Humour, Seriously: Why Humour Is A Superpower At Work And In Life by Jennifer Aaker

Humour, Seriously: Why Humour Is A Superpower At Work And In Life Reviews

• 
  Chris Boutté

  I'm a recovering drug addict with 8 years sober, and when I got clean, I was miserable, and there was nothing funny about life. Eventually, I learned how important it is to not take life too seriously, and that's why I decided to pick up this book. I love psychology, and I love to joke around, so I had to get this book from Aaker and Bagdonas. In their book, they discuss everything from the psychology of humor to good practices for using it in the work place. I've worked in rehab facilities where you deal with mental illness, suffering, and a lot of death, and one way I was able to connect with clients was through humor, and that's why everyone needs this book. 
  
  Personally, this book just helped confirm a lot of things I already do, but that provided me with a ton of value. Sometimes I question trying to lighten the mood and cheer colleagues up when we're dealing with a work disaster. But if you're someone who is socially awkward and/or introverted, you definitely need this book. Aaker and Bagdonas give you practical tips to help you feel more comfortable loosening up at your own pace and they also teach you how to walk the fine line between humor and upsetting people. I really hope a lot of companies read this book because it benefits people in all aspects of an organization and it'll help people realize that life and work can be fun while we also handle business.
• 
  Siqahiqa

  "Of course, we shouldn't go for funny all the time." Not everyone is funny in the same way."
  
  Am I a funny person? I believe I'm not 🙈 I'm a serious person and become more serious while working or occupied with some tasks.
  
  This book is not about telling jokes or even be funny. In fact, this book is not funny, seriously. It is all about why humour is so powerful and how we can use more of it, delivering funny moments at work despite all the seriousness. One of the authors, Aaker, realized that humour could drive people in a way she never imagined. That’s why she started to study humor and interviewed many people, including comedians.
  
  This book is very informative and made me realized that there are many things to learn about humour. Some of the interesting facts are the four humour styles and four common misperceptions or humour myths. Two humour myths that I faced are the failure myth (fear for our humour will fail) and the being funny myth (to use humour, you have to ”be funny”). This book also teaches that sometimes, be true to someone is also one of the ways to be funny.
  
  The writing style is direct, but I didn’t quite understand the whole concept. Sorry to say that this book did not work well for me. But two chapters that I liked the most are chapter 4 (Putting Your Funny to Work) and chapter 7.5 (Why Humour is a Secret Weapon in Life).
  
  Nevertheless, this book is useful to spark self-awareness about humour in our life and work. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know in-depth about humour and for you who work with people, especially if you are at a higher level in the organization.
  
  Leaders can use levity amid serious issues at the workplace so that your people would not scare to talk anything to you. One quote that I liked from this book; "My job as a leader isn't to prevent mistakes from happening; my job as a leader is to correct them as quickly as possible when they do happen. However, if nobody feels comfortable bringing me the bad news - it's going to take me a lot longer to correct mistakes." All leaders should have this kind of thought 👍🏻. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
  
  Thank you, Times Read, for providing me with the review copy ✨
  
  
  instagram.com/siriusiqa
• 
  Susan

  Disappointed that a book about humor didn't make me laugh all that much. I was expecting funnier writing than this.
  
  I liked the parts about the science and construction of humor, and also the overall message that it is not always about being funny and telling hilarious jokes but more about the mindset of having fun and levity in life. The book went downhill towards the end and the anecdotal nature of the later half of the book really tired me out. Overall I don't think there is anything in the book that has any Wow factor for me.
• 
  Kat V

  Once again reading a book about business to apply to a teaching career. Ok I’m going to start every class with a short humor clip so they’ll retain more of what I teach them. Maybe this will also ensure that kids show up on time. Whatever you do, you should read this because you deserve more joy in your life. I truly have no idea why the ratings on this are so low, I loved this book and definitely recommend it for anyone. 4.7 stars. I should read this again someday
• 
  Aayushi

  When I read the blurb of this book, I was immediately interested in reading it. Humor in workplace (and in life) is such an important but rarely talked about topic. While numerous career and workplace related books talk about communication, storytelling and negotiation, hardly anyone talks about wielding this amazingly powerful but a tad bit risky tool. What’s more interesting is the fact that this book has been written by professors at one of the best business schools in the world, where it is taught as a very popular course. Having been a business student myself, I was extremely excited about reading this book!
  
  Humor, Seriously is a short, powerful and immensely entertaining read – yes, the authors have definitely got an amazing sense of humor themselves. In just 272 pages, the authors Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas give a complete and detailed insight into the importance of humor in workplace, the common misconceptions related to it, how to identify your own humor style and employ it tactfully, and how to avoid and recover from humor fails. And when they say humor, they do not mean cracking jokes that send your colleagues rolling on the floor laughing. Rather, this book focusses on identifying and encouraging fun and light-heartedness in formal communication as a means of forming better relationships and relieving stress.
  
  Like many other people, I had my reservations about reading a book dealing with humor – I am not a witty or a funny person, am I supposed to crack jokes at workplace to be more likeable now? This book deal marvelously with the “nature vs. nurture” debate when it comes to having a sense of humor. It also talks about how our personal style of humor varies significantly with the kind of company we are in (as it should) and our position, and how each and everyone of us can contribute in their own way in finding joy in our everyday lives.
  
  The authors have taken lessons from multiple stand up comedians to understand how to infuse humor in everyday situations, while taking care not to commit a humor faux-pas. The varied real-life examples contained in this book sufficiently explain how to handle humor tactfully, without being insensitive or rude, and how to gracefully handle any errors.
  
