each
other. )hen a personal meeting is impossible
it is goo" to &eep in touch o%er the phone.
3uil"ing up a networ& in the "ifferent "epartments of the company an" e%en
outsi"e, is of primary importance.
)hen people use humor others listen. .n counseling, humor can increase
communication since it can be a non5threatening way of passing a message
from the counselor to the client. 6artoons that po&e fun at situations similar
to those of the client may gi%e the client a message that a "irect statement by
the counselor woul" not con%ey. .n a""ition by using humor the counselor
Humours at Work-
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will more rea"ily catch the client:s attention an" therefore, the message is
more li&ely to be hear".
'umour opens lines of communication between in"i%i"uals.
By doing so the timely and intelligent use of humour assists in the
process of problem solving.
Communication is Removal of Barriers between Management and Non-
Management Staff
!s long as "istinctions are ma"e between management an" non5
management employees, there will always be barriers to goo"
communication. Some managers ha%e a style which "iscourages open
communication. )hen a manager uses humor ,especially occasional self5
"irecte" humor-, howe%er, it says to e%eryone on the team that sKhe@s a
regular personRsKhe@s one of us. To function as a team, you nee" openness
an" comfort in bringing up "ifficult issues, an" share" positi%e humor is a
powerful means of achie%ing that. !ny organi4ation that wants or nee"s the
full commitment of its employees to wor& as a team nee"s to establish a
relaxe" an" open wor& atmosphere. ! manager who shows that sKhe has a
goo" sense of humor goes a long way in establishing this atmosphere.
Basic Rules for Using Humor in Talks and Meetings
1- 3e sure the humor is rele%ant to the point you nee" to ma&e.
)e@%e all seen people in meetings tell (o&es or anec"otes that ha%e no
bearing on the issue at han". )e@re left trying to figure out the point of the
(o&e, which assures we@ll miss any important information pro%i"e" "uring
that time. .rrele%ant humor is "istracting, an" may e%en be annoying.
2- Eemember the san"wich approach.+a&e your point, then illustrate it with
humor, an" then rema&e the point again. The final remin"er of the point is not
always necessary, but helps assure that your au"ience "oesn@t go away
remembering only the (o&e.
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(VI1) Humour increases overall productivity
+ixing wor& with fun not only a""s to one:s pro"ucti%ity, but also helps
control wor&5relate" stress, accor"ing to stu"ies. Fnfortunately, certain
preconcei%e" notions ha%e le" to managers feeling that wor&place humour
lea"s to less pro"ucti%ity. They ten" to belie%e in the :*isterine: management
mo"el which emphasi4es that Jit has to taste ba" to be effecti%e.J 3ut in
reality, people who really en(oy their wor& can:t tell the "ifference between
wor& an" fun.
So how "oes humour really help one:s pro"ucti%ity< /xperts say a goo" sense
of humour at wor& helps re"uce stress, buil" confi"ence an" most
importantly, boost the morale of the team, which woul" ultimately lea" to an
increase in pro"ucti%ity. Fse of appropriate humour brings people closer an"
helps the team to gel as a cohesi%e unit.
Ee"uce" Stress, .ncrease" 6reati%ity, Stronger Team ."entity, .mpro%e"
communication s&ills all these helps to increase pro"ucti%ity.
The 3 R`s of Humour and Stress
1. REWARD Yourself: 8i%e yourself a fun rewar" each an" e%ery time
you encounter a common stressor in your life. .f you "o this
effecti%ely, you may e%en begin to loo& forwar" to things that were
pre%iously a source of stress for you. ! ban& manager in Cew 2or&,
for example, offere" his tellers a free champagne "inner each wee& to
whoe%er ha" the Jworst customer experience storyJ as a way to help<
them "eal with the stress.
2. REFRAME a stressor: 9o what come"ians an" humorists "o, mentally
reframe situations to fin" the humor in them. ?orce yourself to loo&
at your next problem in a wac&y light. Try the ol", the Jba" news is
. . .but the 8779 news is. . .J formula to see if you can fin"
something to laugh about.
