Fun fact: Humans start developing a sense of humour as early as 6 weeks old. Babies laugh, on average, 400 times a day, while people over 35, only 15. Also, adults tend to laugh less on weekdays than on weekends. Surprising, isn’t it?

Humour is the most coveted element in any human interaction. According to research, laughing in the presence of others indicates that the interaction is ‘safe’. Shared laughter also accelerates a feeling of closeness and trust. This is true even at work, which is serious business. Humour can lighten a conversation, spark innovation, increase engagement, and even foster fast interpersonal bonding between people. Research has shown that people who use humour in the workplace are rated as more competent and confident.

The fast-paced work world we live in has also elevated our collective stress baselines. Recent research showed that anxiety has become the top mental health issue plaguing US workers. Another survey indicated that over 45% of Indian workers experience anxiety on Sunday evenings before returning to work. Humour can also relieve stress and boredom in the workplace and has the potential to remedy some of these problems and promote healthy work cultures.

Why, then, do we not pay much attention to humour as a tool for overall cohesion and team bonding?

Is humour all the same?
No, it isn’t. The kind of humour you use at the workplace will differ from situation to situation. There are four major humour styles: Affiliative humour, self-enhancing humour, aggressive humour, and self-defeating humour.

Affiliative humour is non-hostile and disarming. Think of inside jokes within micro-teams or a no-harm-intended practical joke played on someone at lunch. Such humour facilitates and aids relationship building. Humour, which is self-enhancing, is typically used by people as a coping mechanism for dealing with stress. The person using such humour puts themselves at the centre of the joke in order to enhance their image. Aggressive humour is used by people who want to manipulate, victimize or belittle others. Lastly, self-defeating humour is something people use to ridicule themselves as a way to become more accepted and appear more approachable. Using the right kind of humour is essential as it could either make people feel connected and belong or be alienated and ridiculed.

How We Can Build Humor into Our Everyday Work Life
Research shows that teams that laugh together are more engaged and creative. There are many ways to increase the use of humour in the workplace. Here are some you can put to use right away:

1. Open your brainstorming session with a funny video: In a study, it was found that individuals who watched a funny video clip before a task spent approximately twice as long on a tiresome task compared with people who watched neutral or positive (but not funny) videos. Brainstorming can be mentally exhausting, so this could be a good way to ramp up productivity. Remember, vetting your humour for being appropriate or indecent is critical. You don’t want anyone to feel like the ‘jokes on them.’

2. Use funny to grab attention: When Spanx founder and CEO Sara Blakely first approached the head buyer from Neiman Marcus, she is known to have sent a shoe along with a handwritten note to them. The note read: “Trying to get my foot in the door; have minutes to chat?” Looking to network with someone new, crack a client deal, or get a response from someone who has been unresponsive? Try to add some affiliative humour.

3. Make lunches lighthearted: If you have a common area where people share tables over lunch, try throwing in questions that could elicit a humorous response. You could say, “What’s something unusual you have noticed while driving to work recently?” Such questions encourage responses from everyone, irrespective of experience or hierarchy.

4. Make a great first impression: People who use humour in the workplace are seen as more competent and confident. Use this to your advantage when meeting with someone new. Start with a lighthearted personal story. Stories are powerful and a fun story about you could help you seem relatable, approachable, and creative.

5. Shake up your standing meetings: Are most people on camera and seeming disengaged during your regular stand-up meetings? Try making them fun. You could set up themes (ugliest holiday sweaters) or play a game (notice charades). According to International TEDx speaker Chris Littlefield, a super fun game is “Word of the Day.” At the start of your meeting, pick a word of the day such as “cucumber.” The rule is to slip the word into the conversation without others noticing. So, someone might say, “I really think that if we cucumber the system with a little extra investment, everything will work much faster.” If you catch someone using the word…you have to scream, “Word of the day!” Now, more than ever, everyone is realizing the benefits of humour. It is one of the most effective ways to connect with people not just in social settings but also at work. The bottom line: Humour is good for everyone. We just need to be careful about what kind of humour we are using at work.