Corporates get serious about laughter
DO YOU think that laughter is forbidden at workplace? Think again! Corporates are gearing up seriously just to provide that little laugh to their workforce, a laugh that can miraculously translate into a better working environment coupled with enhanced productivity. A scientific study reveals that humour is the oft used tool by the managers of the financial field in accelerating their employee performance. It also is one of the qualities of an efficient leader as opined by several employees.
"grant me the laughter today..." this is what constitutes the daily request of the National Association for the Humour Impaired founded by Dr. Stuart Robertshaw nicknamed Dr. Humour. Stressing on the indispensability of laughter at workplace, he observes that introducing humour into the workplace can reduce employee turnover and absenteeism to a great extent.
Having realised the potential of laughter, companies are educating their workforce on the need to laugh and have fun at work. Companies are on the verge of banishing the traditional view of work, that work and play do not mix and are opening new doors for workplace humour.
Laughter in general has several psychosomatic benefits like - de-stressing the individual, reducing tiredness and high blood pressure, many experts say.
Employees usually avoid being jovial at work for the fear of being considered unprofessional and casual about towards their work. So they constrain themselves and smile less when at work.
Guidelines to laugh without hesitation:
Create a bulletin board or a forum for the employees and ask them to come together at least once in a day to post or write jokes of their choice and to share the funny experiences of their own lives.
Care should be taken not to make personal remarks about the other employees way of dressing, habits, gender and race. No comments on sensitive issues.
Decency in language and content must be maintained
Unexpected surprises, funny gestures and twisted linguistic phrases are likely to evoke laughter in the employees. Funny masks, hats and clownish attire can be used for this purpose. Organise events like an outbound trip where in employees can have loads of fun together.
Laughter can also be used as an adhesive for bonding the team. Mutual trust between the team members, relieving of tension, erasing the hierarchy and improving the creative talent are some of the advantages of using laughter
Laughter makes an individual see things from a different perspective. For instance, when an employee is feeling low due to his failure at work, the seriousness of the issue can be diluted by making the entire thing look flimsy and humorous. Such a gesture will sustain his spirit and equip him with the strength to cope with the failure.
Laughter at workplace helps the employees in understanding each other well, in bonding with each other, in keeping the work atmosphere tension-free and conducive for work. Humour should make people laugh, not make them feel humiliated or instigate their anger. The purpose should be to make the employees take their minds off their work for a couple of minutes and have a good laugh with everybody. Such sessions should take place sometime in a day so that employees can feel relieved and get back to work enthusiastically.
It need not be All Fool's Day to have a good laugh at the workplace. Employees can have a laugh or two whenever they want - be it a coffee break or after a lengthy meeting. Humour is harmless indeed, when it is free of malice, lewdness and any kind of harmful intent.
SANDHYA. U
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