The Benefits of Laughing More In The Office

I recently watched a TedTalk on "Why Great Leaders Take Humour Seriously" with Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas and there were a lot of great points that I'd like to share with you. Moreover, I believe that there is great value in bringing humour back into the workplace. 

In a global study, over a million people were asked a simple question... "did you smile a lot yesterday?" and around 75%- 85% of people aged under 25 said yes. For people between the ages of 25 and 60, roughly 68% said yes. You can see that as people head towards 80 years old their ability to laugh every day is significantly decreased. Many factors can influence this such as a growing amount of responsibilities and a lack of social connection. Nevertheless, it's important to create more space for laughter and joy in our own lives and others.

Behavioural scientist, Jennifer Aaker, looks at what actually creates happiness in life vs what we think. She expresses that, "humour sells" and that "studies show that adding a light-hearted line in a sales pitch makes people willing to pay 20% more." Jennifer continues, "when strangers share a laugh in a conversation they end up disclosing more personal information, so they feel closer." This is because when we laugh our brain releases a massive amount of hormones such as Endorphins, which lowers Cortisol, our primary stress hormone, and releases Dopamine, which makes us feel more bonded. 

We must remind ourselves to be more human with our interactions. Jennifer explains that "when work gets busy, we become transactional, and yet these small shifts are enough to change us from transactional to human. Like how we sign off on our emails." 

Fun and Friendly Email Sign-Offs 

1. Tag, you're it!
2. Can't wait to hear from you!
3. What are your thoughts?
4. Let me know what you need to get started.
5. "Always a pleasure catching up with a fellow [insert sports team] fan"
6. "Good luck at the [event]"
7. I'm curious to know what you think.
8. Does this interest you?
9. Don't forget to [action]!
10. Let's catch up soon!
11. Yours heavily caffeinated.

Naomi Bagdonas is a corporate strategist who spent her career not only doing business but also performing improv comedy. Naomi expresses that, "leaders who have a good sense of humour are 27% more motivating" and that "their teams are more bonded and creative." 

Furthermore, I see the importance of humour within my own business, when life gets serious it's important to find time to have a laugh and relieve some stress. After all, one-third of your life is spent at work.  That's why it's important to check in with your team regularly to see if they're not only happy with their role but with the company culture. 

Create a space that is fun to work in, so your team can be and feel their best selves. Don't forget, your customers will feel your teams' energy too.