Humor And Productivity In The Workplace
This has been levity week and to wrap it up I have a guest post from Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher, authors of The Levity Effect. The book is excellent and don’t miss their blog.
As a public speaker and trainer we’ve discovered over the past two decades that the most memorable presentations and the speakers with the highest evaluations have one thing in common: humor. Well, two things really: humor and fun. They’re not the same thing, though they spring from the same well: Levity. (That’s enough colons to open a proctology lab, btw.)
Levity, as defined by your average dictionary, smacks of negativity—“inappropriate,” “frivolous,” “flippant,” “trivial,” even “giddy.” Giddy?
With descriptors like those, levity’s workplace value ranks well below Communication, Trust and Teamwork and maybe just a molecule above Sexual Harassment, Bullying, and Embezzling.
Let’s face it, levity is misunderstood. After all, who wants a “goof off” to handle company finances, deal with an irate customer, or worse, pilot the company jet?
But the truth is, it pays to lighten up. And that’s the definition of levity that we like best—a lightness of manner. It has a more positive ring to it. In our definition of levity we add other image words: upbeat, patient, respectful, good-natured, joyous, and possibly witty, clever, even hilarious. And not just in the realm of public speaking and training.
You may think it’s hard to measure the return on investment of levity at work—whether a go-cart outing, online vacation photo contest, or a well-timed one liner—but we’ve found a bevy of successful leaders in companies such as Boeing, KPMG and Nike who attest that fun is an essential component of their people, business and innovation strategies.
Our book, “The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up,” is backed up by a one million-person research study and offers up lots of ways to make money while making merry. Here are a few quick ideas that paint the proper picture of Levity…
- If they’re laughing, they’re listening: Whether you’re about to make a presentation to senior management to get funding for your big idea (outsourcing to primates), pitching a sales prospect who could make your year, or trying to engage a troop of distracted Campfire Girls, great communicators know that a little humor goes a long way toward creating unforgettable messages.
- Comedy can coax creativity: The work world isn’t suffering from a dearth of tedious, stiff brainstorming sessions. Research shows you can boost creativity scores by exposing people to humor or play before you start a meeting.
- Laugh all the way to the bank: Managers who use more levity experience higher employee productivity, engagement and retention. People with a sense of humor climb the corporate ladder more quickly and earn more money than their peers. And executives hire and promote the humorous more often than the dour. Wouldn’t you?
- Put a spring in your voicemail: As soon as you get into the office today, lighten up your tired voicemail with some quick company trivia or at least a modicum of joy in your voice. That is, after all, how we greet people face to
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What it is: The Levity Effect – Why It Pays to Lighten Up
What it’s about: The Levity Effect uses science to reveal how of fun and humor in work drives business results.
Rating: 4 stars
The Good: The Levity Effect explains why levity at work is a good thing by outlining extensive research, revealing how “Great” companies consistently earn significantly higher marks for “fun.”
The Bad: The Levity Effect runs the risk of not being taken seriously due to the nature of its business concept.
Action Item: Workers, managers, and leaders learn how to create a fun, productive environment that benefits their careers and companies. Want to earn more than your peers? Read this book to understand why leaders, who are light-hearted and funny, earn more than their colleagues do; how fun employers have more loyal employees and customers, and higher profits; and how employees, who are considered humorous, are more likely to be promoted, especially to senior roles.
What is Levity?
Admit it. You want to work for an employer that’s fun. You don’t want a job that requires you to submit “TPS reports” or any other mindless paperwork like in the comedy film Office Space. Having fun at work feels like a once in a lifetime gig, when we finally experience it.
For example, I once worked for a company that practiced levity as part of its human resources program. My favorite moment working there? My employer secured a private screening of Phantom Menace for its employees. Why was this special? We saw the movie before Phantom Menace was released in theaters nationwide! They worked with Lucasfilm for over a year, so it could reward/indulge its employees by taking us to a pre-screening of this movie. Now that’s levity. Did it work? Yes, we were productive and my guess is our CEO was greatly benefiting from his employees, who worked their tails off for him. And we were fiercely loyal to him.
So what is levity? Levity is fun at work. It’s discovering wit and humor, being funny, and being fun. Levity isn’t about chattering teeth or other gimmicky props. It’s not channeling Michael Scott to get your employees, colleagues, or boss to laugh. It’s about being authentic, genuine, and lighthearted. Letting people be themselves.
