
Growing up, I used to be a perfectionist–I would make sure that every ‘t’ was crossed, every ‘i’ was dotted, and that my handwriting all slanted the same way.
As I started doing comedy, I realized it wasn’t necessary or, in most cases, even possible. You’ll never know for sure that you have the “perfect” punchline, but you’ll know when you have one that’s good enough.
The 80/20 principle that Pareto defined captures this idea perfectly. And while the principle can be applied in most situations, it’s particularly true for office humor.
When incorporating humor into the workplace, you don’t have to craft the perfect joke before adding humor to a speech, or write a flawless script before shooting a fun promotional video for your project. The fact that you are even working to improve the office with humor will be good enough to improve office morale, increase retention and have fun.
So don’t worry so much about being hilarious, just be good enough. Trust me, it’ll go further than you realize.
Need some help? Steal some ideas from 101 Ways to Create Humor at Work.
I love that you wrote a post about adding humor to the office setting! Just this morning, I was listening to speakers at a business event and the most memorable ones were those who weren't afraid to use humor. Humor is a great way to facilitate more open communication and a comfortable working environment. Lets all send a funny email to our co-workers tomorrow :)
You're exactly right, humor makes for great communication. And I'm with you on lightening up your co-workers day. Can't think of anything to say? Send them to Corporate Recess