12 Strategic Humor Principles for Life and Business Success

I love this pic. When my now 14 yr old son was a toddler he was obsessed with banana phones - a comedy classic - and The Colbert Report. It took me a minute to figure out why he loved Stephen so much...he thought Stephen was daddy. Whew! I suppose I should FINALLY tell him. Nah.

I wrote this original post on strategic humor principles over a dozen years ago! And even in that amount of time, I’ve evolved and I’ve put all of these to the test. In pretty much every capacity.

I help businesses and teams become idea-driven cultures that flourish with creativity, storytelling and great communication, and I use strategy, humor and applied improvisation to do that. While I use it in business, I’ve also been performing for well over two decades – stand-up, improv and sketch – on theater and comedy stages all over. I am damn lucky to do something I love.

To say that humor has changed my life is a big understatement.

It’s made me more me, more human and more connected to my purpose and to others. And it’s trained my brain to think creatively and spontaneously. It’s also about empathy and connection. I believe that humor is key connective “tissue” between people.

I made a few tweaks since I originally created this post. I hope you enjoy it.

My Strategic Humor Principles

1. Humor is an attitude of fun. You can have a sense of fun without having to be “funny.” Don’t force the funny – you’ll hurt yourself. Humor opens you up to the joy of the moment. Attitude is the most important determinant of success. Time flies no matter what; you determine the joy of the ride. You are the pilot, co-pilot, flight attendant, and passenger. So travel with passion and humor. And you can't get to funny without fun. TRY SPELLING IT!

2. Humor attracts like. When you share appropriate humor, you build rapport and strengthen relationships. Happy begets happy. It’s universal law. I don’t make those rules.

3. Humor oils the innovative engine. Use it regularly. It’s part of the creative process that drives innovation. When we use the humor brain, we are leveraging our most creative faculties – and engaging in “What if” scenarios. Sometimes the “A-Ha” comes during the “Ha-Ha.” Humor says “yes” to incongruity and spontaneity. In those “whoa!” moments, our brain is making creative associations between (and among) ideas to form something new, fresh, fun and surprising.

4. Funny Makes Money. It's an old adage. Especially true in speaking and writing. Laughing helps lowers our defenses so people listen and learn. And we all want to be educated, right? Funny over connecting isn't the point. Humor that lifts your message matters. It's about allowing people to see that big old truth in new ways.

5. Humor helps you (and your brand) stand apart from the crowd. Be Heard – Not One of the Herd. An organization that values humor and laughter creates positive energy that powers everything it does. A company that can laugh (especially at itself sometimes) adds a human dimension to its brand. Good humor doesn’t kill brands. People (doing dumb stuff) do.

6. Humor is the greatest people skill you can have. No kidding. It makes you likable. It opens up positive channels of communication with others. And we need more channels. It’s like emotional cable. Humor is highly correlated with emotional intelligence – and career success. Take that, and your bigger paycheck, laughing all the way to the bank. Until you get to the bank – most are not fun. They could be; here are a few that are. If you want to connect, laugh. We cannot take ourselves so seriously all the time.

7. Humor puts people at ease. It builds rapport and reduces tension. It’s a natural pain reliever that won’t hurt your liver – but excessive laughter can be “side-splitting.” Organizations that laugh more are more productive and less stressful. I stress that.

8. Humor aids in memory retention. Make people laugh – and they’ll remember you. People remember not what you did, but how you made them feel. Make people feel great. I don’t trust people without a sense of humor;-)

9. Humor is a part of a great customer-service strategy. It delights and surprises. Empower people to feel a sense of fun at work and to convey that in their interactions with customers. You can’t give to customers what you don’t feel internally as part of your corporate culture. Make sure your culture is happy, not crappy.

10. Humor is an indicator of morale and a key part of healthy culture. Rife inappropriate humor is a red flag for any organization. Don’t ignore it. Constant inappropriate humor indicates a lack of respect for the organization, its customers (look at Enron) and a lack of trust. These are lethal to a healthy corporate culture. If employees exhibit toxic humor, don't walk away...RUN FAR AND FAST! It’s gonna blow!

11. Laughter is good for the soul. Mileage is inevitable, but smiling takes off years. It’s better than botox. Increase your “smileage” and turn back the “old-ometer.”

12. Humor is the best universal language (although ironically subjective culturally. Hmmmm.). So, move over math. That’s right, pi, I’m talking to you. Not you, pie. You are delicious.

YOU...

Your turn! What has humor taught you? Want more articles and resources on humor? Here you go!

Any strategic humor principles you would add?

I would love to know. Add your comments below.

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I am the founder of Keeping it Human. A speaker on change, courage and culture, I work with leaders and teams to build cultures of creativity, collaboration and communication using humor, strategy and improv.

I've helped HR, sales and marketing teams as well as executives - including women - unlock bigger ideas and stories, and work better together. I spent 16 years leading marketing and comms teams in tech and almost 25 years performing stand-up and improv comedy. I take fun seriously and seriously have fun. I have an MBA and MA and am the author of the first book on Marketing Content, Storytelling and Improv, "Stop Boring Me!" (on Amazon).

I am writing my third book. And I teach and perform stand-up and improv when I am not working with businesses. My kids still laugh at my jokes ...that window is closing soon.