The Proof is in the Research
Believe it or not, there have been studies about positive cultures. One study linked a positive culture of the “100 Best” companies with strong financial performance. These companies earned nearly two times the return to the S&P 500, indicating that great workplaces product outstanding results.
Another study asked workers to identify a TV boss that reminded them of their own such as:
- Michael Scott from The Office (idiotic)
- Donald Trump from The Apprentice (demanding, powerful)
- Simon Cowell from American Idol (judgmental, insulting)
Workers listed only three positive examples:
- Sam Malone from Cheers (amicable, fun)
- Miranda Bailey from Grey’s Anatomy (tough, but fair)
- Jack Shepard from Lost (smart, looks out for the team)
I’ve had my share of Simon Cowells, but I’ve been fortunate to work for Sam Malones, Miranda Baileys, and Jacks. I wasn’t surprised to learn that employees, who liked their boss and rated them as having a sense of humor, were more inclined see themselves in their job a year from now.
You learn why leadership with a touch of levity is essential. Employers that use levity understand that “The need for fun is hardwired into our systems and has a biological impact on the body.” Finally, a business book that validates what I’ve noticed with employers. If it was a fun job, then I like my job more.
Levity and Communication, Innovation, and Wealth
Gostick and Christopher explain why employers, using levity have workers that are listening, are creative and are more profitable. The authors provide tools to help managers and leaders incorporate levity into their communications. They recommend using MIRTH:
- More efficient meetings
- Information relationships with employees
- Remarkable presentations
- Training that sizzles
- Humorous communications
Using MIRTH, managers and leaders can also use fun to inspire workers to be more innovative. After explaining why levity is important to creativity, they offer several strategies to create an innovative environment. For example, they recommend eight tips for “out-of-the-box creativity,” such as keeping a stack of toys, puzzles, Nerf balls, slinky toys, etc. to get the ball rolling at meetings. Common sense, right?
As a manager, I had a collection of toys like stress balls, basketball Nerf set, and action figures for myself, it never occurred to me to share with my direct reports. During team meetings and one-on-one meetings, I noticed my direct reports would play with the toys as they brainstormed. I was using levity and didn’t even know it…go figure. I was in my mid-30s then, so I have an excuse.
Levity encourages creativity, but wealth too? According to Gostick and Christopher, levity lowers turnover, recharges batteries, increases personal success, and makes you employable. Today, the challenge in managing a workforce is managing Generation Y, known as the Millennials. They offer six ways to create “Techno-Levity” to reach this generation or workers. Boomers and Gen X’ers will appreciate this approach, since Gen Y tends to ignore memos, but reads anything electronically.
But Your Management Team Doesn’t Understand
Okay, you’re convinced that levity is a good thing. But how do you pull it off? Some of us are natural comedians, but most of us aren’t. Case in point, I can come up a zinger every now and then like once ina blue moon, but I’m not funny. How do we start creating a culture of levity? Gostick and Christopher offer specific advice on how to be genuine, which has to come before fun. They explain that we’re not supposed to be “funny,” we should be “fun.” There’s a difference. They also dispel worries that too much levity is bad. They assure managers and leaders that a fun environment is part of a high-trust environment.
Conclusion
After reading this book, manager and leaders will be convinced to add levity into their company. The authors even provide 142 ways to start fun at work. If you’re a Michael Scott, then change your game play. Course correct by stopping the inappropriate behavior and being funny in an awkward way. Instead, create a fun environment. Channel your inner Sam Malone. If you’re Simon Cowell, then channel your inner Miranda Bailey with a touch of fun. Use levity to create loyal employees who will take your company to improved productivity and profitability.
About Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher
Adrian Gostick is the author of several very successful business books including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-seller The Carrot Principle. To read the Smart Lemming Review of The Carrot Principle, click here. He also wrote the bestsellers The Invisible Employee, A Carrot a Day and The 24-Carrot Manager.
Scott Christopher is co-author of the best selling The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up and Director of Speaking and Training at the O.C. Tanner Company. A contributing author of the bestseller A Carrot a Day, a regular columnist for Workplace HR magazine, and a consultant on strengthening work culture with recognition and fun, Scott travels the world speaking to leadership groups at conferences and on-site client meetings.
Additional Levity Effect Resources
- The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up book
- Official Levity Effect website
- Levity blog
- Levity Effect free resources
- Television appearances
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