3. RELAX: 8i%e yourself a humor brea& the next time you feel
stresse". Stress can cause our brains to shut "own by as much as NQB.
So we nee" to ta&e the time to laugh or change our mental focus to
help us "eal with problems hea" on with a clear an" focusse" hea".
Humours at Work-
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Fse a funny prop, a goofy costume part to help you access your sense
of humor, reach for your fa%orite humor boo& or Juse a lifelineJ
phone a frien" or co5wor&er an" as& them to Jma&e you laughGJ
VARIOUS BENEFITS OF HUMOUR
Physical Health Benefits
Stronger immune system
.mpro%es car"io%ascular health
Ee"uce pain
Ee"uce stress hormone
+uscle relaxation
Mental Health Benefits
*ess stress
Ee"uce anger, anxiety
.ncrease" (oy, ali%eness
+ore positi%e, optimistic moo"
Sense of control
.ncrease" emotional intelligence
Work-Related Benefits
'umour impro%es:
Team buil"ing
6ommunication s&ills
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6onflict management
+orale ,(ob satisfaction
6reati%ity, problem sol%ing
Stress management
;ro"ucti%ity
Times Ascent Article
/mployees@ woes
?rom generic queries on payroll, compensation to se%ere grie%ances li&e
harassment an" bullying, an employee may un"ergo many problems without
hisKher senior@s &nowle"ge. 7r e%en worse "espite hisKher senior@s
&nowle"ge. So what shoul" a firm "o to ensure an employee is not a lone5
ranger grappling with these circumstances< =/%ery organi4ation must ha%e a
systematic grie%ance proce"ure to re"ress the grie%ances effecti%ely as part of
goo" go%ernance,> asserts +arcel E ;ar&er, chairman, .I2! 'uman 6apital
Solutions, a 3angalore base" 'E consultancy.
'e further a""s, =!ll employers must pro%i"e their staffers with a written
grie%ance proce"ure complying with the statutory grie%ance proce"ures
,S8;s-.> This ma&es the employees aware that they can ha%e an official time5
boun" channel for their grie%ances.

The impact of not ha%ing an effecti%e grie%ance han"ling system can be
rather "etrimental. Fnatten"e" grie%ances culminate in the form of conflicts.
This can hamper the reputation of the company as an employer. +oreo%er, it
can affect the morale of the employees an" create an en%ironment of
uncertainty. =.mproper han"ling of grie%ances can lea" to frustration an" "e5
moti%ation resulting in absenteeism an" in"iscipline. This finally impacts the
health an" pro"ucti%ity of the organi4ation,> cautions Ea(esh ;a"manabhan,
executi%e H; an" hea" A 8lobal 'E, ;atni.

There are a few firms that are lea"ing the way by being proacti%e in this area.
;atni has "e%elope" a forum calle" /56are since !pril 2QQ. The aim of this
forum is to a"" a personal touch to the entire process of employee grie%ance.
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The initiati%e focuses at pro%i"ing a single point of contact to employees for
a""ressing their queries an" concerns. =/56are attempts to resol%e employee
queries in minimal time an" hence pro%i"e better quality of wor& life,> notes
;a"manabhan.
/laborating on the same, he a""s, =)e ensure that the grie%ance is a""resse"
in wor&ing "ays. . personally trac& the wor&ing of this an" ma&e the entire
system accountable for timely resolution an" satisfactory response.> ;atni has
recei%e" o%er 2QQQ queries in the last 3 months un"er this program. ;atni
encourages its employees to post queries, so that it can create a repository of
"ata. =)hile resolution is the short term ob(ecti%e, the clear a"%antage is 5 it
tells us the way forwar" in terms of employee expectation an" aspiration.
!ccor"ingly, this becomes a significant input for our me"ium term an" long
term ob(ecti%es,> ;a"manabhan points out.

