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Laugh and the Work World Laughs With You
Author: Craig Harrison  | Posted: 21-11-2006 | Comments: 0 | Views: 717 | Rating: (51)  (?) 
Many of today's work environments are rife with moody bosses and co-workers, repetitive tasks and unpredictable market pressures. Stress abounds. Managers often tell me they can't afford the time or cost for my humor workshops; how can they afford not to address workplace stress.
We know clinically that laughter and play have medicinal qualities, offering physical, psychological and physiological benefits as well. In the workplace, humor and fun can increase productivity, encourage creativity, enhance team building, and thus improve esprit de corps.
While we may not be able to control everything that happens to us in our jobs and work environments, we do have control over how we choose to react. I coach others how to create an environment which is safe and friendly, and use humor to help maintain a healthy balance between the pressure and seriousness which comes from high stakes jobs and a competitive marketplace. Remember that humor starts from within. Being able to laugh at your own foibles goes a long way toward creating a healthy work climate in which to flourish.
The following are activities and strategies for you as individuals, workgroups and managers. Be creative and use these ideas to stimulate your own remedies to workplace stress.
- Adorn your work area with cartoons, headlines or funny photos which bring a smile to your face and visiting co-workers'. Whether you're surrounded by your favorite Pez dispensers childhood, or wry cartoons that speak to your tastes, let your work area comfort and humor you while taking some of the edge off the standard office decor.
- Tap a co-worker to be your humor-partner. Bring a daily joke to share. Commiserate about funny workplace events. Keep each other buoyed with good cheer. When the chips are down your humor partner can chip away at your depression, and vice versa.
- Don't think cubicles limit your humor options. I've seen shower curtains, umbrellas and other devices used effectively to set a light or semi-serious tone. For some, creativity flourishes behind their cubicle's shower curtain. People tampering with your work area? Don't get angry...protect it with yellow "Crime Scene" tape!
- Subscribe to a humor website to be e-mailed a free daily or weekly humorous story, joke and anecdote. Sites such as www.netfunny.com/rhf/ or www.oraclehumor.com/ are two examples.
Are You Laughin' At Me? One manager, known for his moodiness, acknowledged it with a "Mood-O-Meter" outside his door. Both he and his employees took turns forecasting his mood: from fire-breathing to variable clouds to periodic eruptions...proceed at your own risk. Don't underestimate the power of self-effacing humor for making yourself more accessible and liked.
Room for Laughter. Some companies designate a room, work area or corner of their office as a romper room, where frolicking and silliness is allowed. Whether yours has a punching bag, games, a dartboard or foosball, it's a room for letting off steam and taking a break from the grind.
Whine Not. Everyone loathes whiners yet we all need to blow off steam periodically. One group of creative trainers and their manager decreed Thursdays to be effective whining days. They self-policed themselves the rest of the week, making sure not to whine. Yet even their Thursday gripes had a departmental sanction and somehow seemed healthier. After all, they belly ached together. A ripple effect actually improved the morale of departments adjacent to theirs!
Meting Out Humor. Many professionals approach meetings with trepidation. A dash of humor can make a difference. For regular meetings earmark one or two minutes each meeting for a humorous interlude. In one workgroup a "humor hand" rotates from meeting to meeting. Employees take turns setting a lighter tone to the meeting, insuring everybody is engaged. An anecdote, verbal or physical activity focuses the group on the task at hand and brings colleagues together in a spirit of fun.
When not to use Humor. Not all humor is good humor. Humor that hurts, ostracizes or is cruel will have a detrimental effect on others and you. Strive for humor that is inclusive, creative and captures our human essence. By now you know that sexist, racist, ageist jokes and crude humor are not only inappropriate, but can lead to sanctions, termination or even lawsuits. Be sensitive when telling jokes involving terminations, reductions in force (RIFs) and personal tragedies. Their hurt can linger long after the fact. . When in doubt...leave it out!
Appropriate humor can make hard tasks easier, collaborations fun and certainly make workdays go faster. Laugh, and the work world laughs with you!