  I especially loved the overall writing and presentation style – the gorgeous blue cover, the hilarious footnotes and the quirky freehand graphs and Venn diagrams! I flew through the book and enjoyed it thoroughly – as I am sure most of you will.
• 
  Jonathan

  One of the most depressing book's I've ever read. I struggled through to the end in an almost ironic way marvelling that a book could be this bad. The execrable attempts at "humor" in the opening chapter were off-putting - were they deliberately being unfunny? This is a miserable marriage of a self-help and a business advice book. There was one hilarious line in the book which I didn't write down but went something like this after the relating of a tedious anecdote"....this is an example of the way humor can be leveraged in the workplace". This conjured the image of some desperate, humourless corporate drudge earnestly following the lessons of this book to gain advantage in the workplace, if so, I pity the poor fool's colleagues.
• 
  Nay Keppler

  Easy, breezy read about humor at work. As someone who relies on humor to get me through the workday - whether it’s laughing at or with my colleagues, or cracking stupid jokes myself, a lot rang true for me and I learned more about creating a healthy culture of levity in the workplace. There aren’t a ton of a-ha (or even ha-ha) moments in here, but it’s nice to read a leadership book that’s not so stuffy and encourages some fun.
• 
  Bakertyl

  Without trying to be an asshole, not a funny book.
  
  But informative, entertaining, and direct. If you work with people this is a great look at how personal relationships are improved with humor.
  
