Motivating with Mirth

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By Michael Bayer, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Motivation in an office has everything to do with the mood in the office and the attitude of the people in it. If employees view their jobs as punishment for not marrying rich, there might be an attitude problem in your office and you need a healthy dose of humour in the workplace to uplift and motivate everyone.

Humour in the workplace is far more than practical jokes and belly laughs. It’s the attitude we bring to work that creates that mood of playfulness, the gift we give one another that makes the day a little easier to get through. Sometimes that gift is a laugh, sometimes it’s a smile, and sometimes it’s getting a coffee for someone who just can’t get away for a break.

A manager’s sense of humour sets the mood and affects the attitude of employees. Managers without a sense of humour are like lawn mowers in a cemetery. They both have a lot of people below them but nobody is paying attention. When the managers take what they do seriously but don’t take themselves seriously, they give permission to everyone to have some fun at work. The air of playfulness that results has proven to increase creativity and productivity.

For some, this isn’t a problem because they have well developed laughtership skills. Others need to develop their laughtership skills. Laughtership is the ability to find the punchline in the stress in the world and turn it into positive energy. You might need to look at and react to the world differently. Recently I was running late when going to visit a client, the roads were icy and suddenly I was cut off by a Transit bus. I was mad until I noticed the driver hadn’t set the route number on the back of the bus. It was flashing XXX. I suddenly realized we have X-rated buses in Winnipeg! That changed my mood and attitude immediately and set a positive tone for the meeting and the rest of my day. Look at the world differently and you will start to see yourself differently. React to the world differently and watch the world around you change for the better.

There are many things that you can do to bring that mood of playfulness back into your office. You might want to try some of these.

Use self-deprecating humour. This puts you in a different light and shows you are capable of laughing at yourself and the mistakes you make. I once dropped a thick file, scattering its contents all over the floor. When I saw the look on my co-workers’ faces I said, “I’m so clumsy, I trip over a cordless phone.”
Celebrate. Have potluck lunches, bring in doughnuts, do something to show your appreciation for everyone’s efforts. Celebrate anniversaries, birthdays and any other important events. It shows you care and remember.
Hand out goofy awards. I once glued a used spark plug to a board and called it the “Spark of the Meeting Award.” I awarded it to the person who contributed most to the meeting. It’s amazing what people will do, week after week, for a board with a spark plug glued to it!
Put a toy in your office and play with it. I have a battery-operated hamster that sings, “Everybody was kung fu fighting,” and does a little dance. I use it when I need to recharge.
Start each meeting with a clean and inoffensive joke. Rotate the assignment so everyone gets to contribute.
Create a Fun Committee whose task is to plan fun events.
Circulate funny cartoons, jokes and stories around in the office mail. It’s a great way to share humour with everyone.
Share your interesting hobbies. In every organization there is a pool of talented individuals who have cool hobbies. Encourage them to organize lunches where they can teach others about their hobbies.
Say “Please” and “Thank you” as often as possible. It shows you care and appreciate things others do for you. Recognition is something that we all crave and appreciate.