How to Be Funny in the Workplace

Three tips to keeping the mood light without being an office clown.
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Ric Kelly

GUEST WRITER
Leadership Specialist
   
October 26, 2019 5 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

I had a conversation recently with someone who confided that they were sick of work.
“Everything feels too routine. I get pushed around and everyone expects me to be funny all the
time,” they said. Seeing they were a bit stressed, I recommended they switch off for the evening
and suggested a visit to the circus. The person started sobbing. “But that’s where I work,” they
bawled. “As one of the clowns.”

OK, let me take this a bit more seriously and tell you about a real conversation I had recently
with a client who likes to use humor in the workplace. They confided in me that they were
concerned that their jokey manner was creating a reputation as someone lacking in seriousness,
professionalism and maturity, and they asked me if they should tone things down. It’s pretty
cheerless that in 2019, after all the surveys about lack of engagement, wellbeing and authenticity
in the workplace, people are still struggling to be their natural selves. I gave the following
response: Humor in the workplace can be both career-enhancing and a powerful social
intelligence tool, but it needs to be executed with skill and purpose.

Related: Humor Sells

An oft-cited Robert Half survey found that “91 percent of executives believe a

sense of humor is important for career advancement, while 84 percent feel that
people with a good sense of humour do a better job.” Indeed, in The Humor
Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All The Way To The
Bank, Michael Kerr reflects that in this day and age, people who take
themselves too seriously in the workplace are often taken less seriously by
others. It reminds me of the joke about the humorless office worker who went
for a promotion. He didn't get it.

Studies and research show that humor in the workplace can be highly beneficial
and drive up productivity, promote wellbeing, break down barriers and create a
more human and authentic environment. That said, humor has boundaries that
must be carefully observed and managed. Here are three essential habits to take
into account when being funny in the workplace.

1. Familiarize yourself with the basic mechanics of humor.

There are many varieties of humor, e.g. self-deprecating, put-down, bonding,

observational, verbal wit, slapstick, surreal, dark, bodily, etc. Some are more
appropriate in a work environment than others. Pulling a chair out from under a
colleague and passing gas in the elevator is clearly not appropriate and is sure to
have you laughing all the way to the labor exchange. Being overtly offensive in
the workplace is also strictly off-limits, and that includes put-down humor about
peoples physical appearance. That line of comedy may seem like friendly
banter, but can be highly derisive and, as Albert Rapp argues in The Origins of
Wit and Humor, is a veiled form of superiority. It’s important to understand
what each of these different forms yield. For example, self-deprecating humor
can make you seem humble, approachable and down-to-earth, but when
overused can give the impression of insecurity and lack of confidence. Insider
jokes can be socially bonding but can also be cliquey and alienating to outsiders.

2. Use humor intentionally and with a purpose.

In More Funny, More Money, author Marty Wilson tells the story of a
Southwest Airlines announcement: “Southwest Airlines would like to
congratulate a first-time flyer on board today who is celebrating his 89th
birthday. Ladies and Gentlemen, how about a big round of applause for our
pilot.” This announcement is purposeful; it makes people smile, humanizes what
can be a depersonalizing experience and puts passengers at ease. But it's also a
crucial signal that announcements on this flight will be interesting, fun and
worth listening to rather than reading in-flight magazines. The announcement
contains both intellect and empathy. Humor in this context communicates
emotional, social and cultural intelligence.

Related: 4 Ways to Use Humor as a Marketing Tool

3. Be on top of your game.

The plain reality is, using humor and jokes in the workplace carries a risk of
some people questioning your sincerity and professionalism. In this case, it is
very important to be on top of your game and focused on the details that
will off-set these prejudices. In the classic courtroom drama, A Few Good Men,
the lead counsel, Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, prompts Navel Investigator,
Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, to question his professionalism. She
seeks to get him removed from the assignment for his “fast-food, slick-ass,
Persian bazaar manner.” Over time, though, she comes to regard him as an
“exceptional lawyer” because of his raw abilities in the courtroom. It may be
helpful to disclose to others that your use of humor is intentional and purposeful
so that they understand that you are employing humor in a tactical manner.

The punchline….

Using humor in the workplace should not be stigmatized in this day and age.
Indeed, this BBC business report examines how progressive companies such as
Google, Twitter, Red Bull and Siemens are embracing more playful working
cultures. And as a recent academic paper posits, people who use humor in an
appropriate and intentional way are far from frivolous or flippant; they are
behavioral change agents who seek to build a more natural, engaging, authentic
and playful work environment and culture. They are among the most emotional
and socially intelligent people in the workplace and tend to be genuinely happy,
well-adjusted and successful in their work. And that’s not to be scoffed at.

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