!nother Technology player which is proacti%e in grie%ance re"ressal is
Cet!pp. .t has an open5"oor policy for its employees. !nyone, across any
le%el with a grie%ance can "irectly approach the imme"iate management for
consulting. They also ha%e a practice of Skip Level Meetings. 'erein, an
employee can approach the secon" le%el of the management "irectly,
s&ipping the first le%el. Spea&ing of the importance of such a practice,
S.E.+an(unath, 'E "irector, Cet!pp .n"ia says, =This ai"s in assessing the
employee satisfaction in the company.> 'e further a""s, =7n an a%erage,
QB 5 $QB of the employees a%ail of this forum.> To monitor the
effecti%eness of this practice, Cetapp con"ucts regular employee sur%eys.

Similarly, Steria, a 9elhi base" .T firm has a %ariety of tools to a""ress its
employees@ grie%ances. ?rom ha%ing a 'arassment policy to a confi"ential
helpline for grie%ances, Steria ensures the employee complaints are "ealt
with. =These tools are pre%enti%e tools. .t@s important to "emonstrate to our
staffers that we are a fair wor&place,> says Hi&ram Iarayi, senior H;, 'E A
Steria. Cot only this, the firm also re%iews an" up"ates these grie%ance
policies regularly. =7ur grie%ance policy has been in place since a "eca"e but
it@s loo&e" at an" up"ate" by the management bi5annually "uring the o%erall
policy re%iew,> Iarayi notes.
The one challenge that perhaps comes in way of most employers while
a""ressing these grie%ances is the time factor. =/nsuring that the time factor
is a"here" to in respon"ing to grie%ance han"ling is the biggest challenge in
Humours at Work-
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this process,> ;ar&er conclu"es.
HOW TO BRING FUN AT WORKPLACE
1. Dress for fun :5 )ear something fri%olous A e%ery "ay if appropriate. .t
"oesn@t ha%e to be %isible: Lnaughty@ un"erwear, silly soc&s, etc. The fact that
you ha%e this on will remin" you not to ta&e yourself so seriously.
+a&e this philosophy %isible by ha%ing a L9ress for ?un ?ri"ay@ A (ust li&e a
6asual ?ri"ay, except staff ha%e to a"" something specifically for fun A silly
earrings, ba" ties, fun hats, etc.
2. Fun Dcor: - /ncourage staff to intro"uce fun into their own wor&5space.
Toys, stic&ers, photos, whate%er will lighten up their "ay. 9on@t let Loffice
neatness@ rules get in the way A anything less that a safety ha4ar" shoul" be
allowe". The boss sets the example with a hat rac& full of silly hats an" a
8oofy soft toy sitting atop the computer screen. ?ollow the same rule in areas
where clients go. )ho wants to "eal with people who "on@t ha%e a sense of
humour<
3. Visit the toy store: - .ntro"uce fun into the wor&place with chil"ish things.
*oo& aroun" your local toy store for anything that coul" intro"uce fun to your
meetings, staff interactions ,li&e lunch time- or (ust to ma&e people smile
4. Make meetings funat the start: - +a&e humour a I;. of your
meetings. 3oring meetings are the enemy of effecti%e, creati%e
Humours at Work-
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communication A ban themG ;ut L7pening humour@ "own as the first agen"a
item. !ppoint a "ifferent person each meeting to start with a (o&e, funny
story, an" game A whate%er they can to lighten the moo". 8i%e them a time
limit, but that@s allG They nee" the permission of management to be as
creati%e, silly an" irre%erent as possible.
5. Make meetings funduring proceedings: - +a&e fun part of the
procee"ings. 'an" out noisema&ers ,hooters, whistles, clic&ers, etc- to all
present with the rule that you ha%e to use your noisema&er before you spea&.
Ta&e %otes with: J!ll those in fa%our, ma&e your noise.J 'a%e something
silly that participants nee" to hol" or place in front of them before they ma&e
their contribution. ,This is also a great way to ensure that only one person
spea&s at a time.-
6. Make meetings funat the end: - !ppoint a person to en" the meeting
with some humour. 7ne way is to ha%e them nominate certain meeting
members for fri%olous Lawar"s@ base" on what happene" "uring the meeting.
Some examples: Silliest Statement, )ittiest 6omment, 3est /xcuse, +ost
.maginati%e Statement, 3estK)orst Dargon. ?inish your meetings with a touch
of humour an" this is what people remember as they lea%e A so they@ll be
more willing to atten" the next meeting.
