By Jacobs Odongo
WHEN Victor Borge said the shortest distance between two people is a laugh, he had an idea about the importance of humour at the workplace. Tight deadlines, increased workload and more demanding bosses make the workplace a hell of a place to work in, sometimes.
Workplaces are stress-prone and change-driven, which calls for creative and resilient employees more than ever before. The use of humour, and the ability to produce and make humour, is associated with intelligence and creativity, two things highly-valued in workplaces.
Chris Robert, a professor of management at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Robert J. Trulaske College of Business, says joking around the office can have a positive effect on productivity and employee retention. Robert, whose findings have been published as a chapter in the journal, Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, says evidence shows humour is important.
“The link between humour and positive emotions seems strong. There’s also a strong correlation between positive emotions and workplace performance,†says the professor.
The professor argues that humour also has the ability to enable you communicate well with your boss, co-workers and customers.
Isaac Kudzu of Vision Voice says humour enhances the degree to which you feel part of a group. “Humour is a refreshment like walking away from your desk to stretch outside,†the radio presenter says.
Annet was trying so hard to empty her file on a Friday when Henry came in after a few courtesies and said: “Your new RAV4 complements your looks perfectly. The only problem is this new traffic law. That’s where we, the owners of DMCs, will remain proud and confident on the road,†a perplexed Annet asked why.
“When Kayihura’s cops stop me and issue that exorbitant sh3m fine receipt, I just jump off and show them that I am related to Kipsiro. I can use that money to buy another DMC if they tow the old one to rot in their backyard.†That made Annet’s evening.
Like the old saying goes, laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone, a little humour can curtain-raise a presentation, de-stress a meeting and make a team feel more united. A well-placed joke, story, anecdote or surprise can lighten up the workplace. Wilbroad Kukundakwe of Uganda Jobline says humour is a wonderful lubricant for business relationships.
However, Robert, an employee, says offensive humour can dismantle a team because it makes some employees feel embarrassed or even less confident.
Organisations today, especially in these “politically correct†times, do not tolerate humour that is sexually-biased, contains profanity, degrades people, is racist or religiously-discriminative. It is not the use of humour that is inappropriate but the type of humour. It should be positive, well-timed and tied to the task at hand.
Tips for appropriate humour
Self-deprecating humour.
It should not be overdone, but if you do, use it sparingly and do not take yourself too seriously. Also, have enough self-confidence that you are strong enough to let the joke be on you.
Find the humour in the situation.
It is safer to find humour about the project you are executing than a person. A project does not have feelings and will not complain. Everyone has their own unique sense of humour and at one time or another, chances are something you find funny is going to offend someone.
Mind the recipient
Know when to keep your humour to yourself. When you are out with your friends, have a different sense of humour than when you are in a professional setting. Subjects you laugh at with your friends will not get a laugh from you at work. Just as your office may have a dress code, it is important for one to have a humour code at the office.
Humour should be inclusive not exclusive.
You should not laugh at someone but rather laugh with them. If you think you are about to say something in the name of humour that may offend, embarrass, or denigrate a fellow employee or customer, stop.