You may have heard your friends or partners coming back from work saying they exist 9 to 5 in a ‘Craicuum’ where there is a complete absence of laughter and fun. Or maybe they are surrounded by clones of Count Craicula: those people who seem able to drain the humour out of any situation.
In all the jobs I’ve had, humour and laughter have been among the top metrics I use to evaluate my time there. Did I enjoy the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the fun.
No matter what else was going on (how good or bad the pay was, or how important or trivial the work seemed) I always asked myself if I could come home having had a genuine laugh with my colleagues more often than not.
That’s not to say I didn’t work hard. I most certainly did, however on reflection I always felt I did my best work in an environment where there was humour and laughter.
Okay Barry, all well and good you may be thinking. But beyond your own feeling good, does laughter at work have any proper benefits for the company?
Well of course it does, and there is science to prove it.
One study, for example, investigated whether the use of laughter could stimulate the superior anterior temporal gyrus (a part of the brain that helps connect distantly related concepts and ideas).
Results showed that a short laugh at a comedy clip resulted in a 20% increase in puzzle solving, in joining the dots. Laughter allowed our brains to move ideas and concepts around and connect in a way that being rigidly focused did not.
When we are relaxed out brains can free associate better. We can be more creative, able to generate more ideas. Ideas are good business.
Fair enough, but is there anything else? Of course there is:
- Laughter can create psychological safety; a mark that a team is in a good space.
- If members of a team are laughing together then it means they are relaxed, they feel safe. A sense of trust is created in the group and the team dynamics become stronger.
- That means employees have an environment where they can contribute. They feel more relaxed about throwing new ideas into the mix, or giving their opinion on something.
- It can ease tension when there are issues (timing is everything though).
- It can create a sense of togetherness, breaking down barriers, making people seem more approachable.
- It can help make workplaces retain their humanity in an age of remote work, atomisation and reliance on technology.
- It helps relieve tedium. Where jobs are monotonous and repetitious it keeps the mind awake and stimulated.
- Studies have show employees prefer leaders who can demonstrate a sense of humour.
- Laughter releases endorphins which help increase positive mood.
- Productivity increases with morale. Morale gets boosted the better people feel. Laughter helps people feel better. Simple.
Now of course, as horror aficionados know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, however there is also a time and place for humour.
It can fill the gaps, grease the wheels, but shouldn’t replace actual work. A job still needs to be done.
And for goodness’ sake please, PLEASE, please know your audience when you are trying to be humorous. So much mischief and misfortune has come from a place where people thought they were being funny and totally misjudged a particular recipient or the room in general.
Laughter can be a real force for good and (especially at work) should not be generated through mean spirited jokes, or as a result of someone being targeted in a cruel or malicious way.
It should be inclusive. It should reach out to everyone. Not all colleagues will have a great sense of humour. That’s fine. You don’t need to force them to join in. Just don’t leave them feeling excluded. You don’t have to be funny to appreciate a joke either.
And finally: always remember the wisdom of Charlie Chaplin, who said “A day without laughter is a day wasted’.
- Barry Shannon is a specialist in HR matters
