How to use humor at work effectively

A finance director stands in front of hundreds of employees to reveal the annual figures. No, it’s not the start of the most corporate joke ever, but something I saw a few weeks ago. Right away, he reveals he’s nervous. This isn’t his natural habitat. In fact, the last time he was on stage was back in high school, playing Kenickie in a production of Grease. He promises that if anyone falls asleep while he talks through the figures, as punishment for being boring, he’ll sing “Greased Lightnin’” to wake them up. Cue appreciative chuckles as the audience warms to him. His openness (and conjuring the memorable image of him with coiffured hair and a cigarette behind his ear) isn’t something we expect in a business setting, let alone from the numbers guy. Humor connects. It creates a window into the real person on stage. The finance director suddenly became someone the whole audience has an interest in actually listening to. We don’t often see humor in senior leaders or managers in the workplace. Because of that, it’s a surefire way to be heard. But it comes with a risk: What if it doesn’t land right? Here are six ways to use humor effectively at work. 1. Help the room, rather than perf…