From Succeed
Today • Monday • June 23, 2008
Laughter is the best medicine – even at the workplace.
From Lego
According to the authors, an increasing body of research demonstrates that when leaders lighten up and create a fun workplace, “there is significant increase in the level of employee trust, creativity and communication – leading to higher morale and a stronger bottomline”.
Not convinced? Think about this: Between a guy with a big, infectious smile and one who looks like he has never smiled for the last five years, who would you fancy as your boss?
As the authors put it: “How would you rather spend your days? Working with a buttoned-down stiff whose idea of fun at work is rolling up his sleeves or for someone who allows you to let loose every now and then.”
And it is not just employees who like to work with a boss who knows when to lighten up; bosses of leading companies hire staff who possess a sense of humour.
Said Ms Linda Kaplan Thaler of advertising giant Kaplan Thaler Group: “I always look to see how funny somebody is because it’s so indicative of their intelligence… they can make disparate connections, which is the essence of creativity and humour.”
The book even comes with classic boardroom jokes for you to set your audience at ease before starting your presentation. But life is not just about work, the authors even included a chapter on how to inject a much-needed sense of humour to all aspects of your life, including how to treat your family members and strangers in an alley.
Before you start trying to be the No 1 funnyman in the office, be warned: Avoid sarcasm, mockery, anger in your jokes.
The book adds: “Statements that come out of your mouth followed by the words ‘just kidding’ are usually a mistake. Often people who say hurtful things do it on purpose, so, try not to join that crowd.” — LOH CHE KONG
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