Levity Resources
I struggle with talking about levity during such a challenging time and also realize it’s important to smile and laugh with friends. We need to keep building relationships, finding commonalities, and supporting each other. To me, levity is not about making jokes, it’s about being a little lighter and allowing for fun.
“Studies reveal that humor makes us appear more competent and confident, strengthens relationships, unlocks creativity, and boosts our resilience during difficult times.” Aaker and Bagdonas, Humor Me, 2021
We discussed traits common to our best supervisors and recognized how a sense of humor often plays a role in positive relationships. Our best supervisors made us feel heard, supported, and encouraged.
We also talked about how a lot of humor is based on culture, which makes it harder when conversing with colleagues in other countries or for those who didn’t grow up with similar cultures.
Suggestions include signaling your sense of humor by laughing with others, looking for joy, not taking yourself too seriously, and adding fun to your day. Like anything else, we need to experiment, examine the impact, and iterate.
Be aware of the humor elements:
Truth - often it’s funny because it’s true
Pain - if we are too close to the pain, it’s not funny
Distance - it’s often easier to laugh at something once we are farther from it
Session worksheets:
Record moments of truth and joy
My goal for the month is to try to look for the fun and practice not taking things too seriously.
Our next complimentary session will focus on Coaching for Intentional Change. Join us on Tues, Nov 14 at 11 am PT/2 pm ET! During the one-hour workshop, we will explore techniques to resist pressure to be perfect so you can focus on what matters most.
The final 2023 Monthly Sessions are on Nov 14 and Dec 5.
I am planning for three sessions in 2024, most likely in March, June, and September. Let me know if you have any topics of interest.
Summary of Oct Session Levity: Your Superpower
Key Takeaways
Levity can increase trust and performance
Laugh with others
Add fun to your day
Tips
Signal you have a sense of humor. Be generous with your laughter. Smile and engage with others.
Take yourself less seriously. Look for and encourage fun.
Create rituals, try a bad idea brainstorm and turn mistakes into folklore.
Promote psychological safety and model learning from mistakes.
Record moments of truth and joy
Have a fun way to share humor like in a Slack or Teams channel
To reflect on:
What are the qualities of someone you like working with?
Is there someone at work you laugh with? How did your relationship develop? What makes them safe? What else do you share with them?
How can you add more joy to your day?
Do you have any good jokes to share?
How can we make sure the humor is inclusive?
If you were given the title of Chief Fun Officer (CFO), what would you do? What would change in your day?
Additional Resources
The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten Up by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher (Apr 2008)
Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (And how anyone can harness it. Even you.) by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas (Feb 2021)
Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot by Matt Abrahams (Sep 2023)
Rituals for Work: 50 Ways to Create Engagement, Shared Purpose, and a Culture that Can Adapt to Change by Kursat Ozenc and Margaret Hagan (Mar 2019)
How to be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings: Non-threatening Leadership Strategies for Women by Sarah Cooper (Oct 2018)
100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings: How to Get by Without Even Trying by Sarah Cooper (Oct 2016)
What’s Your Point game (can be played alone) by Speechless, Inc.
HBR Research: Being Funny Can Pay Off More for Women Than Men by Ella Miron-Spektor, Julia Bear, Emuna Eliav, Li Huang, Melanie Milovac, and Eric Yuge Lou (April 14, 2023)
