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Issue: #50

July 2009

Everybody likes to laugh

Humor is a powerful tool in the workplace. With constant pressure and demands that increase our stress levels on the job, it is important for everyone to enjoy a good laugh now and again. However, if humor is overused it can have adverse effects. This month, our featured article examines the power of humor in the workplace and how to use it to your advantage.

How are you easing tensions and stress levels with humor? We'd like to know. Send a note to marketing@vericom.net.

Regards,

Robert

Robert J. Loeb
President & CEO
Vericom Corporation

Featured Article

The Power of Humor in the Workplace

By Mike Mitchell

I’m sure you’ve known people during your career who have a wonderful sense of humor as well as those with no sense of humor at all. In general, I’ve observed that managers and employees with a sense of humor have a profoundly positive effect in the workplace. While I don’t advocate appointing a “joke master” for your department, I do recommend that you use appropriate humor at the right time as a tool to create a more positive and less stressful workplace.

The Power of Humor
Some of the positive ways of using the power of humor are: defusing conflict, influencing others, enhancing an otherwise boring presentation, and increasing your likeability. Of course, the effect of humor can also be negative. Some negative aspects in using humor inappropriately are: offending or annoying co-workers, distracting employees from work, and disrupting meetings and presentations.

Use Humor Cautiously
Humor is not necessarily funny. Michael P. Nichols, Ph.D. writes in his book, The Lost Art of Listening, “There are times when your fast quipping friend is funny…But there are other times when you’re trying to talk and his wisecracking is annoying. People who joke all the time are more or less annoying, depending on how funny they are.”

Defusing Conflict with Humor
I recently heard a motivational speaker tell how a flight attendant used the power of humor to resolve what could have been a volatile in-flight situation. Once the airplane was in the air, a passenger ordered a drink and lit up a cigarette. A flight attendant from Texas, with all the charm of a southern belle, politely asked the inconsiderate passenger if he would mind stepping outside the airplane to finish his smoke. The passenger laughed and doused the cigarette.

Increasing Influence and Likeability Others with Humor
In Maximum Influence, author Kurt Mortensen states, “Professional persuaders, such as advertisers, know that humor can be a powerful tool; humor is used in…24 percent of television ads in the United States.” Mortensen also quotes actor and Monty Python alumni John Cleese, “If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas.”

Enhancing Presentations with Humor
One technique professional speakers use to relieve pre-speech jitters and to build instant rapport with the audience is to tell a humorous story or joke (usually leading directly into the presentation topic.) Intelligent, relevant, and well-timed humorous quips sprinkled throughout a presentation can capture and hold your audience’s attention and help establish your credibility and expertise. One word of warning, if you can’t tell a joke, don’t try! You will succeed only in diminishing your credibility as a speaker.

With a sense of humor, you’re more likely to keep situations and circumstances in their proper perspective. Appropriate use of humor (as well laughter) creates a less stressful environment where employees feel free to do their daily work without fear of ridicule or criticism.

-Mike

Mike has more than 20 years experience in the telecom industry.

Ask Mike: Telecom Q & A

Q: Dear Mike: My company is cutting my staff based on the recommendation of a consulting firm. All my analysts are now giving 100%. If I lose even one of my staff, I will not be able to maintain the enterprise network properly and provide quality customer service to our users. Any ideas as to how I can justify my current staffing level?

Miffed Manager

A: Dear Miffed Manager: Sometimes tough decisions have to be made by company leadership. They might be willing to trade a lower level of enterprise maintenance and user satisfaction for decreased costs. Your best option is to demonstrate a cost justification for current staffing levels.

I recommend you:

Determine the savings the company will realize by eliminating one of your staff analyst positions (i.e. salary, benefits, etc.).

Compare your current maintenance and service levels with expected levels after staff reduction. For instance, you should know the number of trouble reports you receive monthly, the time to repair, and the calls completed by each analyst. How will those stats change with reduced staff?

Do your research to find out what income is produced per person per hour by telemarketing group, sales force, and other profit centers. This may be difficult. If you've established your internal network of key contacts, especially director of accounting or finance, ask that person to help you with this task.

Consider the possibility of adding network diagnostic/repair tools if staff is eliminated. What would it cost to continue the same level of service by investing in additional tools or applications? What would it cost to upgrade older enterprise equipment?

Do the math: cost savings by eliminating staff versus lost revenue due to longer response and repair time, versus investing in diagnostic/repair tools or upgrade equipment to compensate for reduced staff.

Put this information in a one page document (brief is better) and list the three options with associated costs. This will give you a better understanding of how your department supports the organization. Check with your key contacts to find someone in a position of influence who might be willing to serve as your advocate. Present your information and options. Then ask that person to intercede on your behalf with the people/committee making staffing decisions.

Good luck,

-Mike

Have a question for Mike? Email mike@telexcellence.com.

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