7. Have a fun library: - 'a%e a section next to the reference boo&s full of
(o&e boo&s, cartoon boo&s ,9ilbert, 6al%in 0 'obbes, etc- an" any other fun
literature. /ncourage staff to borrow them for lunchtime rea"ing, etc ,9on@t
let them lea%e the office A or you@ll ne%er see them again. Eegularly a"" to it.
The "iscount tables at boo&stores ha%e loa"s of cheap material.
8. Have fun with logos and signs: - 'a%e a contest to "esign a fun logo for
each "epartment# an", if appropriate, put it up. /nlarge rele%ant cartoons an"
place them next to the instructional an" safety signs A an" ha%e people notice
signs that, in the past, they ignore".
9. Reward funny staff: - The best co5wor&er is one who "oesn@t ta&e
themsel%es too seriously an" is prepare" to laugh at ,an" learn from- their
mista&es. .nstigate a monthly awar" for the silliest mista&e ma"e by staff A
with a cash pri4e. The rules: staff can only nominate themsel%es an" ha%e to
stan" up an" tell other staff what they "i" an" how they will spen" the
money. The pri4e is awar"e" to the staff member who ,a- ma"e the biggest
Humours at Work-
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mista&e ,b- is most honest about their mista&e or ,c- nominates the most
creati%e way they will spen" the money to help them a%oi" the same mista&e
again or compensate any aggrie%e" party. /xamples: ! salesperson ma&es an
impossible promise about "eli%ery "ates to a lea"ing client an" will spen" the
pri4e money to Lshout@ the "ispatch "epartment# a staff member forgets his 1
st
we""ing anni%ersary an" will use the money to ta&e his wife to "inner.
10. Let staff get to know each other: - 'a%e a regular ,monthly- function
where staff gets to &now each other as people, not (ust in their wor& roles.
)hen you un"erstan" more about a person, there are more opportunities for
humour in your interactions with that person. Simply gi%ing the staff off5
wor& time together will create these opportunities# although you coul"
intro"uce some fun Lcontests@ li&e those "escribe" below. .t coul" be a ?ri"ay
after5wor& barbecue, or (ust a few "rin&s. 9o not be tempte" to use the
occasion for business announcements A this will "efeat the purpose.
11. Fun Contests: - !s part of these regular functions, or, as a stan"5alone
e%ent there are a lot of non5threatening fun contests that can buil" rapport,
camara"erie an" teamwor&. They will pro%i"e material for staff5generate"
humour for a long time after the contest. The pri4e for the winner "oes not
ha%e to be significant A a V2Q trophy will "o the (ob.
12. Musical` Fun: - 'ol" a &arao&e contest. /ntrants coul" be in"i%i"uals or
groups. .f &arao&e is too expensi%e or "ifficult to organi4e, ma&e it a mime or
air guitar contest. !ll you@ll nee" is a portable 69 player an", perhaps, some
preten" microphones.
13. Flying Fun: - 'ol" a paper plane contest, the winner being the person to
ha%e their plane fly the furthest.
14. Encourage staff to show appreciation: - 'a%e slips of paper ,or a page
in the intranet- entitle" JStaff !ppreciation !war" A CominationJ. /ncourage
staff to nominate other staff if they "o something goo": going out of their
way for a customer or other staff member, etc. 2ou coul" ha%e a monthly
awar" chosen from all the nominees# or simply gi%e e%eryone nominate" a
small rewar". ?or example, boo& a mobile masseur ,one of the ones who "oes
1$ minute bac&rubs at the "es&- an" gi%e them all a massage.
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15. Have a baby pictures contest: - 8et a baby picture of a number of staff
an" awar" a pri4e for whoe%er can correctly name all of the babies. The
contest coul" run o%er some time ,two wee&s- generating humour along the
way.
