It is said that laughter is the best medicine. It has also been scientifically proved that laughter releases the 'feel good' endorphins in the brain that helps reduce stress. In a world where employees are under the constant pressure of being at their professional best, a few places can be more taxing than the workplace.
"I usually relate humorous and quirky situations at work as it helps ease the tension and keeps my colleagues in a good mood. Nothing works better than a good joke to keep a mind fresh and happy despite the work stress. But sometimes, humour can also amount to spiteful teasing which leads to negative feelings and ego clashes that hamper team work. In such cases, I usually intervene assertively and help restore the situation back to normal," says Swapnil Khot, trainee executive at CMS Infosystem Pvt. Ltd.
While a having a good sense of humour at work might do wonders with a colleague-friend who understands, a joke not well-taken can also lead to a hostile and divisive work environment. It is exceedingly important to know how to get humour to work for you and relieve work stress without causing offence.
"Humour is unwelcomed when it includes sarcasm. Jokes that belittle a person only conveys an intimidating attitude and a narrow mind," explains Soeb Fatehi, president, Control Panel and Switchgear Manufacturers' Association.
Jokes directed at a person's physical or behavioural traits such as height, weight, skin colour, accents and work ethics are demeaning in nature and are best avoided. One should not use humour to convey messages they wouldn't directly share. For example, lines such as 'where were you when they were giving out brains?' might seem to be funny, but is extremely insulting.
"In a country like India, humour game requires a mature understanding of cross cultural diversity. Due to inter-state migration, a number of people are acquiring proficiency in languages other than their mother tongues. This is slowly leading to a social restructuring and a cultural integration of corporate domains. In such a situation, if people display a narrow mind towards diversity, and use humour to heighten the differences in caste, creed, ethnicity, race, and language, it can lead to a severe backlash resulting in nothing but strained relationships," shares Fatehi.
You might want to use humour to start a conversation with a colleague, but this is a risk you take since humour can be easily misunderstood. If you don't know a certain person, it is best that you remain formal and cast a good first impression. Explicit and vulgar humour is also a strict no-no at work.
Topics such as death, physical or mental disabilities, sexual orientations and racial inequalities are no laughing matter. Jokes regarding these topics can bring forth painful memories and hurt sentiments.
Leave politics out of your humour. If you do not know a person's political views, it's best to not crack any political jokes as they are likely to invite a hostile argument and provoke a person.
One should always avoid invasive gags regarding personal relationships. Don't attempt to joke about mothers-in-law, fathers-in-law, boyfriends or girlfriends as this might create an uncomfortable enviornment to work in.
Almost everyone relates to jokes regarding human behaviour in general. A good narration of a funny movie scene or an amusing story relating to children can easily get people laughing. Try sticking to light jokes that create a relaxed working enviornment.
A lot of times life presents you with a situations, where a senior colleague pokes fun at you offensively and makes you feel belittled. In such cases, you must stand up for yourself and be assertive. This will not only raise your character in the eyes of your seniors, but will also help you garner respect among colleagues.
Many corporations have tried to harness the healing benefit of laughter to perk up their employee productivity. Get your employees to know each other well. Conduct workshops and other fun activities that are outside your work area to provide employees with their much needed respite from the usual routine. The right kind of humour allows people to be more open to different ideas and helps them think out-of-the-box. One must also keep in mind that humour is not just about wisecracks or smart one-liners; it also includes keeping your employees and colleagues happy, creative and productive.
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