The Hindu Business Line : Lighten up and create MIRTH

In the world of serious business, work is no laughing matter. But it may be time to tell the bosses that laughter could well be a working matter, suggests a new book from Wiley ( www.wiley.com).

Levity can be a way to improve a workplace, a presentation, or a relationship, assert Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher in ‘The Levity Effect’. They trace the word to Latin ‘levitas,’ the same root for levitate. “That’s the secret to levity,” the authors find. “It raises things.”

A forkful of levity, they assure, can make great difference, “when things get tense, drab, slow, stressful, and boring.”

But why are so many unfunny managers out there? Because,

“The pressure to perform, the desire to excel, and the need to justify acclaim ultimately sap leaders of their inherent, childlike inclination to seek out play and fun,” the duo decodes.

Leading with levity is the willingness to laugh and find humour even in the most difficult situations, say Gostick and Christopher.

They cite research by Lawrence J. Peter and Bill Dana to emphasise that humour may not always evoke laughter.

Sense of humour

“A sense of humour is deeper than laughter, more satisfying than comedy, and delivers more rewards than merely being entertaining.

A sense of humour sees the fun in everyday experiences.”

What is the impact of levity on the audience? ‘If they’re laughing, they’re listening… and hopefully learning,’ sums up a chapter on ‘communication.’ All of us can lighten up and create MIRTH, the authors urge.

The acronym stands for: More efficient meetings, informal relationships with employees, remarkable presentations, training that sizzles, and humorous communication.

“Appropriate, timely, and brief humour is the order,” reads a sage counsel. Also, allow for mistakes. “Laugh at your errors. But don’t laugh at your jokes.”

Innovation

With comedy, there’s creativity, affirms a chapter on innovation. A quote of David Vik, the coach at Zappos.com, is that employees just aren’t their most creative when they’re micromanaged or in an overly structured environment. For, thankfully, “You can work hard and have fun at the same time.”

Another example in the book is of Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group, who insists that his managers listen to any and all ideas.

“Employees often leave companies, he says, because they are frustrated by the fact that their ideas fall on deaf ears.”

At times, just sitting down and watching a comedy is enough to significantly improve creative problem solving, research has found. “To get a joke, you have to find some unexpected meaning, requiring lateral or divergent thinking, both of which are higher-level thinking skills,” the authors reason.

“Creative people are different in that they make connections between ideas or events that others can see only when they’re pointed out. Humour works in the same way.”

Contrary to common thinking, levity can earn respect, because the conditions necessary to make a joke effective are the same as what make a business work: ‘communication, understanding, common ground and trust.’ Levity is the link between trust, respect, and the engagement of a workforce, the authors declare. It is human alchemy, they aver.

“When atmospheres of friendship are present at the workplace – the kind of friendship that values diversity, encourages the participation of everyone, acknowledges all contributions, allows people to be personable, lets people find joy in what they do and with whom they do it – then employees will take those qualities of trust and respect and turn them into gold for the organisation.”

A book that deserves a serious study, especially by the ‘jaw-clenchers’ and the ‘brow-knitters’ at workplaces!

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