  **I received this story early from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Akhil Jain

  My fav quotes (not a review):
  -Page 18 |
  "As she approached the woman behind the register, she asked if the apples stacked in a gorgeous, waxy pyramid display were for sale. To which the woman looked Naomi up and down and curtly replied: “If you want one, get in line.” So Naomi got in line, and watched as the cashier continued snapping at one customer after another. Impatient. Terse. Tarter than the Gala apples stacked before her. When it was Naomi’s turn, she could simply have said, “I’ll have an apple.” But after her weeklong full-body immersion in the world of comedy, she saw an opportunity to introduce a spark of levity into the interaction. “Can I please have your favorite apple?” she said with a smile. The woman paused, confused. “My favorite?” “Yes. Your absolute favorite.” Then, a smirk. On a dime, everything shifted. The woman began digging through the pile of apples, laughing at first to herself and then with Naomi as they meticulously inspected each. When Naomi went to pay, the woman replied, still smiling, “Don’t worry about it. I don’t charge for my favorite apple.”"
  -Page 35 |
  "read once that if you insert the word “deadly” in a title, people will be more likely to (a) read the subsequent content and (b) take it more seriously."
  -Page 39 |
  "Naomi was in the middle of explaining how to tailor your communication to different personality styles, when Craig interrupted: “Can you cut to the part where you just teach me how to make my team do what I want?” The room stiffened. Somewhere, a record screeched. All heads slowly swiveled from Craig to Naomi. Without thinking, she playfully shot back: “Great question, Craig. You’re thinking of the workshop I run on mind control. That one’s next week, and you’re welcome to join.” A long second passed while Naomi wondered if she’d just torched her career. But then, the room erupted in laughter and all eyes turned back to Craig. His comment had been piercing, challenging, borderline disrespectful. From the dynamics of the room, it was clear that Craig was not accustomed to being challenged—particularly by someone so far his junior. And yet, for the first time all day, he was smiling. “I respect you,” he said, rocking back in his chair. “You can continue.” “Thank you,” Naomi replied. “I was planning on it.” Almost immediately, the energy shifted. For the rest of the workshop, Craig was engaged and respectful, and his executive team followed suit."
  -Page 42 |
  "Half of the research assistants made a final offer that was significantly above the participants’ last bid, stating simply “My final offer is X.” The other half offered the same amount, but said with a smile, “My final offer is X…and I’ll throw in my pet frog.” Here’s the kicker: For the final offers accompanied by the pet frog line, buyers were willing to pay, on average, an 18 percent higher price. What’s more, the buyers later reported enjoying the task more and feeling less tension with the seller."
  -Page 42 |
  "The goal was to walk away from the table with more points. In the humor condition, one person from each pair of participants (either the recruiter or candidate) shared a Dilbert comic strip about negotiations before the simulation began. Not only did the comic-strip-sharing individuals enjoy a 33 percent higher point value than their negotiating counterparts, but the pairs in the humor condition reported 31 percent higher trust in each other and reported feeling 16 percent greater satisfaction with how the negotiation went overall."
  -Page 59 |
  "Imagine you’re at a dinner party and a guest walks in thirty minutes after the first course, announcing apologetically: “Sorry I’m late. I didn’t want to come.”"
  -Page 62 |
  "I smoked cocaine the night before my college graduation and now I’m afraid to get a flu shot."
  -Page 64 |
  "Or Larry David, on Twitter, sharing his feelings about parties (“I hate parties. But then to have to go to an after party? Are you kidding me?!?”), college basketball (“Is there no vaccine for March Madness yet?!”), and birthday cards (“What do I do with old birthday cards? Keep them? Throw them away? They’re useless. No more cards please. Email me.”)."
  -Page 65 |
  "I run every day. I have no idea what I’m training for. ’Cause I am not physically gaining any skills. Like, the only way jogging is ever gonna help me in life is that at some point someone tries to rob me by chasing me for three to five miles at a moderately slow pace."
  -Page 66 |
  "Like the old saying goes: Comedy equals tragedy plus time. So the next time you find yourself in a miserable—or miserably awkward—situation, take solace in the fact that eventually it’ll make for a great story. Eventually."
  -Page 69 |
  "I just want to feel what it feels like to have male confidence. My fantasy of what it’s like to be a guy is you wake up in the morning, and your eyes open, and you’re like “I’m awesome! People probably want to hear what I have to say!” Chelsea doesn’t directly say that women are often made to feel they aren’t valued, which is a truth audiences might find recognizable but depressing. Instead, she makes this point by contrasting the imagined male experience. A man might not literally think these things—they’re stunningly simple—but she can make audiences aware of the things they might be missing about how their experiences might differ."
  -Page 70 |
  "Maria Bamford is a master at constructing jokes with precise, vivid language: I was so sick of myself asking that question of people in relationships: “How did you guys meet? Did your hands come together by accident in a garden?”"
  -Page 70 |
  "Consider this joke from Jimmy Fallon: British researchers are warning that one-fifth of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction. Even worse, kale is expected to survive."
  -Page 72 |
  "Every conversation with my dad is like an M. Night Shyamalan movie. It’s just ninety minutes of buildup to no payoff. “That’s the ending??”"
  -Page 72 |
  "I’ve never been killed by hitmen, so I don’t know what it’s like in the moments just before you’re killed by hitmen, but I bet it’s not unlike when you’re on the subway and you realize that a mariachi band is about to start playing. Good analogies are like cantilevered bridges: difficult to construct. So if this technique doesn’t come easily to you, you’re not alone."
  -Page 76 |
  "One thing that can help is to acknowledge that you use the story a lot—“I love this story because…” or “Here’s what I always think about…” If you embrace your love of the story, those around you will accept the repetition as part of your character. (And all the more reason to choose your stories wisely, since they become a part of you.)"
  -Page 87 |
  "She was taking off from work early one day to get a haircut, and she and her boss, Saagar, had shared a laugh about the fact that the client deliverable she was working on might not be perfect, but at least her hair would be. Later that evening, Daria sent the completed deliverable to her boss, along with this callback: Saagar, Attached is the updated deck. Per our chat this morning, I think this will be a great tool to start the conversations we need with leadership. Let me know if the deck needs revising or if it now matches my hair: perfect. Daria Saagar promptly replied in kind: Daria, No revisions needed, matches your hair perfectly. Enjoy the holidays with your family. With beautiful hair always, Saagar Just like that, Daria had reinforced the earlier moment of levity she and Saagar had shared,"
  -Page 89 |
  "As Saagar showed, they are also prime real estate for levity. Here are a few humorous sign-offs that have caught our eye: When asking a favor: With fingers and toes crossed, When apologizing for an absurdly slow response: Sheepishly, When in heads-down mode: Yours, heavily caffeinated, In reference to a phone call with dog barking in the background: Still wondering who let the dogs out,"
  -Page 89 |
  "Wanted to follow up with a low-tech, never-fail PDF with some flowcharts. Attached for your viewing pleasure. Cheers, Sachi PS. PDFs are the new black.” Hold up. Are PDFs a color? No. Does the phrase “PDFs are the new black” make sense at all? Barely. But somehow, it worked (at least well enough for Mark that he felt compelled to share it with us). What makes this technique so delightfully easy is that often a bit of randomness does the trick. Simply naming something that’s true for you in the here and now, like “PS. it is HOT in Tucson” or “PS. it’s raining in San Francisco” makes it clear that you’re a person and not a robot (since everyone knows that robots can’t function in extreme heat or rain). Whether it’s something random, a callback to the content of the email, or a reference to an inside joke you and the recipient share, a lighthearted PS is the email equivalent of a wink: It signals intimacy and invites playfulness in return."
  -Page 91 |
  "Oh hello! I am backpacking in the Sierra Nevada without cell service through September 22. Yours will be my favorite email to respond to upon my return. With love (and favoritism), Peter
  A callback within a spiced-up sign-off, a hint of exaggeration, and a whole lot of humanity."
  -Page 98 |
  "So after the call ended, she sent a very short email summary of next steps to all the participants, and in lieu of the traditional “Thanks” or “Best,” she ended with the sign-off “In Future Brevity, Sonal.” Naik wasn’t expecting anyone to acknowledge this jab at her own expense. But to her surprise, she received responses from three other members of the client team who had been on the call and clearly appreciated the joke. One wrote, “Hah! Future brevity—nice.” Another replied, “Great recap Sonal…definitely brief and not long :).” And a third shot back, “Loved the brief update.”"
  -Page 102
  "So in a moment of inspiration, she bought a few pairs of shoes, went to the post office, and mailed each of them a shoebox containing a single high heel and a handwritten message that read “Just trying to get my foot in the door. Can I have a few minutes of your time?” followed by her phone number. It worked. The buyer at Neiman Marcus was so amused by the gag that he actually called her back."
  -Page 112
  "So when the agency strategists approached Klinman with the challenge at hand—How should stores compete against e-commerce?—the first thing Klinman did was turn it into a joke setup: Reasons It’s Better to Go to the Store than Buy Online. He posted it on Pitch, and hundreds of writers immediately got to work. Pretty soon, punch lines came rolling in, from “Amazon never lets you keep the hanger” to “We don’t have a Sbarro at home” to “Because my New Year’s resolution was to meet new people.” In just a few hours, Klinman and the agency strategists had generated hundreds of jokes ranked by how funny they were. But underlying each of these jokes was real insight. “Amazon never lets you keep the hanger” tapped into the reality that little extras go a long way. “We don’t have a Sbarro at home” reminds us that people love to shop and snackers love food, something they can’t instantly get online. And “Because my New Year’s resolution was to meet new people” taps into the fact that online shopping is a solitary activity—and into the real desire for in-person connection"
  -Page 114
  "“Oddly Specific Things to Be Insecure About.” Responses to that one included “My cat only meows at my boyfriend,” “I can never flip a pancake on the first try,” and “My ears are too small to hold a cigarette.” Did you just check your own ears? So did we."
  -Page 145
  "In Bossypants, Tina Fey explains: If I start a scene with “I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,” and you just say, “Yeah…,” we’re kind of at a standstill. But if I say, “I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,” and you say, “What did you expect? We’re in hell.” Or if I say, “I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,” and you say, “Yes, this can’t be good for the wax figures.” Or if I say, “I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,” and you say, “I told you we shouldn’t have crawled into this dog’s mouth,” now we’re getting somewhere."
  -Page 187
  "Boldness: “I wish I had lived more fearlessly.”"
• 
  Chance

