This document discusses how humor can be used to program humans and improve work environments. It provides over 30 reasons why humor is beneficial, such as improving communication, memory retention, problem-solving skills, and productivity. While humor gets people to listen better and builds trust, it also reduces stress and absenteeism while boosting happiness, brainpower, and physical health. The document advocates using humor in five ways - to improve communication, build relationships, enhance problem-solving, increase productivity, and strengthen leadership. It cites numerous studies and research supporting the positive impacts of humor at work.
53. Humor Recap
PROGRAMMING HUMANS
Humor: making work fun.
5 Functions of Humor:
1. To improve communication.
2. To build relationships.
3. To enhance problem solving.
4. To increase productivity.
5. To strengthen leadership.
Enjoying your work is a choice.
54. Photo Credits
3 Flickr / Slinky, Doll, Rubiks / Drew Tarvin
4 Flickr / Dictionary / Dave Worley
5 ProjectCartoon / How Projects Work / Anonymous
6 Reddit / Wrong Job? / HughMoore
7 Reddit / My local Tire Discounters does it right / thelacepirate
8 Reddit / Googly Money / Anon
12 Flickr / A Playful Desk / Drew Tarvin
13 Wikimedia / Reloj Depertador / Jorge Barrios
14 Flickr / Money / Nick Ares
15 Flickr / Electronic components / Tambako the Jaguar
16 Flickr / face down on aisle 4 / nanny snowflake
17 Flickr / Stressed? / AIM Neutron
18 Flickr / It’s Coming / Ryan Hyde
22 Flickr / caffeinating, calculating, computerating / Ryan Ritchie
23 Flickr / Hands in the air / Abe Novy
24 Flickr / A military working dog trains / Official US Navy Page
26 OSU / Ohio State University Map
27 Flickr / Money / Tax Credits
29 Flickr / At The Stand / Drew Tarvin
32 Flickr / Hammertime / Kurt Nordstrom
33 Flickr / O-H-I-O Family / Drew Tarvin
34 Flickr / Crazy hills of San Francisco / Hakan Dahlstrom
35 Flickr / Checklist / Stuart Chalmers
36 SXC / Hero / Ben Smith
37 Flickr / Abraham Lincoln Memorial 1 / Kevin Burkett
40 Wikimedia / Old Book Bindings / Tom Murphy VII
40 SXC / Archery / Kaliyoda
42 Flickr / Questioned Proposal / Ethan Lofton
43 Flickr / Everyone needs a getaway / Kenny Louie
44 SXC / Law Education Series 2 / Peter Skadberg
55. Sources
Humor, Analogy, and Metaphor: H.A.M. it up in Teaching by Randy Garner.
Radical Pedagogy, 2005
The Elements of Persuasion: Use Storytelling to Pitch Better, Sell Faster & Win
More Business by Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman. (New York: Harper
Collins Publishers 2007).
Humor in the Workplace: A Communication Challenge. RA Vartabedian.Speech
Comm Assoc 11/1993
A Dash of Humor Ups Performance and Creativity at Work by R McMaster PhD.
Brain Based Biz, 2008
Positive affect facilitates creative problem solving by Alice M Isen, Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 1987, 52, 112-131
All Work and No Play Isn’t Even Good for Work by David Abramis. Psychology
Today, March, 1989, 34-38.
Humor in the Workplace: Anecdotal Evidence Suggests Connection to
Employee Performance by L Breeze. Perspectives in Business, St Edwards
University, 2004.
Ha! Laughing is Good for You! A Toffelmire. Canoe.ca, 04/2009.
Laughter is Good for Your Heart. B Crawford. University of Maryland Med Center.
04/2009.
Give Your Body a Boost with Laughter by R Morgan Griffin. WebMD, January
2013.
Getting Serious About Workplace Humor by Martha Craumer. Harvard Business
School. C0207D.
Making Sense of Humour in the Workplace by Steve Bannister. sbannister.com
Laughing All the Way to the Bank by Fabio Sala. Harvard Business Review.
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