People want to work with people they like. Why wouldn’t you? We spend huge chunks of our hours at work, so you don’t want it to be a death march. Humour (smart delivered) is a great way to win friends and influence people. You need to be funny, but not judgemental (that’s not good for team building) and you can’t offend anyone.

People will enjoy working with you

Humour boosts morale and retention while reducing turnover because employees look forward to coming to work. Employees like to work for and with others who have a sense of humour. We all prefer to have fun at work. It should not feel like an enslaved servitude environment.

It boosts morale

It can help companies stand out and go beyond with their customer service, garnering them a huge loyal following.If you want to stand out from the pack, using humour with your service is an effective way to do that.A great example for this is Wendy's fast food restaurant chain which is famous for it's twitter account full of roasting jokes.

Humour can allow your company to stand out

Humour allows both employees and managers to come together, realizing that we all seek common grounds.

It is humanizing

Humour is a key ingredient in creative thinking. It helps people play with ideas, lower their internal critic, and see things in new ways. Humour and creativity are both about looking at your challenges in novel ways and about making new connections you’ve never thought about before.It establishes a fertile environment for innovation because people are more inspired when they are relaxed.

Ha + ha = aha!

You can build trust with the effective use of humour because humour often reveals the authentic person lurking under the professional mask.Numerous studies suggest that people who share a healthy, positive sense of humour tend be more likable and are viewed as being more trustworthy. All of these characteristics, as well as the fact that humour is a fabulous icebreaker can help people build relationships in the workplace, and especially these days, relationships are critical to success.

It helps build trust

The more approachable you are, especially as a leader, the more honest and open people around you will be.And the more honest and open people tend to be, the more successful and innovative teams tend to be.

People who use humour tend to be more approachable

Humour creates an upbeat atmosphere that encourages interaction, brainstorming of new ideas, and a feeling that there are few risks in thinking outside the box. All that leads to greater productivity. It also stands to reason that if you're in a more jovial atmosphere, you'll have more passion for what you do. Your work ethic will increase, and your enthusiasm will likely be contagious. It's a win-win for you and your employer.

It can increase productivity

Humour is a way to break through the tension barrier.Research shows that humour is a fabulous tension breaker in the workplace. People who laugh in response to a conflict tend to shift from convergent thinking where they can see only one solution, to divergent thinking where multiple ideas are considered.

It puts others at ease

Humour impacts on 3 levels: <ol><li>Makes a cognitive shift in how you view your stressors</li><li>Generates an emotional response</li><li>Triggers a physical response that relaxes you when you laugh</li></ol>

Humour is a potent stress buster

If and when it's employed properly, humor can be a key to success at work. Here's how.

It puts others at ease

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Convergent and divergent thinking

KEN ROBINSON