JULY 2007: ISSUE 70 MAKE 'EM LAUGH John also knew that his topic wouldn't be popular - the challenges they all faced after a recent round of layoffs. "I had no idea how I was going to wake everyone up," John said. "And even if I managed to do that, I still needed a way to lighten them up so that they'd be open to what I had to say." Then, he had a brainstorm. That night he purchased four good juggling balls (he had learned to juggle from a friend in college). He practiced, and the next afternoon he started off his presentation using three juggling techniques to demonstrate 1) How his group had "juggled" department tasks in the past with a full staff (he sent four balls in the air and juggled them at a measured pace) 2) How they would have to handle tasks in the immediate future with fewer staff (he dropped one ball and kept three balls going at a faster pace) and 3) How smoothly work would flow as they rose to meet the new challenges (he kept three balls cycling in a smooth, one-handed circuit). The sight of an executive juggling (and occasionally dropping and scrambling for a ball) woke his audience up. And their laughter helped the group transition into one of the more open discussions they'd ever had about all the changes the company was facing. "It was a small joke, really, but it was amazing how big an impact it had on the way the rest of the meeting went," John said. "They say that laughter is contagious - and it is," commented Michael Orosco, a Sacramento, California-based motivational speaker who has coached managers about the use of humor in companies as far-flung as Singapore and Canada. "But it's not just the laughter that's important - it's the whole mindset that goes with it. If your employees know that you can still keep a sense of humor in a crisis, then they won't panic. They'll realize there's real hope they can make it through OK." On the other hand, managers who can't lighten up or don't make psychic room for their employees to joke about their work from time to time contribute to a work environment in which stress rules the day - day in and day out. And stress, according to experts, kills productivity. Workers with high levels of stress report up to four times as many health problems as workers with lower levels. Stress can also contribute to lower productivity, morale and retention rates. It is so crippling that OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) has declared stress to be a workplace hazard. In contrast, one classic mark of a strong leader is his or her ability to use humor to defuse a tense situation. Managers who most often use humor, according to a recent study conducted at Canadian financial institutions, facilitate the highest level of employee performance. From a medical viewpoint, it makes perfect sense: Laughter literally lowers blood pressure and relaxes muscles. It also releases endorphins, which make us more alert. Humor is also a potent way for a manager to signal a sense of confidence, a belief that a group can "make it through OK." "Laughter has a hopeful sound," commented Susan Gayle, author of the CDs Let Your Stress Go and Learn to Be Stress-Free, in her recent on-line article. "It is the best medicine - and besides that, it's free. What better way to improve conditions in the workplace?" Besides relieving stress, according to Gayle, humor can also help a team:
While laughter isn't a workplace cure-all, Orosco added, it can at least help to defuse a tough situation and boost worker morale: "Laughter is a lot like changing diapers," Orosco added. "It may not change everything forever but it does keep the poop away for awhile."
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