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ethics-articles/laugh-and-the-work-world-laughs-with-you-74711.html
About the Author:Since the age of eleven when he went door-to-door selling Used Jokes, Craig Harrison has been connecting with customers through humor. As a professional speaker and corporate trainer Craig Harrison's Expressions of Excellence provides sales and service solutions through speaking. Contact him at (888) 450-0664, through his website http://www.ExpressionsofExcellence.com or via e-mail: humor@craigspeaks.com
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Trouble or what
By: gail | 11-09-2008
how can you tell when a so called friend at work is trying to start?I am 45 yrs young and i have alot on young friends and we work at a pizza place. A while back a lady 52 yrs old got into it with a 19 yr old and the older person slaped the shi* out of the younger girl, they went at it and i got them apart. Well it was hell 4 a couple of weeks till things calmed down and no one got fired this time, but now the older lady that i hav always got along with has got a 39 yr old that she pretended not 2 know hired on and now they have become CLOSE and for some reason the 52 yr old showed a picture to the 39 yr old lady of me and my husband and we can not figure out "why" she would of done that and now she is saying things to me like the 39 yr old wants my husband, and we better watch her, and i saw those two with my own eyes 2night the 39 yr old gave the 52 yr old a palm of pills. I pretended i saw nothing and i let the owner know when he came in.We are thinking that the 52 yr old is trying 2 get me in a fight with the 39 yr old because she knows I am very jeoulius of my husband. It is not that i don't trust him, we have been 2gether 15 yrs and r very much in love, but she also knows i do not put up with no SHI* when it comes to my family or close friends. I just want some opions on what everyone thinks this old gal is up to becauuse i know it is something. She is jeously over me and my young friends and when the fight happened before I let the 52 yr old know she should on never put her hands on the 19 yr old. the older one slaped the "child" 1st. And I really thinks she wants me to roll with her pill popping friend just to get back at me for trying to keep piece at work, but remember this when you may can give me an answer, I AM NOT SCARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Could you recommend me about a good place to work ...
By: beck | 08-09-2008
Could you recommend me about a good place to work in U.S.A?
What's the baby using?
By: SoundGuy | 04-09-2008
What's the baby using?
Time for a smile
By: fredst | 02-09-2008
Too often things get seriously heated here...I think a little humor may be in order.
Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Mc Cain were flying to a debate. Barack looked at Hillary, chuckled and said, 'You know I could throw a $1,000 bill out of the window right now and make somebody very happy.' Hillary shrugged her shoulders and replied, 'I could throw ten $100 bills out of the window and make ten people very happy.' John added, 'That being the case, I could throw one hundred $10 bills out of the window and make a hundred people very happy.' Hearing their exchange, the pilot rolled his eyes and said to his copilot, 'Such big-shots back there. I could throw all three of them out of the window and make 156 million people very happy.' I vote for the Pilot
What is a Billion
By: fredst | 02-09-2008
The federal government uses the word "Billion" a lot...
What is a BILLION??This is too true to be funnyThe next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.While this thought is still fresh in our bra in, let's take a look at New Orleans It's amazing what you can learn with some simple divisionLouisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number, what does it mean?A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.Washington, D.C . HELLO!!! ... Are all your calculators broken??xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAccounts Receivable TaxBuilding Permit TaxCDL License TaxCigarette TaxCorporate Income TaxDog License TaxFederal Income TaxFederal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)Fishing License TaxFood License TaxFuel Perm it TaxGasoline TaxHunting License TaxInheritance TaxInventory TaxIRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax),Liquor Tax,Luxury Tax,Marriage License Tax,Medicare Tax,Property Tax,Real Estate Tax,Service charge taxes,Social Security Tax,Road Usage Tax (Truckers),Sales Taxes,Recreational Vehicle Tax,School Tax,State Income Tax,State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),Telephone Federal Excise Tax,Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax,Telephone Recurr ing and Non-recurring Charges Tax,Telephone State and Local Tax,Telephone Usage Charge Tax,Utility Tax,Vehicle License Registration Tax,Vehicle Sales Tax,Watercraft Registration Tax,Well Permit Tax,Workers Compensation Tax. < /SPAN>-------------------------------------------------------------STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago,and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.What happened? Can you spell 'politicians!'And I still have to 'press #1 for English.
Need a good laugh?
By: Donna Lynne | 31-08-2008
Need a good laugh?
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