Keeping Your Sense of
Humor When Things
Aren’t So Funny
Michelle Mossey and Kristi Key
Associate Directors of Admissions
Bluegrass Community and Technical
College
To Laugh or Not To Laugh?
 From: Jones, Sarah (Bluegrass)
Sent: Thursday, April 7, 2005 8:59 AM
To: Smith, Joe (Bluegrass)
Subject: PowerPoint Presentation
I can’t believe you didn’t get my email! You sorry sack!
Don’t you ever do any work? Here is the attachment
again. Let me know if you cannot open it.
(This is a copy of an email that was sent to the wrong
Joe!)
Humor: Where did it come
from?
“Positism” is a term I coined that refers to
looking at life through optimistic lenses, seeing
the silver lining and squirting back when life
gives you lemons. Humor comes from the root
word “umor”, which means to be fluid or
flexible. Both a positive attitude and the ability
to be flexible are important in times of change.
- Sandra Jones Campbell, Workplace
Humor is NOT an Oxymoron &
How to Create a Positive Workplace
Did you know…
 The average preschooler laughs or smiles 400
times day, while that number drops to 15 times
a day by the time people reach 35.
 People smile only 35 percent as much as they
think they do.
 In a Robert Half International poll of 1000
executives, 84% said that workers with a sense
of humor do a better job.
Workplace Humor Is NOT
an Oxymoron
Health Benefits of Humor
 Laughter releases endorphins which are
chemicals that are 10 times more powerful
than the pain reliving drug morphine.
 Every time you laugh you burn 3.5 calories.
 Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby
replenishing and invigorating cells.
 Relives tension, lifts your mood and boosts
your immune system.
Workplace Humor Is NOT
an Oxymoron
Humor benefits the workplace A little comic relief helps build camaraderie!
Is it me? Or was that not
funny?
 Using humor in the workplace does not
mean becoming the Jay Leno of your
company!
 When your boss asks you if you have a
sense of humor, she’s not asking if you
are a clown!
Sarcasm – should I or
shouldn’t I?
 It may be funny but it may leave people
with a bitter or negative impression!
 This is a hard one for many people to
avoid, but if you can be funny without
being overly dependent on negativity,
your professional image will be much
higher.
If I can’t make fun of myself,
who can I make fun of?
When we make fun of ourselves, it
demonstrates a healthy outlook,
showing that we don’t take ourselves
too seriously. As a result we are seen
as more approachable and easygoing.
- Craig Harrison, Coaching Tip: Jest
Practices: Best Practices for Humor
in the Workplace
If I can’t make fun of myself,
who can I make fun of?
 Self-depreciation is an excellent tool, but
be careful to use it in moderation,
especially when you are around authority
figures or people who don’t know you.
 This could backfire if you are always
cracking jokes – people may not ever
take you seriously.
A Sense of Humor in the
Workplace
 Realize when humor is appropriate and
when it is not appropriate.
 A manager sang a few bars of “Laugh
While the Whole World is Crying” as he
was laying off his employees. His
attempt to lighten the mood fell flat and
was perceived as cold and callous.
A Sense of Humor in the
Workplace
 “Having a sense of humor has more to do with
being able to see that there are funny
situations all around us and feeling secure
enough to laugh at them than it does with
entertaining others.”
-Randy Erickson, Humor in the Workplace
 “Sometimes people confuse the notion of a
sense of humor with the ability to tell a joke.
We’re all humor participants.”
-Dr. Stu Robertshaw, University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse professor
So When Can I Use Humor
in the Workplace?
 Know your audience and make sure that your
comment/joke won’t be seen as offensive.
 Do not laugh or joke at the expense of another
person.
 The most common mistake is that we make the
assumption that everyone is like we are.
 The truth is that other people may not have
your sense of humor!
 Pay attention to your coworkers mood. If used
at the wrong time, it can backfire and offend,
distract or upset someone.
WARNING!!!
 “The inability to laugh may be a sign of
impending burnout. When it is no longer
possible to find humor in anything, it may
be that the employee is in the throes of
burnout.”
- Mary Rau-Foster, Humor and Fun in
the Workplace
Some Helpful Humor
Guidelines
 Humor breaks up boredom and fatigue.
 Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in
Georgetown, KY has pool tables and ping
pong tables set up on the manufacturing
floor.
 Humor fulfills human social needs.
 Laughter indicates cooperation, anger
typifies opposition. If you can laugh with
people, you can work with them.
Some Helpful Humor
Guidelines
 Humor increases creativity and willingness to
help.
 Happy employees can improve customer/student
satisfaction because we like doing business with
those who have a high “likeability factor”.
 Humor fulfills the need for mastery or control.
 Managers or supervisors can be also be seen as
team players, who can relax and enjoy life and
others as well.
Some Helpful Humor
Guidelines
 Humor improves communication.
 Advertisers are aware of the values of
humor and spend a lot of money each year
to make funny commercials for radio and
television.
 Humor breaks up conflict and tension.
 Can effectively reduce the level and intensity
of conflict among employees.
What about when things
aren’t so funny?
Does this sound familiar?
What do you do then?
What about when things
aren’t so funny?
 How does humor fit into these situations?
 How can we keep our spirits up at times
when we want to scream?
 Or maybe the real question is can we
really keep our sense of humor in times
like these?
Tips For Keeping It Funny
 Keep a childhood toy or photo of you or
your children as a reminder to keep the
child in you at work.
 Keep a stress ball in your desk – this is
especially handy when you’re on long
phones calls.
 Use a daily joke or positive calendar
instead of a plain one and READ IT!
Tips For Keeping It Funny
 Have a joy jar on your desk and fill it with
positive, success-oriented saying,
appropriate jokes and candy.
 Use a nerf bat and ball to work out
frustrations.
 Name the office equipment and talk to it.
 Have small jars of bubbles in your office
and allow everyone to blow bubbles.
But seriously…
 Vent your frustrations with someone
whom you trust.
 Try not to take things personally.
Somebody may just be having a bad day.
 Get out of your office – take a short walk,
grab a snack, step away for a break to
relax and remember that this too shall
pass!
The Bottom Line on
Humor
“We don’t need less humor at work; we just
need to make sure it’s the kind of humor that
makes hard tasks easier, collaborations fun
and certainly make workdays go faster. Use
humor more effectively, and the world still
laughs with you.”
- Dr. Joni Johnston, Lessons From
the Humor Police: How to evaluate
workplace humor
References
 Campbell, Sandra Jones (2000), Workplace Humor is
NOT an Oxymoron or How to Create a Positive
Workplace
 Erickson, Randy (1995), Humor in the Workplace
 Gliner, Art (2001), Humor in the Workplace 2001
 Harrison, Craig (Nov. 2006), Coaching Tip: Jest
Practices: Best Practices for Humor in the Workplace
 Johnston, Dr. Joni (2000), Lessons From the Humor
Police: How to evaluate workplace humor
 Rau-Foster, Mary (June/July 2000), Humor and Fun in
the Workplace
 Toupin, Edward B. (1999), A Sense of Humor in the
Workplace: Is It me? Or, was that not funny?