  A book we all need in these divisive times.
• 
  Devika

  Picking up this book is somewhat of a confirmation bias - I have always believed in and harnessed the power of levity especially in navigating situations weighed down by gravity (posed by stress, and loss).
  
  Humour, to me, is laughing centred on shared recognition of common truths. It is one of the most powerful ways of getting closer to people. In fact, I joke around about being "the broker of memes" with all my friends, and have built great work relationships at work through this as well.
  
  This book isn't a primer in learning how to joke, but more about understanding the power of humour. The biggest insight offered here, however, was that even being able to appreciate a 'good' joke is healthy and boosts creativity in the work place. So you don't necessarily have to be the funny one, you're good as long as you can laugh at someone else's joke. Laughing helps in removing "functional fixedness", or the inability to realise that something known to have a particular use may also be used to perform other functions. In an experiment, brainstorming funny captions led to higher activity in the brain regions associated with creativity, learning, and recognition. Further, these creative boosts persisted long after the initial task.
  
  However, this book lacks in a few regards:
  
  - The 4 styles of comedy outlined here aren't very clear archetypes, with a huge overlap across the "Stand Up" (Aggressive Expressive) and the "Magnet"(Affiliative Expressive).
  
  - It is cited that Google has TGIF or "Thank Goodness Its Friday" sessions where no topic is off limits. But, in August, 2019 Google issued guidelines to curb divisive political debates in office and this book was published in 2020. Wondering why the authors didn't address this.
  
  - I'm surprised that with so much talk of balancing levity with gravity, military wasn't used as a case study. Soldiers are often known to make light of what they have to deal with in order to build camaraderie, and essentially stay sane in the midst of chaos.
  
  While I enjoyed the anecdotes from famous organisations (IDEO, Virgin, Pixar, Spanx, Twitter, Apple), it seems the content of this book would be better off delivered via a podcast. Overall, there is an amusing sense of irony given that the authors emphasise being mindful of the medium.
  
  It's a quick read, but wouldn't recommend prioritising it if you're low on time and find it hard to pick up books as is.
• 
  nadiaizzaty

  Q: “ When was the last time you really laughed? “ - ( pg 21 ).
  A: When I read this question , I keep on thinking when was I 💯 laughed really hard and it turned up none . 😅
  •
  Even this book have “humour “ on it title please don’t expect you will be laughing all the way while reading it . 😂 . But, surprisingly, I really enjoyed reading this gem 📖. Maybe because lots of the points or chapter relatable mostly with my working environment . 😁 . Oh, I like the writing style which is easy to understand.
  •
  Indeed , in our life , we really need at least a little bit of humour to avoid anxiety, stressful , boring and dull situation. But, “ ... we shouldn’t go funny all the time - that would be exhausting “ ( pg 25 ) 👍🏻
  •
  The book talks about how humour :
  * Can effect our health.
  * Can effect the tenderness between leader and staff.
  * Can create “ fun at work” environment .
  * Can improve performance.
  * Make us think out of the box or be more creative.
  * Can make any discussion, training , video more interesting .Automatically, the points or information on that particular topics make people remember easily.
  * Make any introduction or goodbye more lasting with positive impressions.
  * Can break the uneasiness.
  There’s also some information that been discussed in the book such as the humour style , benefit of laughter in workplace, the myth of humour, the archetypes ( which means type of employees who create a humour culture ) , when to use humour without cross the line and more.
  •
  I strongly recommend this book to those who want to know in details about humour and levity , who want to implement humour in the organisation/ business and leaders who wish to create a fun at work environment . I wish I could write much longer but there��s not enough space . 😭
  •
  Love this quote : “ A culture that balances serious work with levity and play can actually improve team performance . “ 👍🏻 #canIworkwithGoogleteam? 🤭
  Rating : 4/5 star ⭐️
  •
  Thank you @putrifariza & @times.reads for providing me this review copy. 😍
  P/s : swipe next for the book snippets. #nadianiabookreview #nonfictionbooks
• 
  Ash Boughton

  Embrace levity. Laughter brings us closer together, it builds relationships and helps us embrace the positivity in our life at work, our relationships and our character. Backed up by extensive research, Humour Seriously is an excellent tool for improving your leadership potential by understanding how you can use humour to gain power in a situation and/or use it to down-play your power. The higher up your role in an organisation the more distance is perceived between you and your subordinates. By incorporating a little levity into the workplace, you can achieve greater employee satisfaction without compromising the quality of output. It will also make your job so much more enjoyable. I loved reading this book
• 
  Puty

  As someone who regularly uses meme as a form of communication, I like this book. It explains humor pretty 'scientifically', like 'the anatomy of humor' where it lists down what makes something funny. It explains why we like funny colleagues & bosses and why we should not be afraid to be one. Also it shares about the gray area of humor, how it fails and what to do when it does. It is full of examples about humor and levity at work.
  
