The value of humor at work!

Date

09.08.22

According to a recent study by Mesmer-Magnus, research has shown that humorous leadership can have a very positive impact on employees.

The value of humor at work!

The popular phrase “Choose a job you love and you won’t have to work a day in your life” was Joana’s life motto and what she always dreamed of experiencing at work.

However, her professional reality was quite different. Joana loved her job but she wasn’t happy. She was tired, constantly overwhelmed with work, and showing signs of low motivation. Her co-workers around her complained about the exact same thing.

The increasing complexity of the corporate world makes Joana’s situation even more common today. Work (the exercise of mental or physical effort to achieve something) is rarely done without stress, worry, or even pain.

Humor can help improve these situations.

According to a recent study by Mesmer-Magnus, research has shown that humorous leadership can have a very positive impact on employees in terms of:

1. Enhanced job performance
2. Improved mental health of team members
3. Increased productivity
4. Informal learning
5. Increased creativity
6. Job satisfaction
7. Affective commitment
8. Work commitment
9. Trust in leaders

How can leadership develop a sense of humor in the team?

Here are 6 ideas to keep humor in your organization.

Create a “Humor at Work Team”: to coordinate and implement fun ideas at work. Have a meeting to specifically address workplace morale and to brainstorm some simple ways to create a more fun work environment. Ask what people fear about using humor in the workplace – this ensures that potential discomforts are discussed and dealt effectively.

Set humorous goals: Commit to 2 or 3 specific goals per quarter to add more fun to the workplace.

Create a humor library to encourage people to read (or watch) about certain humor-related topics.

Create a Humor board to post funny announcements, funny quotes, funny pictures, and funny thoughts about the day.

Create some simple rituals or traditions that encourage people to have fun and cheer, such as theme days. Institute one or two days in the company where leaders and employees bring a piece of clothing with a funny, out-of-the-box meaning; t-shirts with muscles, lights or music, colored glasses, pirate scarves and eye patches, are some examples. On this day the manager should set the example and promote interaction among the whole team.

Good-nature meetings: Set aside time in each meeting for a little fun. Encourage people to share funny anecdotes or funny jokes related to work.

Fun workplace rituals and traditions create a sense of history and shared team experience.
It is important to note that employees tend to associate the care and support offered by their leaders with the organization itself.
A leader’s sense of humor relates positively to the employees’ perception that the company is supportive and cares about their well-being.

It’s time to laugh more!