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Developing
A Cadre of Motivational Humorists: Part III
by Mark
Gorkin, LICSW,
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About the Series
After illustrating a general "Motivational Humorist" workshop (Part I)
along with principles and techniques of a serious humorist intervening in specific
workplace conflict situations (Part II), the third and final segment examines actually
bringing healing and harmonizing humor into your organization. The introductory path
may involve official procedure or an informal process. Either path is a signal that
upper management is encouraging the Human Resources Department to help shape workplace
values and interpersonal interactions, that is, the corporate culture. Integrating
purposeful and playful humor throughout an organization means time- and task-driven
issues are not the only forces powering the company engine. In fact, when healing
and harmonizing humor is a source of motivational energy, productivity and team morale
achieve an uncommon synergy. The focus becomes: a) honestly and efficiently acknowledging
stress and conflict while disarming passive or aggressive resistance, b) creative
problem solving and consensus building, c) empathic and face saving conflict intervention,
d) breaking down territorial barriers between teams, departments and divisions and
e) branding your company as a desirable, fun and cutting edge place to work.
Administrative Startup Options
So how do you get the Motivational Humor ball in motion? Here are three approaches:
1. Hire for Humor. One way of bringing humor into the workforce is enlisting
the whole workforce. Southwest has famously built a culture of humor and the company
looks for a capacity for humor in its new hires. When problems occur, it's second
nature for much of the Southwest staff to see and share the humorist angle, which
keeps morale high.
Personnel also integrate humor as part of the daily routine. For example, I recall
a flight in which a steward was giving the standard safety orientation on seat belts,
emergency exits and oxygen masks. Now I suspect most people listen a bit apprehensively
or try to tune out the familiar speech. However, this professional humorist got everyone's
attention when he calmly noted, "As part of our trip will be over water, in
the unlikely event this flight becomes a cruise your seat cushion is removable."
The passengers laughed heartily. Not only was this a wonderful "reframe"
(see Part II for more on this potent humor technique) but also it stimulated an unexpected
and much appreciated stress relieving if not blood pressure reducing laugh.
Of course, some companies bend over backwards for their customers (the "kings")
but take a strictly upright and uptight attitude with employees ("the peasants").
Management needs to recognize that customers and employees are a royal couple. Creating
a stimulating - hard-working and hardy laughing - environment is what maximizes motivation
and morale in customer-employee, employee-employee and management-employee relations.
2. Create an Official Cadre. Consider these three approaches:
a) Job Description.
One way an HR Manager can formalize this process is to create a job description,
if not an actual job title, that outlines the roles and responsibilities of a "Motivational
Humorist." (Perhaps a title of internal "Motivation and Morale Consultant"
captures the spirit.)
b) Collegial Bonding. When the right people have been selected or hired, the
next step for cadre building is assembling a variety of humorists from different
company divisions or plants, for example. Introducing these humorists to one another
will help generate esprit de corps. In such an innovative startup operation, these
humor pioneers need both guidance and the opportunity to discuss and design responses
to the fundamental issue: how do organizational policies, structures and dynamics,
interpersonal relations and psychological-personality factors set the productivity,
morale and problem solving stage for an insightful and skillful humorist?
c. Humorist Training. Of course, you can send this cadre for Motivational Humor
training. One suspects there is a dearth of courses on Management Humor (though the
oil giant Royal Dutch/Shell seems to value humor in it's top executives) or HR-sponsored
Humorists. So let me plug my "Train the Trainer" Practice Safe Stress Programs:
Managing Stress & Conflict and Building Team Communication & Morale through
Humor. (Parts I and II of this series captures many of the "real life"
techniques and exercises of Stress Doc humor in action.)
So what might a Motivational
Humor Training Curriculum look like? Consider this "Top Ten" conceptual
and applied knowledge mix:
1. Principles and
Techniques of Humor and Wit
2. Recognizing Hostile, Avoidance or Other Expressions of Offensive Humor
3. Using Healing-Harmonizing and Self-Effacing Humor
4. Exploring the Connection between Loss and Change and "The Comic and the Tragic"
5. Developing Stress, Conflict and Anger Management Skills (Hey, I was a "Stress
& Violence Prevention Consultant" for the US Postal Service. You know I'm
battle-tested; a sense of MASH humor was essential for survival.)
6. Active Listening and Effective Feedback Skills
7. Handling Criticism and Challenges to Your Authority or Legitimacy
8. Creative Reframing and Problem-Solving Skills
9. Group Facilitation and Overt/Covert Leadership Skills
10. How to Lead Interactive, Inspiring and Fun-Filled Motivational Humor Workshops
Finally, other training
sources include local college drama or professionally run "psychodrama"
programs (combining therapy and theater skills). Check the web for psychodrama associations
in your community or call the National Association of Social Workers or Canadian/American
Psychological Association. Such training, especially in improvisational theater,
if not in theatrics or hysterics, will invariably help build that tragic-comic bridge.