  If you're a leader or at management level and want to create a better working environment, you should read this 😊
• 
  Yash Raghuwansi

  Would've better served the material as a blog post rather than a book.
• 
  Reed Hansen

  Really enjoyed this. I think humor is underutilized in the workplace and professional settings. I am immediately suspicious of people with no sense of humor.
• 
  D J Rout

  The usual style of modern American business manual. The initial thesis is that humour is important to wellbeing, and useful in business, and there is much referencing to various psychological studies to confirm the efficacy of humour in general life and general business.
  
  Part 2 defines the four types of humourist they have invented, then offers some hints on how to develop your own humour and sense of humour.
  
  Part 3 then cites many examples of famous businesspeople who've used humour to make the workplace a better place and more productive.
  
  Part 4 has more detailed anecdotes and puts out some cautionary tales of when humour failed and what to do about it.
  
  Finally, there is a short test to determine which of the four types of humour is your natural type.
  
  Part 2 is the most useful part, and the instructions and hints are clear and actionable, which is the ideal in business and public life. I kept thinking of similar examles and lessons from my own working life.
• 
  Natalie

  A great reminder that levity can help during tense situations. I do not particularly find the featured comedians funny, so their humor did not resonate with me. In theory, the takeaway is nice but not relevant in all situations.
• 
  Tiffany

  I really enjoyed this on audio. It was like listening to a super interesting research paper that I totally agreed with. I liked the ideas on how to become a little bit funnier. Great anecodotes to illustrate their points.
• 
  Krista Lukas

  I learned about this book on Hidden Brain, a podcast that asks questions about human behavior and explores possible answers by interviewing experts. In this case, the topic was humor, and the expert was Jennifer Aaker, coauthor and co-teacher with Naomi Bagdonas, of a course on humor at the Stanford school of business. Because of this, many of the examples were aimed at the workplace and at corporate leaders. However, as the book subtitle implies, everyone can use more humor and laughter in life. Highlights for me included the humor cliff, anatomy of funny, humor fails, humor styles, ways to incorporate humor into the workplace, and the importance of play as a learning tool. Also, the underlying fact that life should be fun, no matter how hard it is. Even if you’re stuck at an airport, you can have some fun while ordering an apple from a kiosk. Even if you’re a prisoner, you can find things to laugh at—having taught full-time at high school for juvenile offenders and done a writing residency at a medium security detention facility, I can tell you that spontaneous funny things happened.
  
  As stated in chapter 4, “the goal is not necessarily to tell jokes or even be funny—it’s to make more human connection during everyday moments, and to be more productive and effective (not to mention less bored) in the process.”
  
  There are some dumb, groan-inducing jokes that annoyed me at first, but looking back, remind me of an overarching message: lighten up for levity’s sake! Which makes me think that Levity would be a fine sounding first name.
• 
  Jung

  Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Superpower at Work and in Life (And How Anyone Can Harness It. Even You.) - Book by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas
  
  Learn how to tap into your funny and use joy to create a more creative and productive workplace.
  
  Imagine you’re the founder of an exciting new venture and you’ve just done a big round of hiring. You’re not some stuffy corporate exec – you’re a cool boss. So you’re throwing a little cocktail evening to introduce yourself and help the team mingle.
  
  The drinks start flowing, you get a little extra pep in your step, and all of a sudden you’ve grabbed the mic . . .
  
  “Hello, everyone. Welcome! So, you know, I always tell new hires: Don’t think of me as your boss; think of me as a friend who can fire you!”
  
  And: crickets. 
  
  Well, that didn’t go well. 
  
  Many people say that there is no room for humor in the workplace, but the authors of Humor, Seriously disagree. And they disagree passionately. Sure, there was probably a better way for you to have navigated that cocktail party, but in this book you’ll learn why humor is important.
  
  Even if you don’t consider yourself the next Tina Fey or Seth Meyers, you’ll learn, first, how to tap into your own funny, and then how to use those skills to help create an environment of trust, creativity, and success for you and your colleagues.
  
  ---
  
  Humor is a learned skill, and it’s benefits are myriad.
  
  Let’s start by considering what might be holding us back. Often, it’s because we’re worried that we’re not funny or that our jokes are going to fall flat. Sometimes we don’t think we’re particularly entertaining and our friends and family don’t think we’re funny – the author’s kids sure didn’t. And you can’t even learn funny, so what’s the point? 
  
  The point is, none of that is true. You don’t need to be a comedian to have levity, to understand the value of humor and bring some sincerity to a situation. And no one is born funny! Except maybe those babies who try lemon for the first time. Humor can be present without comedy and it’s a skill that you learn, adapt, and grow over time. 
  
  According to the results from a Gallup survey of 1.4 million people across 166 countries, the frequency at which we laugh or smile drops significantly once we hit 23. Which is sad, because as kids we laugh all the time! But then as we grow up and enter the workforce, we seem to lose our sense of play. There is the very real pressure to be “professional.” But why should professional mean überserious? 
  
  The lack of levity and laughter in life and in work is causing us to miss out on so much of the good stuff. The good stuff, you ask? Let’s take a look at the science. 
  
  “Laughter is the best medicine” isn’t just a phrase. It’s true! Laughter has been scientifically proven to benefit you both physically and emotionally. When we laugh, our brains release a cocktail of hormones. We get endorphins which give us that euphoric feeling we might have after exercise. We get a big release of dopamine that makes us feel happier. Oxytocin, the “love hormone,” is also released, which makes us more trusting. And our cortisol levels are lowered, which means we’re a whole lot less stressed. In short, according to the authors, laughter is like exercising, meditating, and having sex all at once. How great! And it’s HR approved! 
  
