Catching up with Karyn

Recently, I discussed the importance of implementing humor as a core value in your corporate culture (TL;DR: an organization that laughs together stays together). But before you can add a little funny business to your serious business, you have to understand how to see the funny to properly leverage it.

Humor has the ability to strengthen bonds and completely shift the mood of your environment. And the best part? Anybody can learn how to implement it! Just as I’ve developed my sense of humor over the years, so can you. With a little practice, your whole team can understand how to see the array of hilarity at their fingertips. In appreciating the many humor styles surrounding you, your organization can take the first step toward becoming a place of collaboration, productivity, and, of course, joy!

So, what are these “many humor styles” of which I speak, and under which one do you fall? Let’s take a look!

The Many Faces of Humor

Maybe you...

Employee Engagement and Corporate Culture

These are two buzzwords that have been trending over the past few years. But there’s a reason they’re trending – these circumstances can make or break an organization!

I’ve worked with a lot of executives and high performers who have been passionate about improving employee engagement and their corporate culture, and it’s incredible that leaders are recognizing the impact these two factors have on today’s workplace.

But let’s back up for a moment. Why are employee engagement and corporate culture so important?

New Workforce

A recent study reports that 35% of working Americans are aged 21 to 36 (Pew Research and MarketWatch). That’s a huge percentage. The workforce is getting younger, and in addition to this, people are moving in and out of organizations with increasing speed. Your organization needs to put effort into attracting and retaining this large new talent pool.

A...

What if there was a way to improve your health and well-being without having to watch what you eat or go to the gym? No, this isn’t some fad diet (those never work, just so you know). What I’m talking about is using humor as a way to not only make your personal life better but also to make you feel better. It’s no surprise (to me at least) that laughing makes you feel better-- so it’s essential that we use humor every day to make ourselves, and the people around us, feel better.

In order for you to know exactly where you stand with your humor, it’s important that you know your humor quotient which is something I talked about in my previous video. Your humor quotient is going to let you know how you’re able to appreciate humor and how you’re applying and effectively using humor to control a desired outcome.

But why does this all matter? Why should you want to use humor in your day-to-day? There are three main purposes of why you’d want...

You might not have an immediate answer to that question. Business is hard work. Owning and operating a business can consume your life.  Working for somebody else – whether that’s in operations, marketing, hr, or the dreaded accounting division – isn’t necessarily a piece of cake, either.  We devote tremendous amounts of time, energy, and resources to our work because so much depends on being successful.

Surely this is no laughing matter.

Laughing is the best thing you can do. We’d even argue that you have to laugh if you want to succeed. Don’t believe us? Just ask the people at Southwest.  Their uniquely humorous approach has earned them significant goodwill and provided them with a valuable differentiator in a crowded and competitive marketplace.

You see, it turns out that the strategic use of humor is one of the single most important tools businesses have at their disposal.  The ability to use humor:

• effectively attracts...

Times are tough economically, markets are down and customers are cranky—even angry! Taking care of the employees who have to deal with these customers, and taking steps to make the environment less stressful, makes for a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce. And taking care of employees is exactly what the folks at First Allied set out to do.

In preparation for my presentation on humor and stress management (I’ve Got One Nerve Left—and You’re Standing on It!), I first met with Blake Bjordahl, Sr. VP and Director of Operations and got a personal tour of the operations in San Diego. I was delighted to see evidence of many employees who took their jobs seriously and themselves lightly. Cubicles were decorated with pictures, cartoons, and even Legos, In one area, nicknamed “The Playground,” a bookcase contained numerous games, books, and toys designed to help the staff de-stress. The vending machines were even subsidized so no one had to...

I had the chance to sit around the table with the most fun bunch of people recently. They weren’t humorists or comediennes—but they were funny as all get out—kind of like Seinfeld meets healthcare. And they love their work.

Moe Green, founder of Classic Care Pharmacy started his business 10 years ago with a handful of people. Today he has over 120 employees and services 125 long term care facilities. The corporate culture is fun, and his staff and his customers are raving fans.

While having lunch with two of the team (Judy and Girish) they told me they hate to miss even a day of work. “There’s something going on everyday, and most of the time it’s fun!” they said. Apparently the rest of the staff agrees with them. The camaraderie and team spirit is palpable when you walk in the office.

As far as retention goes, people who come on board tend to stay on board. “We don’t brag too loudly to others about how good we have it...