Lighten Up

“Why is the basketball court wet?” because, explains my 10-year old, Adam, “the players dribble all over it”.  He laughs hysterically every time he tells his favorite joke.Having a good sense of humor is highly regarded socially and in business.  People like to laugh.  Medical experts and scientists agree that laughter is good for you; raising immunities and extending life expectancy.  Being described as witty is complimentary.

Humor is a skill, just like any other, that some have and others want.  Used effectively, humor can warm up a crowd, create instant connections and help seal a deal in negotiations.  Used ineffectively, humor can cause confusion, undermine credibility and hurt feelings.  Being able to add levity in a room is not a natural born trait.  Those who are good at it think about it, plan how to use it and practice.  Let’s take a look at the “dos” and “don’ts” of using humor in professional life.

Good Humor

Use humor that is appropriate to the audience (one person or ten thousand people, it doesn’t matter).  Choose comments that are topical, tasteful and pertinent.  Good humor establishes rapport with your listener(s) and makes you credible and trustworthy.

Self-humor can be particularly amusing if you can laugh at yourself over your flaws or embarrassing events.  Self-depreciating jokes help portray you as human, add interest to your discussion and make a point.

Practiced humor is delivered with ease and can help you relax.  Notice that David Letterman, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Cantinflas and Bill Cosby (among many others) are funny because each relays humor in a conversational style, as if the thought or action just occurred to him.  We all know that the delivery is as carefully scripted as the words.  You, too, should practice.

Bad Humor

It is dangerously easy to engage in disagreeable humor.  For this reason many shy away from this powerful tool.  With some consideration and planning, bad humor can be avoided.

Do not use humor that makes someone else the butt of the joke.  Above all, protect the esteem of those around you.  Naturally, humor involving political, ethnic, gender or cultural preferences is always inappropriate and career limiting.  To ensure you do not mistakenly offend someone, focus on a situation as the funny element.  People will usually identify with a humorous story using a set of circumstances.  The only possible exceptions may be general jokes about human nature such as being absent-minded or a miser.

Puns, slang or double entendre jokes can be difficult to pull off with multi-cultural audiences.  Instead, try jokes where the humor is in the concept expressed such as “The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was”.

Timing for humor is important.  Sometimes making a joke is inappropriate.  Develop a sense of when the group would appreciate a laugh.  Jokes that interrupt others’ points are timed badly.  Endless jokes in a business meeting become tiresome.

Developing Your Funny Bone

Funny stories can make great points.  Being witty can help make you memorable and likable as a professional as well as ensure your message is remembered.  It can be a constructive tool to create a sense of belonging and enable influence.  However, overuse or inappropriate use of humor can make you less effective.  You want to be witty, you also want to be taken seriously.  Find your balance.

Use humor to unite people.  Begin to look for humor in situations around you.  Pass along your observations to a few safe people to test your humor judgment.  Use exaggeration for effect.  Be brief.  Enjoy the humor offered by others.  Laugh.  Develop a sense of timing to ensure your attempts at humor are appreciated.

Anyone know a good joke or a funny story?