Why shared laughter is good for business

If you walk through the halls of an elementary school or frequent a playground you hear lot’s of giggles and laughter. But when I walk the maze of cubicles at an organization or along the hallways of a business office, I rarely hear those same sounds.

Maybe we think now we are adult’s we need to outgrow laughter. Maybe we think for work to get done the workplace has to be a “serious” place. Maybe we have forgotten the wisdom of laughter as the best medicine.

Yet, regardless of your personal opinion, serious research is telling us that humor is not only good for you, but good for your workplace also. Work environments where humor and laughter is encouraged, tend to be happier, less stressed and more productive. It also increases feelings of solidarity and cohesion amongst co-workers, improves retention, and provides a non-threatening environment.

Benefits of laughter

Let's list some of the benefits that laughter brings:

1. Well-being

One study by Drs. Lee Berk and Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University found that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones and increases muscle flexion. Laughter also lowers blood pressure and triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. When we laugh, we feel better physically, lighter and more relaxed. The result is a general sense of well-being.

2. Clear thinking

A study by Duane Smelser found that people who are lighthearted, having fun and in good spirits are more likely to be successful. Their positive feelings produce increased oxygen, endorphins and blood flow, which enables people to think more clearly and creatively. Dr. Ashton Trice of Mary Baldwin College in Virginia says: "Taking time out to laugh can help us to get rid of negative feelings and allow us to better concentrate on what we are doing."

3. Increase productivity

A positive upbeat environment helps people get along better with co-workers. Medical News Today reports on another interesting study about laughter. Lead author Professor Robin Dunbar, Head of the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oxford, told the media that they think it is the "bonding effects of the endorphin rush that explain why laughter plays such an important role in social bonding".

Productivity and loyalty increase when employees feel they are part of a positive team. A study conducted at Canadian financial institutions found that managers who most frequently used humor also had the highest level of employee performance. Study after study shows a positive work environment rates as one of the top reasons that employees give 100 percent at work and why they stay.

4. Increase creativity

Taking 10-15 minutes a day to work on laughing is not a loss of time; it's a productivity booster. Laughing helps people clear the cobwebs from the brain and helps the creativity juices flow. Great companies and leaders know this and leverage the positive power of laughing and healthy humor in their teams.

5. Soften difficult messages

George Bernard Shaw once said: “If you’re going to tell people the truth, you’d better make them laugh. Otherwise, they’ll kill you.” He had a point! Instead of complaining about the long and convoluted e-mails someone sends you, you might say something like: “You know, I could help you leave the office earlier than you do. When the person says, “Really? How?” you can say, “Just make your emails half as long.” You will have made your point without a direct attack, and you may even get a shorter email next time!

6. Solve tough problems

Sometimes unplanned humor can help move toward a solution to tough problems. A design company had come up with a new daring line they thought was going to take the fashion world in a whirlwind. Unfortunately, it was just before a slump in the economy and it was a total flop. In a meeting convened to determine how to minimize losses people were having a difficult time coming up with ideas on how to proceed. Suddenly, one of the managers jumped up and said, “I’ve got it! Let’s just repackage it and sell it as Halloween costumes!”

Everyone laughed, and the tension in the room was noticeably reduced. From that point on, the ideas began flowing and progress was made in choosing a path to re-stimulate sales of the product. While the solution offered was an absurd one, the laughter broke people out of the box and helped create a frame of mind that generated a lot of good ideas on how to proceed. [Actually, this is a made up situation. But it demonstrates nicely the way in which humor helps come up with solutions to difficult problems.]

Can laughter ever be wrong?

A word of caution. If you laugh at the expense of someone else, it’s ultimately hurtful, not funny. Humor shouldn’t be sarcasm disguised with a smile – “just kidding.” Healthy laughter is not hurtful, malicious or disrespectful.

Humor in the workplace should not include jokes or comments about a person’s appearance, sexuality or religion. Healthy laughter it’s about seeing the humor in everyday situations and having the confidence to laugh at your self.

Some suggestions

Laughter does not cost much in time or money, yet brings invaluable benefits. Some suggestions for finding humor, be less frazzled and sharing a good belly laugh:

• Solicit ideas for ways to add fun to the workplace. People often have simple, terrific ideas and bring past experiences with them.
• Look for the funny things that always exist like typos, your funny actions and behaviors.
• Give projects comical names like Brainless or Thumper.
• Use cartoons to help with communication. Encourage team members to post their favorite cartoons in a common area. Laugh and enjoy friendly, funny interactions.
• Enjoy a laugh with your co-workers for a few minutes for no real reason at all.
• Find playful ways to lighten up conflict, ie., certain toys; lightly humorous things to think or say; comical visualizations that can help keep perspective.
• Exaggerate or understate.
• Poke fun at yourself, and encourage employees to share and laugh at their own misstep
• Tell stories, jokes and personal life stories.
• Use humor to break the ice when starting a meeting or presentation.

Remember. . .

Children laugh and smile an average of 400 times per day, but the average adult older than 35 only laughs 15 times per day. Guess who has a better day! Use laughter and humor in the workplace throughout the day. Laughing with others promotes a positive workplace.

Humor improves employee creativity, communications, and wellness while reducing burnout. Committing to a positive work environment is a hallmark of great leadership, success and profitability. Laughter is good for business!

Share your thoughts

What are your experiences with laughter in the workplace?

I would love to know what you think, so please share your thoughts with your fellow readers and myself.

Photos by: eschipul and jonsmith photography