Humor in the Workplace

  

  In our textbook, Professor Green (2017) defines hedging as "use of strategic ambiguity and humor to provide a way for both parties to save face when a message fails to achieve its goal." I do this all the time at work since it is a pretty high pressure job and there are many times that things start to take a negative turn in conversations and meetings. Honestly I'm kind of the joker of my team, and I feel like it is necessary. 

  So when it came to looking for a podcast based on communication, I was looking for one that actually had some humor to it, as most of the podcasts I listen to, regardless of the subject tend to be a little on the funny side. I came across a podcast called "Think Fast Talk Smart" by Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of strategic communication/organizational behavior at Stanford. 

  The podcast isn't necessarily a comedy podcast, but it does have some funny moments through several episodes I listened to. I decided to listen to the episode called "Make 'Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as a Secret Weapon in Your Communication." In this episode he speaks with Stanford professors Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas. 

  I think that hedging, or just having a sense of humor in general is important in communication, as long as you know when it is appropriate and not appropriate. Humor in the office can be both a way to cool down a heated meeting or discussion, and it can also be used as a means to accomplish professional goals. In the podcast, Jennifer Aaker mentions a book she wrote with her husband in 2010 called "The Dragonfly Effect." During this time she became involved with a non-profit organization that assists in finding bone marrow donors for those in need, she met Amit Gupta. Gupta had leukemia, and I can only imagine how hard of an ordeal that must be. Gupta to her surprise was a very bright and positive individual who had...you guessed it, a great sense of humor. Gupta used that charisma to get people to sign up for the bone marrow registry, and Aakers was amazed to discover how humor can help someone meet their goals. 

  In the podcast it is also mentioned that there is a myth stating that humor has no place at work, and that leaders actually tend to prefer employees with a sense of humor. And I can completely understand why. People respond better to people when things are brighter and more positive, and when it is okay for them to laugh. I believe that humor in the workplace is entirely possible to be had, and still be taken seriously in a professional setting. It creates a good work culture, opens communication as people who are positive and have a sense of humor are easier to approach. It also allows employees to feel that they can trust leadership when things are not as heavy as they can be in a workplace. Again, that is being funny yet professional at the same time. It is all about context.

  I mentioned hedging from our textbook because this theory is probably something a lot of us have done at work at one time or another, it is even mentioned in the podcast as a means to diffuse tension in the workplace. Hedging even works when talking to clients, if something isn't going the way you intend it to, using context and workplace appropriate humor as mentioned in the podcast and I entirely agree with, can entirely change the overall response of that client or audience. I do think that there is a limit in hedging, as I mentioned earlier, you really have to know your audience, and you have to know when it is appropriate to use this skill.

  I think I can definitely see myself continuing to listen to this podcast, especially considering that it is such an interesting way to help people build their communication skills. 

Podcast Webpage

Make 'Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as a Secret Weapon in Your Communication

The 1 Trait to Look for in Hiring New Employees (It's Pretty Funny and Most Companies Overlook It)

References

Abrahams, M. (Writer). (2020). Make 'Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as a Secret Weapon in Your Communication [Radio series episode]. In Think Fast Talk Smart.

Green, J. M. (2017). Chapter 9- Uncertainty Reduction Theory Page 126. In Communicating online. United States: McGraw Hill Education Create.