I’ve worked with some major league a**holes in my life.  The kind of people that made the working environment not just bad, they made it suck (that’s a technical term).  I don’t know if that’s the way they were taught to lead or if their Mom didn’t hug them enough when they were kids but it impacted creativity, productivity, and morale.

Unfortunately, that’s the working environment for a lot of us.  Leaders are afraid to lose the ego, laugh, and have a little fun at work.  Leaders that can lose that ego can reap a pretty hefty return with very little effort.  What can a little humor and fun do for you as a leader?

It makes you likeable.  Let’s face it, there are a lot of things that we, as leaders, have to do that put us the the not liked arena.  That doesn’t mean we can’t be likeable.  There’s a big difference between the two.  The strategic use of humor makes you more likeable and gives you the referent power base you NEED (that’s where people want to do things because of your sheer awesome magnitude rather than you telling them they have to).

It reduces team stress.  In the Navy, they say that the Captain is the ship.  This has a lot of different connotations but I take it to mean that the people in the department take on the personality of the person in charge.  They also adapt to their emotional state.  If you’re stressed out, you can bet that your team will be stressed out.  Laughing at issues changes the emotional state and makes things less stressful (about one million workers EACH DAY take time off due to stress related complaints…don’t you think it’s worth a laugh?).

It facilitates open communication.  Humor allows us to approach threatening subjects in a non-threatening way. Research shows that most people find it difficult to receive information from someone who has little or no sense of humor. Additionally, it shows that when people laugh together, they not only enjoy themselves, but they are more receptive to new ideas.

It encourages innovation.  Humor is freedom.  Leaders that can laugh at their own mistakes, in essence, give permission to their people to do the same.  They will no longer be encumbered with worrying of misstepping, they know that if their leader can laugh at their own mistakes, so can they…and then find the learning.  Today’s competitive world needs people that aren’t afraid to make a mistake.  They’ll take your lead.

It enhances engagement.  What enthralls you more…working in a sterile environment or one where people enjoy what they’re doing and who they’re with?  I think the latter (unless you’re an undertaker).  According to the Harvard Business Review, “Laughter relieves stress and boredom, boosts engagement and well-being, and spurs not only creativity and collaboration but also analytic precision and productivity.”   What’s the down side? (Oh, yeah, the stick would have to be removed).

It reduces turnover.  Teams that play together, stay together.  Why would you want to leave your friends and workplace that is fun?  Glassdoor, a job and recruiting website that holds a large database of more than 8 million company reviews, has found that the top companies create a fun, collaborative work environment place a strong emphasis on employee empowerment and enjoyment.

It builds cohesive teams.  The best teams I have been on were where we worked hard and we played hard.  No one complained when we did both at the same time, either.  Most teams develop a sense of humor of their own that outside teams don’t understand.  That’s because they’ve been in the trenches together and have shared experiences.  Those bonds are hard to break.  Further, fun natured competition inspires.

It can curb bad behavior and enforce norms.  A little gentle ribbing about something that is out of the norm has a greater impact on curbing deviant behavior than a reprimand.

It’s fun.  Fun is its own reward.  As humans, we’re built to play.  It’s a part of our DNA.  As we grow up we look at play as the opposite of work and that’s bullshit. Even if the task itself is not that great, if the environment is fun, I’m in (aren’t you?).

81% of the Fortune 100 companies are rated by their employees as being a fun place to work.  I think that says something about the power humor and a little fun has in the overall success of an organization.

Are you ready to lose the ego and laugh?  Go get ‘em, champ!

If you’re stuck on how to do it, call me.  I’m happy to help.