16. Have a childhood secrets contest. : - 'a%e staff write "own one thing
from their chil"hoo" that woul" not be &nown to others. 'a%e a contest
similar to the one abo%e. !gain, o%er the time of the contest, much humour
will be generate" as staff try to guess who was the one who painte" the cat
pin&, or who won the religious stu"ies pri4e in gra"e M.
Workplace Humor Not So Funny at Times
'umor in the wor&place can be a two5e"ge" swor". !t best, it can
relie%e stress, strengthen morale, buil" camara"erie an", in general, be a
positi%e influence.
3ut li&e too much of a goo" thing, humor, or at least what passes for humor,
can be a negati%e influence by ma&ing others feel foolish an" resentful about
co5wor&ers an" e%en super%isors. Cegati%e humor allows in5groups to
exclu"e others an" can create an en%ironment where humor spills o%er into
harassment an" hostility.
Humours at Work-
Place
What does Humor do for us?
'umor re%eals the na&e" truth about oursel%es, which . woul" not accept
in other contexts.
.t "issol%es the walls of the ego rather than intensifying them. ='umor an"
me"itation accomplish some of the same aims. 3oth help to let e%erything
float away A They show you that you are not the center of the uni%erse.
'umor "issol%es barriers between oursel%es an" others. Hictor 3orge sai",
=! smile is the shortest "istance bet.en two people.>
Cot only "o humor an" laughter re"uce the barriers that separate us from
each other, they also help eliminate the obstructions bet .n oursel%es an"
the absolute A 8o", 8o""ess, !llah, Tao, uni%erse.
'umor an" laughter help us see that these barriers .re ne%er there to begin
with.
Humours at Work-
Place
The Times of India.
9ate:

!ugust 11, 2QQO

Article: Humours official
)hen at the wor&place, !seem 3harga%a, a 3Q5year5ol" software executi%e,
is the cynosure of many eyes. !seem lo%es to crac& (o&es an" pull the serious
leg. !seem wor&s of course, but he lo%es e%ery moment of the attention he
Humours at Work-
Place
8ets for fooling aroun".
.
! stu"y con"ucte" by Hictoria Fni%ersity, Cew Wealan", re%eals that humour
is a natural an", maybe, a necessary bypro"uct of complex social systems
such
!s the mo"ern wor&place.

'umour, says the stu"y, helps create social cohesion in office, the reason
being that those who can laugh together, can wor& together. !nother stu"y,
by the 3ristol 3usiness School, i"entifies "ifferent uses of office humour, not
least of which is helping wor&ers with high le%els of anxiety.
J'umour helps sort out otherwise ambiguous areas at wor&,J elaborates
Ea(i% Ihurana of management consultants The ;ersonnel *ab, J3esi"es, the
role of humour in ma&ing meetings interesting can:t be "enie".J This brings
us to office (esters R in"i%i"uals, such as !seem, who see themsel%es as
brightening up a humourless office an" ten" to be "eeply cynical people with
! taste for the limelight.
3ut (esters can also be annoying for bosses, especially since it is har" to
counter them without seeming o%erbearing.
J.t is best for bosses to regar" them as 3irbals to their !&bars an" as a useful
way of &eeping in touch with what people really feel. +oreo%er, office (esters
nee" to be "ifferentiate" from the office clown. )here (esters are naturally
funny, clowns are consciously so,J explains management consultant She&har
3aner(ee.
7f course, li&e with e%erything else, there is a psychological explanation for
why the office (ester is the way he is.
J'umour wor&s as a stress5buster,J explains psychiatrist Samir ;ari&h,
J3iologically5spea&ing, humour in"uces secretion of serotonin, the happy
hormone.J !s the goo" "octor sai", humour is the best me"icine.

SOME COMMON MYTHS ABOUT WORKPLACE HUMOR.
Myth #1. ;eople won@t ta&e me seriously if . use humor.
Humours at Work-
Place
.t is important that we ta&e our goals, roles an" missions in life seriously, but
we also nee" to ta&e oursel%es lightly. 'umor helps us see that human beings
are not perfect. ! way to bri"ge the gap between the perfection we see& an"
the imperfection we li%e with is learning to laugh at oursel%es.
Myth #2: )e ha%e more important things to "eal with than humor.