  ---
  
  There are four main types of funny people.
  
  It can be helpful to start by taking a look at what kind of humor is out there. There are traditionally four different types of funny people, the stand-ups, the magnets, the sweethearts and the snipers.
  
  The stand-ups are the expressive, thick skinned people who can take as good as they give. If you’re edgy, a fan of roasts, and have been known to enjoy darker humor, then this might be for you. 
  
  Magnets keep things uplifting, happy, and positive. They’re the class clown, all silly and full of charisma. If you’re someone who laughs before you’ve even reached the punchline, there’s a good chance your humor is more of the magnet style. 
  
  Then there is the subtle tease of the sweetheart. They’re not out to hurt anyone’s feelings, just to make people feel good. If you find yourself analyzing the situation, looking for the well-timed but innocent jab, then count yourself a sweetheart. 
  
  Finally, the sniper. Snipers are an acquired taste for sure. They’re pretty aggressive with their humor, and subtly sarcastic. Are you known for your deadly one-liners? Then a sniper style of humor might be yours.
  
  While these styles help identify where you could find your comedic strengths, it’s incredibly important to note that these styles can be interchanged – and definitely should be – depending on the situation. It’s essential to know when a sniper joke is not appropriate or when sweetheart and magnet moments might be the better choice.
  
  But remember, this is not about “being funny.” It’s about being real and approachable. So if you can’t quite figure out if you’re a stand-up or a magnet, don’t stress. There are ways to explore humor in the workplace that will bring these moments out naturally. 
  
  ---
  
  Truth is the heart of humor. But tread lightly when joking about pain and anger.
  
  So how exactly does “funny” work? According to the authors and the many professionals they approached, you don’t just pull something funny out of thin air. Instead, you make note of and use the absurdities of the world around you, and then point them out. Take a second to look back on the last few days. Did you forget an acquaintance's name? Did you tell the waiter that you hope he enjoys his meal, too? Maybe your kids pointed out that you’re the CEO at work but grandma is the boss at home? 
  
  These are real-life moments that you undoubtedly share with others. The truth creates an opportunity for shared recognition and at the heart of humor lies – you guessed it – truth. Meaning that if you tap into your own life – your likes, dislikes, opinions, feelings, all the things that make you you – you will allow for moments of shared levity where a colleague might say, “Hey, I do that! She’s right! I’ve had that happen to me, too!” 
  
  Tapping into your emotion is a sure-fire way to have shared moments, and you should use it. Just be careful with anger. You don’t want to make anyone feel personally attacked. A quick way around that is to aim your frustrations at some fictional third party. That way people will feel what you feel without bearing the brunt of it. The same goes for pain. We all know that misery loves company, and shared pain can be funny down the line, but don’t rush into it. You don’t want the deafening silence of “too soon” to fill the office. It will eventually make for a great story, so save it for later.
  
  Another way to highlight the funny is to notice what is contrasting or incongruent about yourself and your life. The entertaining bit lies in the difference. You and your team may have just raised a million in funding – but grandma wants the double thick cream from Whole Foods and you better not forget it! Share that contrast with your colleagues. It will take you from being the unapproachable big boss to a human being with a family, a life outside of work, and a stereotypically demanding mother-in-law. 
  
  ---
  
  Get funnier by using exaggeration, being specific, using analogies, and remembering the rule of three.
  
  It would be great if humor was always as simple as, “I tell you this funny thing that happened in my life, you laugh, and we work together happily ever after.” Sometimes, making these simple observations is not quite enough to be funny. So what can you do to be prepared? Through speaking to professional improvisers and coaches from schools like Second City, in Chicago, and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, in New York, the authors collected some simple tools to help get you from idea to punchline, successfully.
  
  First, use exaggeration to your advantage. Take that life event and embellish and escalate it to surprise the listener. The funny comes when you say something they weren’t expecting at all. Consider the example from actor and stand-up comedian, John Mulaney: “Went to a spa to get a massage. I went into the room to get the massage and the woman there told me to undress to my comfort level. So I put on a sweater and a pair of corduroy pants and I felt safe.” Were you expecting him to say that he’d be putting on clothes? Probably not, and that is where it becomes funny. 
  
  Second, be specific. Using precise and vivid language makes it a lot easier for the listener to relate to what you’re saying. They’re not just pants – they’re thick, made-for-winter, corduroy pants that Mullaney will be using to cover himself up at the spa. And just like that we have a hilarious mental image of the absurdity at play. 
  
  Third, make use of analogies. You can highlight how ridiculous something is by comparing it to something completely different but equally outrageous. One example comes from Hasan Minhaj as he tries to explain how hard it is for him to connect with his father: “Every conversation with my dad is like an M. Night Shyamalan movie. It’s just 90 minutes of buildup to no pay off. That’s the ending?”
  
  To break that down, conversations with Hasan’s dad are tedious and difficult, much like Shyamalan’s films are never-ending and tough to watch. Analogies are not the easiest to get right, so it’s important that you have a solid base. Your base comes down to you and how you feel about your observation. Use specificity to help people understand why you feel the way you do and then try to find something universal to connect it to. If most people can relate, then you’ve created a successful analogy.
  
