Conversations That Matter

Author: Jennifer Watson

You're writing a speech or sitting in a meeting when you have a funny thought. Do you share it? Do you include it in your remarks?

Before you answer, let's stipulate that your funny thought isn't an obvious clunker. You're not prone to sexist comments, racist jokes or unkind put-downs. Your thought is just funny - at least to you.

Do you share it, or maintain a more serious, conventionally professional demeanor?

Before I give my opinion, let me say that experts disagree. Many books on public speaking advise against using humor. And executive coaches often do as well, as illustrated by this advice from a recent ColoradoBiz magazine column:

Keep humor out of the office. The class clown rarely winds up as the CEO. Your sense of humor might not be appropriate for the office, or may be way over the heads of your co-workers. Almost any joke which is actually funny can offend some folks. Wordplays are often lost on people. Humor usually just identifies you as someone who is not trustworthy.

I agree that humor can be risky, but I'd argue that being serious all the time is riskier still. What humor reveals is your underlying personality, the unique twists and turns of your mind and your ability to laugh at yourself. Humor shows the real you in a way that an unbending professional demeanor doesn't. If people know you, they're more comfortable being open themselves. Humor helps people connect.

I'm not alone in this belief. In a recent article, Jill Geisler of the Poynter Institute included humor in her What Great Bosses Know series. The authors of Primal Leadership report that emotionally intelligent leaders create positive emotions by using tools such as humor. Those emotions resonate throughout the organization and increase productivity.

Is humor appropriate all of the time? No. Don't try off-the-cuff humor during a media interview or continue with it if someone objects. And be aware of the types of humor you use well. For example, I can't tell a joke to save my life but I use other types of humor effectively.

In the end, I think of humor as I do salt in cooking. When used in moderation, it lifts the flavor of a meal - and makes life a little more fun.