;ut another way, the bottom line ta&es prece"ence o%er the punchline.
7ne of the most significant bottom lines is our health. The ol" a"age
=*aughter is the best me"icine> "oesn@t seem too far off. *aughter can ha%e a
positi%e effect on bloo" pressure an" respiration an" also can suppress stress5
relate" hormones.
/xperts belie%e that the bottom line an" the punch line can intersect. )e can
be serious professionals without being solemn ones. 'umor can ser%e many
functions in the wor&place. .t is an effecti%e way to buil" relationships# by
ta&ing oursel%es lightly it is easier for others to be aroun" us an" want to
wor& with us.
'umor helps us recogni4e when we ha%e ma"e mista&es an" not let our
mista&es sen" us into a state of panic, but rather to ac&nowle"ge the mista&e
an" try to fix it. 3y easing the tension, humor can ta&e the sting out of
"ifficult situations. 'umor also is an effecti%e way of "ealing with stress.
Myth #3: To be humorous, you ha%e to be a (o&e5teller.
)e "on@t nee" to ta&e time away from our wor& to become stan"5up
come"ians# there are other ways to bring humor into the wor&place.
Humours at Work-
Place
;ut humor into the en%ironment. 3right5colore" posters with light5
hearte" sayings an" funny sayings can brighten up the wor& area.
.n(ect humor into potential conflict situations. 3y ha%ing an
a%ailable repertoire of quotes or funny sayings, you may help
yourself through some stic&y situations.
Fse humor as a tool rather than a weapon. *aughing with others
buil"s confi"ence# laughing at others singles them out as the =butt>
of the (o&e. 'umor often grows from painful situations, but pain
shoul" ne%er be inflicte" through laughter.
*augh at yourselfXtell stories about yourself. *earning to laugh at
oursel%es is the first step in "e%eloping a sense of humor.
.t is important to &now the =right time an" place> for humor. 3e careful to
ac&nowle"ge other people@s feelings an" reactions to "eci"e if humor woul"
be appropriate. )hen use" carefully an" thoughtfully, humor can bring a
great "eal of happiness to our wor& li%es.
Humours at Work-
Place
CASE STUDY ON HUMOUR AT WORKPLACE
1. 9oes the organi4ation in which you wor& accor" priority to relaxation
an" humour in the course of your "aily wor& by ma&ing it one of their
core %alues or principles<
!ns- 7f course. +y organisation has organi4e" some me"itation
sessions after wor& hours, to relie%e us from the bur"en of wor&.
+oreo%er it also con"ucts laughing sessions twice a wee&.
2. .n your %iew ha%e you experience" some &in" of humour at your
wor&place in the recent past< .f so, then in what way<
!ns- Co.
3. 9oes the library at your wor&place ha%e boo&s which are relate" to
humour not necessarily relate" to you wor& or profession< .f yes, then
what &in" of boo&s<
!ns- 2es it has a wi"e %ariety of boo&s. .nfact the employees are
relie%e" by rea"ing such &in" of boo&s.
. !re /mployees are gi%en specific goals relate" to fun or 'team spirit'in the
workplace
!ns- 2es employees are gi%en goals relate" to team spirit. 6ertain
incenti%es are gi%en to them on completion of those goals such as cash
rewar"s etc.... !lso those who coor"inate properly are gi%en bonus
points.
5. 9o you ha%e a :humour bulletin boar": or section of a boar" "e"icate"
for cartoons, (o&es, top ten lists etc.
!ns: 2es.
6. 9o your imme"iate superiors or seniors use humour while at wor& or crac& (o&es to relax the wor&
en%ironment<
!ns- 2es, %ery much. .nfact the seniors, in or"er to create a fun
atmosphere, see to it that employees are en(oying their wor&. 6ertain
laughter sessions are hel" by the seniors in or"er to ma&e employees
satisfie".
Humours at Work-
Place
7. 9o the performance appraisal awar"s or excellence at the wor&place
inclu"e a humorous component such as out5of5the5box awar"s or are
they monotonous in nature<
!ns- 2es, they inclu"e out of the box awar"s, an" are not monotonous
in nature. Some of them are 3MQ "egree appraisal, +37, which are
%ery
much important in our organisation.