  Finally, the rule of three is also a good tool to use and practice. It’s quite simple, really. List two expected things and then subvert them with an unexpected third element. The human brain is constantly looking for patterns. So when we say A and B, we expect to hear C. But if we say A, B, pineapple, we create surprise, and, in turn, humor. Take Amy Schumer, for example. When greeting her audience at a gig in Denver she said: “I don’t know if you guys know this but in the past year I’ve gotten rich, famous, and humble.” If you had to lose the “famous” or put the laugh line, “humble,” in the middle, it wouldn’t really work, would it? You need to establish the pattern in order for the C element to have impact.
  
  ---
  
  Work on your go-to stories and bring humor to work with “The Bad Idea Brainstorm.”
  
  People like Amy Schumer or Hasan Minhaj spend months and years cultivating their humor: writing, rewriting, and testing their jokes on audiences. But most of us don’t have that kind of time, so when we’re using humor, in our lives or in the office, we’ll need to be able to create moments of levity spontaneously. 
  
  Finally, create safe spaces for others to spontaneously explore their funny sides and build lasting connections in the process. One idea is “The Bad Idea Brainstorm.” Instead of having a serious roundtable meeting where everyone has to come up with viable strategies, tell people to go come up with the silliest, most outlandish ideas possible. Not only will you get laughter but you will also most likely end up with some ideas you hadn’t even considered. Humor activates the creativity center of the brain and quite literally encourages mental gymnastics. Which means a humor-driven meeting will get a lot more innovation and visionary ideas out of it than a boring old brainstorming session.
  
  Whether you’re being strategically or spontaneously funny, always be on the lookout for appropriate moments to get fun and creative with the people around you. But what is appropriate? We’ll explore that in the next chapter. 
  
  ---
  
  Ideas of funny differ – so be sure to use humor responsibly.
  
  People have different ideas of what is funny. Our humor varies depending on everything from our upbringing and personal experiences, to political views, hangriness, and more. Your long-term colleague may be a fan of “your mom” jokes – but the new guy in sales might think they’re distasteful. So, it’s critical to know what to do when these different ideas of funny arise.
  
  The most important thing to keep in mind is that in all instances, you need to use humor responsibly. And have sensitivity, empathy, and hilarity all working together. It’s a matter of reading the room. And that’s not just about knowing what will make the audience laugh but how it will make them feel. Are there any cultural differences to take into account? Will it offend anyone?
  
  First, determine how appropriate the joke is. If you remove the humor and examine the truth, does the comment still feel appropriate? So, for example, if we remove the humor from “Don’t think of me as your boss; think of me as a friend who can fire you,” what are we left with? An employer who has no issue with axing you no matter how friendly she pretends to be – maybe an inappropriate joke. 
  
  It can be difficult to know how everyone is going to react all of the time. Mistakes happen, and it can be tempting to always play like everything is fine. That’s how you planned it! No mistakes here! But there is so much more power in being vulnerable. Owning up to your mistake not only shows your team that you see where you’ve gone wrong, but also makes them feel safe to make mistakes of their own.
  
  Spanx founder and CEO Sara Blakely has a great way of doing it. She holds regular company-wide “Oops Meetings” where she addresses a recent mistake she’s made and plays music that fits the situation. For example, after Blakely tried to compete in a product category for longer than she should have, she played “Mr. Roboto” – a great song, but it goes on for almost six minutes! Employees were able to join Blakely in dancing along and made light of the situation. 
  
  ---
  
  Improve your humor by embracing your personality.
  
  Often, it’s as simple as talking like a human being. Stiff talk, be it in the boardroom or over email, doesn’t leave much room for connection. Like the authors put it, “If we write like corporate drones, then pretty soon we’ll start acting like them, too.” So, whether you’re talking face-to-face or writing an email, stop trying to rid yourself of a personality.
  
  It's also important that your online presence reflects your personality. Nowadays, you’ll be sussed out on LinkedIn or Twitter before you even enter the HR office, so consider something like a fun bio. When you’re one of thousands of applicants, it's the little things that help you stand out. But make sure to strike a balance of clever and lighthearted while still reflecting your achievements.
  
  Take Steve for example. Steve’s bio included primary information like “is an executive manager” and “is currently the CEO of ASG MarTech,” both of which were impressive. But it was the inclusion of his family’s opinion of his podcast that caught the hiring manager's attention: “described by his wife and two daughters as ‘long, boring, and utterly devoid of substance.’ ” That last line got him an interview and ultimately helped land him the gig. Why? Because it showed that Steve had wit, confidence, and humility, on top of being qualified for the job.
  
  ---
  
  Become a better leader by bringing humor to the workplace.
  
  The leaders of old were a rare breed. All intelligence, bravery, moral superiority, and cunning resolve. Consider Ernest Shackleton drifting on sheets of ice in the Antarctic to rescue his crew. Or Marco Polo, who traveled across mountains to inspire generations of children . . . to play blindly in their swimming pools. 
  
  But those days are behind us. In the wake of multiple wars, nuclear disasters, financial crises and more, we now share a collective lack of trust in our leaders. 
  
  A 2019 Harvard Business School study found that 58 percent of employees trust a stranger more than they trust their own boss. And because they don't trust their employers, they don’t work well. But have faith. While general trust in leadership is taking a nosedive – the organizations that are maintaining a high-trust environment are thriving! 
  
  By channeling your unique sense of humor, you can become a leader who can better unite, persuade, and motivate the people around you. Humor in business improves many things, including your power. Don’t confuse this with power over people. Rather, it’s the power to control how people view you and how you are remembered. You’re the one who sets the tone, so showcase your funny, or at least your understanding of humor. And play along when you see others enjoying moments of levity at the office – this helps build trust and support!
  
  Of course, you are still a leader so make sure to find a balance between being authoritative and approachable. Self-deprecating humor, or silly, humble moments can help with that.
  
