The Levity Factor at Work: Here’s How to Lighten Up

Jody Urquhart
June 1, 2010 | COMMENTS

According to research, if employees are busting their gut -they'll bust their butt. A fascinating but totally boring study found that 85 percent of employees at the best companies are having a great time andhaving fun at work (the Great Place to Work Survey). The study found fun directly added to productivity. It also found that people learn very little when they are boredwhile humor increases memory and recognition. Consider that stress reduces blood flow which delivers oxygen to the brain, an important thing you would look for in a productive employee. Just looking forward to a lighthearted event increases blood flow to the brain and reduces levels of at least four neuroendocrine hormones associated with stress (University of Maryland Study).

A manager who hasn't cracked a smile since the 1980s is shown to have less effective leadership skills. The leader who laughs and smiles a lot is shown to be more inspiring, trustworthy, and indicates a stronger bottom line. People work harder for people they like and when people like each other they tend to laugh more together. Leading with levity is about a lightness of attitude that engages and inspires others. Humor is an effective way to move business forward.

Would your employees and customers call you (or your organization) fun to do business with? If not, here are some suggestions borrowed from some of the top great places to work:

• At Microsoft everyday a person signs up to blast a song up across the room at 3 p.m. when energy levels are lowest
• At Lego managers zip around in little mini-scooters
• At Prudential financial management set up a minigolf course at work
• At a recent seminar a company suggested they hold Studs N Suds car wash where male managers wash employee's cars
• At Sprint management have been known to incorporate a rap song into a corporate memo
• One company holds a spontaneous company-wide fun shopping spree where they escort them their by limo
• At Boston Pizza to introduce a new menu the leadership dresses up like anchovies (or other food groups).
• At one Fortune 500 company a secret signal, like a thumbs up or the happy dance which indicates, “It's all good” that can be used at anytime by any employee as a universally recognized way to decrease tension
• At Scripts the company had a lighthearted race on children's tricycles at a company event

It's hard to believe fun can bring greater productivity but it does. Here are some of the reasons why I think humor impacts productivity:  

1. Humor reduces hierarchy and formality. Levity removes the “us and them” divide as long as you send the message that policies and procedures apply to everyone in equal measure. Humor demonstrates you can balance work demands with a sense of levity.
2. Levity softens the blow. Humor softens the damaging edge of tough information. Things can be said in jest that might otherwise give offence. The result is communication of difficult information in a less personally threatening way.
3. Humor can facilitate learning. If people are to learn anything, they have to be interested; and if they have to remember it, they have to be involved emotionally. Nothing can compare with humor for this power to facilitate learning

Jody Urquhart is a professional speaker who compels stressed-out and fed-up professionals to rediscover their passion and purpose. Reprinted with permission from the Texas Credit Union League (www.tcul.coop).