Humor, Seriously

Anyone--even you --can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Many people understand humor's power intuitively. But when it comes to using it with intention, far fewer know how. As a result, humor is vastly underleveraged in most workplaces today, impacting our performance, relationships, and health, and contributing to a permanent and unsightly frown known as "resting boss face." In fact, research shows that humor is one of the most powerful tools we have for accomplishing serious things. Top executives know this, which is why 98 percent prefer employees with a sense of humor, and 84 percent believe these employees do better work. Studies show that humor makes us appear more competent and confident, strengthens relationships, unlocks creativity, and boosts our resilience during difficult times. That's why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world's most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds build levity into their organizations and lives. In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, advice from world-class comedians, and stories from real-life business leaders to reveal how humor works and--more important--how you can make greater and better use of it. Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and how to craft a joke. They show how to use humor to make a strong first impression, deliver difficult feedback, and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive. And they explore the gray areas of humor: how to keep it appropriate--and recover if you cross a line. President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, "A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done." If Eisenhower--the second least naturally funny president ever (after Franklin Pierce)--thought humor was necessary to win wars and build highways, then you might consider learning it too. Seriously.