The Known Secret of Fun – Humor 

By Sean Wall-Carty and Jessi Bullock

There are many articles highlighting the value of incorporating humor at work. As adults, we often forget how much embracing humor can help us with everyday life. When was the last time you, as an adult, engaged in the same activities you enjoyed as a kid, like coloring in a coloring book, jumping rope, playing video games or singing as loud as you can way off-key? 

Chances are, you can think of many things you did as a child that you don’t do now. Even though you likely did some or all the above activities, and you may even do some of them now, your adult family members or colleagues might find it peculiar if you, for example, sang as loud as you could off-key. 

Should you jump rope at work? Maybe! Imagine going to a work meeting where the icebreaker activity is a jump rope contest. You might either enjoy or cringe at the idea of jumping rope now, but jumping rope at work is random and unexpected. That unexpectedness can make room for humor. You might even be smiling at the idea, perhaps because you’re thinking of yourself, a coworker or a manager engaging in a jump rope contest at work, which could be humorous.

How do you leverage humor at work? Let’s delve into how and why humor effectively boosts success in the workplace by exploring these five main points: 

1. The Science Behind Humor

2. When Humor Fails

3. What is Not Humor

4. What Humor is

5. Humor Key Takeaways

The Science Behind Humor

The following studies, among many others, show a link between humor and increased productivity. 

Cadiz et al. (Cadiz, E., Buxman, K., Angel, M., Resseguie, C., Wilder, C., Chan, L., Bejar, J., Russe, J. & Davidson, J. (2024). Original Research: Exploring Nurses’ Use of Humor in the Workplace: A Thematic Analysis. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 124 (9), 18-26) found that the nursing work environment is often stressful and can lead to burnout, but humor might help nurses adapt and cope. Their study indicated nurses’ use of humor had many advantages – entertaining others, influencing others and promoting well-being. Their participants reported that humor relieved tension, created bonds, strengthened relationships and enhanced learning and work environments. 

In another research study, Mesmer-Magnus et al. (Mesmer-Magnus, J., Glew, D. J., & Viswesvaran, C. (2012). A meta-analysis of positive humor in the workplace. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 27(2), 155–190) underscored how humor improves work outcomes. Employee humor is associated with enhanced work performance, higher satisfaction, heightened workgroup cohesion, improved health and better coping skills. In the study, staff members experienced decreased burnout, stress and work withdrawal. Likewise, supervisors’ use of humor was associated with enhanced employee performance and a positive perception of supervisor performance.

Finally, Romero and Cruthirds (Romero, E. J., & Cruthirds, K. W. (2006). The Use of Humor in the Workplace. Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(2), 58–69) remarked that humor provides enjoyment to offset work tasks that might become mundane, and with some careful thought and preparation, anyone can successfully use humor in appropriate organizational settings. 

When Humor Fails

With the above research supporting its value at work, why not incorporate humor? Just remember that you don’t need to be perfect. You might try humor at some point, and it might fail. What do you do when this happens? Here are some recommendations:

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Did the humor align with your organization’s culture?
• Could the humor fail (HF) impact performance?
• Could the HF impact relationships?

Humor Fail (HF) Action Steps:

1. Own it. Don’t make excuses or give reasons for the fail.
2. If the HF was public – Own it, publicly.
3. Ensure and reassure that the same type of HF will not happen again. 
4. Check in 1:1 with affected team members. 

In addition to knowing what to do when humor fails, it’s important to remember what humor is and isn’t.

What is NOT Humor

Using amusement …

• At someone’s expense
• To tear down and divide
• To put someone in their place
• To insult or demean yourself
• To be ill-mannered or inappropriate

What Humor is

• A morale booster
• A tool to strengthen teams
• A stress reducer
• A trust builder
• A promotion of positive company culture 
• An enhancer of creativity 

Having clarified what humor is, the following takeaways will lead to the effective use of humor in the workplace:

Humor Key Takeaways

• Read the room
• Humor at work should be rated PG
• Stay away from headlines or trending social media topics
• Putting people at ease is the GOAL of humor in the workplace
• When it fails – Own It

Most importantly, remember the research shows the advantages of humor, such as reduced stress, higher employee engagement and better performance. Even though your use of humor might not always be perfect, striving to strengthen the art of humor over time will unlock these benefits.