3. Encourage an Unofficial Cadre. HR can inject examples of the effectiveness
of team building humor intervention into existing management training. Again, a Practice
Safe Stress Workshop is a fun and safe (that is, non-threatening) vehicle for expanding
a participant's mind to the value of playful and purposeful humor at all organizational
levels. For example, often your best humorists are the informal leaders in your teams
and departments, for good and/or bad. Learning to partner with such compelling individuals
can be critical for successful problem solving intervention. Acknowledging this humorist's
status and channeling his or her energy and power can transfer intimidating, acting
out or diversionary humor into productive and passionate expression and more formal
leadership. It's often a win/win for the informal leader, the manager and for the
entire team.
Actually, this team perspective provides a final humor intervention action step:
build humor into team meetings. We've all heard about companies who encourage jump-starting
a meeting with a joke. How about this variation? Before the weekly project status
update, ask each team member to report on a funny, absurd or embarrassing moment
that occurred at work (or even at home, with the kids, for example. Of course, timing
is a factor here. Awkward moments in the bedroom, for example, definitely should
wait until the group has achieved a high level of cohesiveness.) In particular, sharing
an episode that reveals one's all too human flaws and foibles helps break down competitive
or ego-motivated boundaries between employees. It also allows a self-conscious individual
to confront his "Intimate FOE: Fear of Exposure." Remember, shared vulnerability
strengthens self-acceptance and group solidarity. It is also a catalyst for healing
and harmonizing laughter.
Risks, Resistance and Rewards
So humor in a company doesn't have to be a once a year or a once per quarter event.
You can integrate motivational humor into the everyday network of work relations.
HR sponsored humor can truly be the fount of wit and wisdom if you are willing to
stretch your conception of the possible. Sure there's some risk. Some folks will
dismiss the intellectual or motivational weight of those who are not always serious
and "task-focused." Yet, as this series has illustrated, a capacity for
blending the purposeful and playful often reflects both a superior capacity for creativity
and for leadership. Still, without proper training, a "Motivational Humorist"
can inflict wounds with self-centered or cutting wit or with hostile humor, whether
intended or not.
Clearly, the humor ball is in the HR manager's court. This humor intervention concept
may well be deemed guilty until proven innocent and safe. HR will need to hold orientation
sessions (and perhaps a general "Motivational Humor" seminar) to win over
guarded managerial colleagues or, at least, to disarm reflexive resistance.
Still, no risk, no real reward-nor any meaningful learning. With this in mind, let
me close this series with a story that vividly illustrates the link between risk,
wit and wisdomÖ"The Secret of Wisdom."
Once there was a young
woman who heard that an old wise woman had the secret of wisdom. The young woman
was determined to track the old woman down. After traveling many months, the young
woman found the old woman in a cave. She entered and addressed the old woman: "Old
Wise Woman, I hear you have 'The Secret of Wisdom.' Would you share it with me? The
old woman looked at the youth and said, "Yes, you seem sincere. The Secret of
Wisdom is good judgment." "Good judgment, of course," said the youth,
thanked her mentor, and started to leave. However, as she got to the entrance of
the cave she paused, turned back and said, "Old Woman, I feel funny, but, if
I may ask, how does one obtain good judgment?" "That's a good question,"
said the sage. "One obtains good judgment through experience." "Experience,
of course," said the youth, and proceeded to leave. But once again she stopped
in her tracks, and humbly walked back to her mentor. "Old Woman," said
the young seeker, "I feel foolish, but I have to ask: How does one obtain experience?"
The old woman paused, nodded her head, and then proceeded: "Now you have reached
the right question. How does one obtain experience?-Through bad judgment!"
Here's a paradoxical
perspective for exploring a brave and occasionally absurd new world that can definitely
benefit from some "Motivational Humor." And wise words to help us all...Practice
Safe Stress!
Mark Gorkin, LICSW,
"The Stress Doc,"ô is the Internet's and America Online's "Online
Psychohumorist"ô. An experienced psychotherapist, "The Doc"
is a nationally recognized speaker, and training and OD consultant specializing in
Stress, Anger Management, Reorganizational Change, Team Building and HUMOR! An expert
advisor for
www.AdviceZone.com
and iVillage/allHealth, his writings are syndicated by iSyndicate.com and appear
in a wide variety of online and offline forums and publications, including AOL/Online
Psych and Business Know How, Mental Health Net, 4Therapy.com, HRHub.com, SelfhelpMagazine.com,
Financial Services Journal Online, CONVENE (The Journal of the Professional Convention
Management Assn.), OpportunityWorld and Counseling Today. Recently, he
has been quoted and/or featured in such publications as Biography Magazine, Cosmopolitan
Magazine, Bloomberg Report/News, Forbes Magazine, FoxNews.com, Dallas Morning News
and The Washington Flyer. The Doc also leads his national "Shrink Rap
and Group Chat" for AOL/Digital City and WebMD.com. Check out his USA Today
Online "Hotsite" Website -- www.stressdoc.com . For info on his workshops
or for his free newsletter, email stressdoc@aol.com or call 202-232-8662.
Fall 2000, look for Practice Safe Stress with the Stress Doc, published by
AdviceZone.com .
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