8. .f you to gi%e a rating to our colleagues an" yourself in terms of team5
wor&, 1 being the least an" 1Q being the maximum, how woul" you
rate your team an" on what groun"s<
!ns- . woul" gi%e O rating.+y team is %ery much cooperati%e ,
un"erstan"ing an" more importantly mature to un"erstan" all the
problems.
9. 2our organi4ation ma&es it a point to organi4e regular outings for your
entire team at places which will loosen your muscles an" help you
unwin"< 'ow regular are these trips<
!ns- 2es regular trips out of +umbai are organise" 3 times in a year.
!lso our organisation has a fully equippe" gymnasium an" yoga centre.
10. )e play or use humour to stimulate creati%e thin&ing before hol"ing a
brainstorming session or creative meeting.
Ans.)Yes, since this can release the tensions and lighten the
atmosphere
7f wor& en%ironment.
.
11.- !s compare" to other organi4ations, woul" you say that humour is
incorporate" in a holistic way an" has your sense of humour "e%elope"
while wor&ing for this organi4ation<
Ans.) Yes, even my sense of humour has developed during working for
this organization. .t enhances the "egree to which you feel bon"e",
cohesi%e, an" part of the group in the wor&place.
Humours at Work-
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Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is awar"e" by the Dohn ?.
Ienne"y 6enter for the ;erforming !rts annually since 1PPO. .t is name"
after famous humorist +ar& Twain.
1PPO 5 Eichar" ;ryor
1PPP 5 Donathan )inters
2QQQ 5 6arl Eeiner
2QQ1 5 )hoopi 8ol"berg
2QQ2 5 3ob Cewhart
2QQ3 5 *ily Tomlin
THOUGHTS TO PONDER!

Live is uncertaineat dessert first!
Don`t Postpone 1oy!
One of the best things people can have up their sleeves is a
funny bone.
Humorists always sit at the children`s table.
The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not
laughed.
Humours at Work-
Place
You grow up the day you have your first real laugh-at
yourself.
A playful attitude is best.
Without laughter, the spiritual path would be boring.
Laughter is free, legal, has no calories, no cholesterol, no
preservatives, no artificial ingredients, absolutely safe.
Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.
Good humor is goodness and wisdom combined.
An optimist laughs to forget; a pessimist forgets to laugh.
Laughter is the natural sound of childhood.
Humor is a fine teaching tool. People learn when they are
enjoying themselves.
Laughter is the jest medicine.
Managing to have a sense of humor makes it a lot easier to
manage people.
It is more important to have fun than it is to be funny.
S/He who laughs, lasts.
In prehistoric times, mankind often had only two choices in
crisis situations: fight or flee. In modern times, humor offers
us a third alternative: fight, flee--or laugh.
Humours at Work-
Place
CONCLUSION
'umour is (ust one of the many tools at the "isposal of the manager. .t
is not the panacea. .t is not a replacement for any management technique,
but "efinitely a %ery powerful ally. .f u say humour is contagious, let us
start an epi"emic. .t is aptly sai",
~If you laugh, the whole world laughs with you.
But if you weep, you weep alone".
The choice is, of course, yours.
Humours at Work-
Place
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS:
The power of humor at wor&place 3y I.Sathyanaranya
The big boo& of humorous training 3y 9oni Tamblyn 0 Sharyn
games )eiss
Sense an" Consensibility 3y *awrence 9ouglas
J'umor in the )or&placeJ 3y Sister +ary 6hristelle
+acaluso

'umor at wor& 3y +ichael Ierr
1OURNALS AND MAGAZINES:
'E+ Ee%iew
.n"ian +anagement
The .cfai Fni%ersity ;ress
WEBSITES:
www.google.com
www.funnun.com
www.&eepemployees.com
www.businesswee&.com
www.coola%enues.com
www.(upiterimages.com
www.timesofin"ia.com
www.businesswee&.com
www.timesascent.com

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