From good to great workshop II
Spice up your speech with
Humor
P C Chan
Kowloon Toastmasters club
11 Jan 2012
Workshop on humor
Can humor skills be learned?
Workshop on humor
1 H 4 W of humor
Workshop on humor
1 H 4 W of humor
Why do we include humor?
What is humor?
When do we include humor?
Where do we find humorous materials?
How do we make up humor?
Workshop on humor
- Why do we include humor?
Workshop on humor
Why do we include humor ?
- Get attention
- Establish bonding with the audience
- A humorous speaker is more attractive
Workshop on humor
Why do we include humor ?
Humor
is the spice that
makes your speech
Interesting
Effective
Memorable
Workshop on humor
- Why do we include humor ?
- What is humor ?
Workshop on humor
What is humor ?
- No universal definition
- Unlike jokes, humor always has a point
- No need to generate great laughter
- A funny and unexpected way to make a point
- What makes a good humorous speech
Workshop on humor
What is humor ?
A good humorous speech
- Has a purpose and message
- Organized
- Humor understood by audience
- Appropriate and clean humor
- Delivered with high energy
Workshop on humor
- Why do we include humor ?
- What is humor ?
- When do we include humor ?
Workshop on humor
When do we include humor ?
- It is completely fine not to include humor
- When you feel comfortable
- When the occasion and topic are right
- When the audience is about to fall in sleep
- Every speech can include humor
Workshop on humor
When do we include humor ?
Humorous speech
International speech
Manual speech
Workshop on humor
- Why do we include humor ?
- What is humor ?
- When do we include humor ?
- Where do we find humorous materials ?
Workshop on humor
Where do we find humorous materials ?
- Funny materials from different sources
- Humor in daily life – observational humor
- See the world through a funny mirror
- Self-deprecating humor – poke fun on yourself
- Note down the funny ideas come into mind
Workshop on humor
Where do we find humorous materials ?
Don’t make fun on
- Sensitive subjects
- Subjects that make others embarrassed
- Subjects that are irrelevant to the speech
Workshop on humor
- Why do we include humor ?
- What is humor ?
- When do we include humor ?
- Where do we find humor materials ?
- How do we create humor ?
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
Basic elements
- Playful mindset
- Surprise
- Timing
- Delivery
- Connection
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
- Playful mindset
Things can only be funny when we are ‘in fun’.
- Surprise
Humor does not exist if everything is expected.
- Timing
Pause before and after the punch line.
- Delivery
Your body language matters.
- Connection
Share common experience with the audience.
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
Useful tools in creating humor
- Rule of three
- Play with words
- See things in a funny mirror
- Poke fun on yourself
- Practice, Practice, Practice
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
- Rule of three
Set up two items with similarity and make a twist in the third item
When I feel down at work, I get motivation from reading – Chicken soup for
the soul, Power of positive thinking and ……
Every morning, I put on the same white shirt with the same red tie. I take
the same car to the same work place. Every night, ….
I really worked hard to get a big title, from manager, VP to .....
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
- Play with words - Unexpected meaning of words
DTM SAA NLP Down payment My wife continues with her prepared speech.
There are many Tai Chi masters in workplace, practicing the
principle of Tai Chi, passing the buck.
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
- Play with words - Rhymes
When the cat is away, the mice will play.
My Mr Right is someone looks like Richard Li who always buys me
LV and drives me out in his Lamborghini.
To get rid of the unnecessary things, I sold my car, my guitar and
my girl friend’s Prada.
Give a wink, then a swing and you will get a ….
You are Leonardo Cappuccino and I am Tobie ….
You are an Italian and I am a … .
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
- See things in a funny mirror - Exaggeration
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
- See things in a funny mirror - Exaggeration
On relationship:
When I met my Mr Right, I thought he was the gift from God after I
prayed for 36 years.
Living with a beautiful woman makes me feel living in heaven as
well as in hell.
My wife manages the home very well. She is an excellent manager
because she can get things done through other people, like me.
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
- See things in a funny mirror - Exaggeration
In workplace:
We call our boss Dr No but my boss’s boss calls him Dr Yes.
To survive in a company, first we need to know how people
communicate. Secondly, find out the real decision makers. Lastly,
pay attention to those go out with the boss at night.
Without knowing the organization of the company, I trusted the
wrong guy, buttered up the wrong one and even worse kissed the
wrong girl.
Workshop on humor
How do we create humor ?
- Self-deprecating humor
Poke fun on yourself
I am ….
a PC running on an out-dated CPU …..
can’t cope with today’s applications
a piece of old furniture in the office ……
always there to serve without making a sound
a panda loved by my co-workers ….
because panda moves slowly up the company ladder
Workshop on humor
How do we make up humor ?
Useful tools in creating humor
- Rule of three
- Play with words
- See things in a funny mirror
- Self-deprecating humor
- Practice, Practice, Practice
Workshop on humor
1 H 4 W of humor
Why do we include humor?
What is humor?
When do we include humor?
Where do we find humorous materials?
How do we make up humor?
Workshop on humor
Thanks
and looking forward
to seeing you in
From Good to Great workshop III
soon