Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 21, 1993 TAG: 9311180011
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: AMY ELLIS KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
As the founder of The Boring Institute in Maplewood, N.J., Caruba has dedicated himself to exposing boring people in government, film and television. But nowhere has Caruba found boring people more prevalent than in the appropriately named corporate boardroom.
"Business meetings and business people are notoriously boring," Caruba said. "People don't realize it, but boredom cuts into productivity and is one of the major complaints workers have."
Ask most people about their jobs, and you'll probably find that work is not high on their list of fun things to do. Making the experience a little less miserable has become a priority for top managers in many fields.
And what they're finding is that lightening up and encouraging their employees to do the same is an effective way to boost morale and worker productivity.
"There's been a dramatic turn away from fear as a way to motivate the work force," said Bill Wood, president of the Delray Beach, Fla., Chamber of Commerce. "Things have loosened up at the workplace, and there's a general understanding that it's OK to laugh and have a good time."
Behind all the jocularity, however, there is a serious message. In his book, "Lighten Up," C.W. Metcalf maintains that "silliness in the face of seriousness is a mark of mental health, and the failure to find humor in threatening situations can indicate dullness, rigidity and sometimes even mental illness."
Companies such as IBM, AT&T, Xerox and General Motors have heeded Metcalf's warning and have paid him anywhere from $2,500 to $9,500 to conduct seminars with such titles as "Humor Etiquette" and "Overcoming Fear of Foolishness and Failure."
Don Rochon, sales manager for Leadership Cable in Delray Beach, didn't need a consultant to tell him that laughter in the office is a good thing. To liven things up for his staff, Rochon will occasionally slip into different voices, earning him the honor of being designated the "Robin Williams" of the office.
"You can't take yourself too seriously, especially management," he said. "Laughing makes you feel better, plain and simple. And if you feel better, you work better."
That simple statement is the basic philosophy of a new breed of management consultants who specialize in the use of humor in the workplace.
Elcha Buckman of Boca Raton, Fla., has spent the past 20 years studying humor and views it as an integral part of any successful business operation. Her basic theory: Laughter makes people happy. Happy employees work harder, get to work earlier and don't call in sick as often as unhappy employees.
"About 85 percent of the population gets up every morning and goes to a job they hate. That's a horrible statistic," said Buckman, whose book, "The Handbook of Humor," comes out in January. "I'm not advocating that people think coming to work is a joke. The idea is to make people feel better about coming to work."
Laughter not only helps employees feel better about work, it has actual physical benefits, Buckman said. When a person laughs, the brain releases endorphins, chemicals that reduce pain and relieve depression.
"There have been studies which show that people with a sense of humor have a better attitude, and they feel better, too," she said. "They have fewer illnesses and quicker recovery. No one ever died from laughing too hard."
Experts on the positive effects of laughing on the job say it really doesn't matter what you do to make the workplace fun, as long as you do something.
But you also have to be careful that your idea of fun isn't offensive to someone else. Jokes that are sexist or racist have no place in the office.
Another important thing to remember is that encouraging employees to have fun at work is not the same as condoning constant goofing off, said Paul McGhee, whose company, The Laughter Remedy in Montclair, N.J., offers programs on humor in the workplace.
"People can be silly and still do a good job," McGhee said. "If you hire hard-working people to begin with, then giving them a break, a laugh, every once in a while will actually support that."
McGhee suggests companies form "fun committees" devoted entirely to generating silliness in the office. Having funny props, cartoons or pictures in the office is one simple way to lighten things up, he said.
But whatever strategy your company decides to take, McGhee said it's important that the idea of building fun into a business comes from the top.
"Managers have to show that they can be silly, too," he said. "It's like anything else: If the company doesn't make it clear that this is important, that this is a priority, then the idea won't go anywhere."
Resources on workplace laughter
"Laughter Remedy, Health, Healing and the Amuse System" and "Punch Line, How to Think Like a Humorist if You're Humor-Impaired." Both by Paul McGhee. To order, call (201) 783-8383.
"Lighten Up, Survival Skills for People Under Pressure" by C.W. Metcalf with Roma Felible. Available in many bookstores.
"Humor, Risk and Change" C.W. Metcalf's humor videotape workshop for organizations. To order the book or the tapes by phone, call (800) 548-3687.
"The Healing Power of Humor" by Allen Klein. Available in many bookstores.
by CNB