  Humor creates bonds, and the closeness that forms in a moment of shared mirth lasts much longer than some awkward team-building activity. Employees simply want to feel safe, seen, and heard. Even unexpected playful moments of praise can be more effective than official ones because they feel real. 
  
  Sometimes, being a leader means knowing when to take a step back. It’s important to know what you are comfortable with. If you’d prefer not to be the one in the spotlight pulling the company culture toward you, look to find and support a charismatic coworker who might be able to build the safe and fun space you had envisaged.
  
  ---
  
  Humour in the workplace helps build trust and forges true connections.  Look for those everyday moments of levity, and for the signals to engage and play. These will allow you to create a culture of fun for you and your employees where they feel safe to communicate, make mistakes and grow. And use these tools you’ve acquired to bring more joy into your life outside of work as you tap into your funny to live a bolder, more authentic and love filled life with the people around you.
  
  Here’s another piece of actionable advice:
  
  Leave no room for derogatory humor.
  
  No joke should make someone feel victimized or discriminated against – even if you are a sniper at heart. There is absolutely no place for racism, sexism or any other prejudiced humour at work, or anywhere. So, if a story or joke involves offensive humour, then make sure to recognize it in yourself or your employees, and address it immediately. 
• 
  Jason Shaw

  Humor, Seriously helped me realize how deficient my life is of humor, and gave me a few simple ideas and areas in which I can insert it. One of the chapters was about emails at work. The authors produced a few emails I get quite often with nearly the exact wording. Whenever I get these emails, I get a kick out of how supremely generic they sound and, if I ever get around to having to send one, how mine would be different.
  
  Then I thought, "why wait?"
  
  Today I sent an email I have to send every month to a colleague, updating some cash flow forecasts. I'll give it here since it was brief.
  
  "Hopefully, you're having a splendid afternoon.
  
  If not, here are some updated estimates of our internally managed assets that may help to cheer you up.
  
  Cheers!"
  
  Most times, I simply get a response similar to "Got it. Updated." This time, I got "Thanks, you just made my day. 😊"
  
  In affect, this made my day, too. It was great inserting a little levity into my everyday work activities. The book does a great job in explaining how much more significant of a difference the accumulation of these acts can make.
• 
  Dax

  3.5 stars
  
  Solid primer on using the fine art of comedy to connect with those you work with. The authors have no expectation that the reader is automatically funny but instead that we all have the ability to ease tension through honest jokes. They speak to the perks of punching up but never down and many other useful tools. They have some fun with the book and through the audiobook. It was interesting the questionnaire they poised to the reader about how often you laugh. Turns out no matter how depressed I am I will always be down for a laugh - and joyful on the ones I brought to fruition. My life motto and one I feel they authors will strongly endorse:
  
  
• 
  Martin Mcclanan

  This book works on so many levels. Yes, I love "how to" approach to understand how to construct humor. Yes, I love the nuanced discussion about how to incorporate humor into day to day work conversation. But most importantly, it shows that cat memes have a place at Stanford Business School.
  
  Well Done Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas. One of the most enjoyable business reads I've had in years.
• 
  Rachelle

  Humor, Seriously... for a book about humor, I didn't see anything funny or relatable. The book is very dry with vague examples of how to make a joke and wait for an appropriate time to lash out at your colleagues. Most of the information was boring and generic. Disappointed in the amount of unhelpful content.
• 
  Brittney

  Audiobook. Read this and talked about it with Chris after each chapter. I loved the idea broadly, but the applications in leadership really fell flat for me.
• 
  Daria Bezzub

  Початок книги мене захопив, це була не просто суха передмова, це була гарна історія про авторок, що підводила до причин написання цієї книги.
  Загалом, я люблю коли кожна теза книги підкріплена історією-прикладом, і запам'ятовується краще, і цікавіше читати. Одна з таких істо��ій була про хлопця, що хворів на лейкемію і не мав підходящого донора кісткового мозку. То ж, він використав гумор до спонукання людей ставати донорами і достатньо швидко досяг мети. Мені це нагадало наших стендаперів, що організовують цілі бойз-бенди (наприклад, Badstreet Boys) і знімають веселі кліпи на смішні пісні і просять людей підтримати донатом ЗСУ.
  
  Багато прикладів є корисними і для себе їх відмітила. Гумор можна використовувати у бізнесі і просто в повсякденній роботі. Що мене найбільше зацікавило, то це - зробити свій підпис в електронній перепи��ці більш цікавішим, гумористичнішім; покреативити над оригінальною автовідповіддю у пошті на час моєї відпустки; додати цікавинку до свого резюме або до супровідного листа. Це прості рішення, але я ніколи не замислювалася над тим, щоб принести в ці речі трохи гумору і позбутися сухої серйозності.
  
  До середини книги в мене трохи зник запал і мені здається, що проблема сидить в тих самих прикладах гумору. Він не завжди був зрозумілим. Тут накладаються і специфіка менталітету, і те що ситуативний гумор не такий смішний вже, коли його намагаються переказати та ще й письмово. Можливо, авторкам варто було б ще трохи попрацювати над прикладами гумору.
  
  Але корисні речі я для себе знайшла.
• 
  Brandi D'angelo

  "a culture that balances serious work with levity and play can actually improve team performance." This is the main premise of this book and it gives plenty of examples of how this is being done in successful companies. The book mainly focuses on the business world, but many of the ideas work in your personal life. Some suggestions were to cultivate your personal stories, noticing when people laugh and building on that; never make fun of people "below" you (lesser position in the company), and don't take it too far and offend someone (but if you do, acknowledge it right away and apologize).