What's So Funny? Using Humor To Build Team.

“A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done." ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

The mission-based work of many community-based nonprofits and NGOs is focused on creating amazing outcomes, so it's usually pretty serious business and sometimes downright stressful. That means that humor is often a tool that's gotten buried at the bottom of many leaders' toolkits, yet when used effectively, humor can release tension, create rapport, and build stronger team relationships.

Here are just a few tips for fostering a healthy laughter-filled environment:

SHOW RESPECT: Always approach humor with respect for the other person. Use special care with folks who don't laugh a lot already.

POINT THE FINGER AT YOURSELF: Self-effacing humor is almost-always well received. Have you made a mistake? Highlight it with a joke! Did something embarrass your recently? Share it with your team.

KEEP IT BRIEF: If you're building your repertoire of jokes or comebacks, look for the one-liners. Short and sweet hits the mark better than epic sagas.

NO RIDICULE: Avoid jokes that put down groups or classes of people. Even if folks don't fit in that group personally, many people find any inkling of discrimination offensive. That's right, not even lawyers are safe.

JOIN UP: Can you hear others laughing? Go check it out and find out what's so funny. You can even approach it with humor by saying something like, "Hey, sounds like people may be having some fun in here. What's this all about?"

CUT IT OUT: Did you see a funny cartoon recently? Cut it out and put it in your office or bring it to someone else who you think would find it funny. Once others see it, it may trigger something humorous for them to share in return.

MAKE IT "A MUST": Add "must have a sense of humor" to your job postings. Seek out people who are fun-loving and who laugh during interviews. Put laughter and fun on your list of values. Add "What funny things happened to you this week?" to your staff meeting agendas.

DITCH THE SARCASM: You may think it's drippingly obvious that you're being sarcastic, but more often than not, it misses the mark. This is particularly true in written communications where there are no physical cues to accompany the language.

LAUGH (Yes, you!): Often the leader sets the somber tone, so if you're not laughing, it's likely that others aren't either. Watch a funny video when eating lunch at your desk. Subscribe to a daily email joke list. Add a funny quote to an email. Start a staff meeting with a joke.

Fun, joy and laughter play an important role within organizations. Don't be afraid to lighten up. Even if you aren't naturally funny yourself, you can still find ways to laugh and share it with others.

What other tips can you add about bringing humor into the workplace?

Additional Resources:

Secrets of Connecting Leadership and Learning with Humor by Peter M. Jonas (an absolute "must-read")

Humor in Leadership by Stuart Tan (some great tips for finding ways to be funny)

Humor in Leadership from students at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (some fun workplace ideas for anyone to use)

Strategic Humor in Leadership: Practical Suggestions for Appropriate Use by C.B. Crawford (an interesting scholarly paper about humor as a strategy)