It’s Important to Make Work Fun

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humor at work, humor in the workplace, Margot Escott, Milton Waddams, Office Space, Paul McGhee, Rosebluth International

In today’s uncertain economic climate, you might think that humor and laughter in the workplace is an oxymoron. In reality, the need to use laughter and humor to reduce stress and lighten a tense mood has become more important than ever.

I’ve been told that I do some pretty good impressions: Milton from the cult classic Office Space, Forrest Gump, and Raymond Babbitt (Rain Man), to name a few. In fact, at a former workplace it seemed if you weren’t at least reasonably familiar with Office Space, you couldn’t catch on to half of the jokes that were told! Milton’s obsession with his Swingline stapler, in particular, was always good for a few laughs to ease the tension during a stressful period. I enjoyed having the gift of making people laugh … especially during tough times.

Humor has a lot of benefits. It’s been proven helpful in combating stressful illnesses such as cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, and scores of other diseases and conditions.

A study conducted by the State University of New York (SUNY) reported that employees who worked for bosses that utilized humor in the workplace had higher productivity and better job appraisals.

Additional studies show that humor in the workplace can:

* Reduce the number of sick days;

* Increase company loyalty;

* Retain valuable employees;

* Encourage creativity; and

* Improve morale.

More Companies are Catching On

Most firms have become “leaner” in recent years, and yet there is still constant pressure to do things faster, to assimilate more information, and to learn new skills. The need to “make do with less” amidst increased competition has triggered more job-related stress than ever before. The good news is that an increasing number of businesses are catching on that unorthodox approaches – like fun and humor – are needed to help employees deal with stress. Take the following examples:

* It’s almost inhumane if companies create a climate where people can’t naturally have fun. At least, that’s the prevailing view at Rosenbluth International, a Philadelphia-based travel company. “I know our company is doing well when I walk around and hear people laughing,” states CEO Hal Rosenbluth.

* Use humor, but not at the expense of others’ feelings. “Once you’ve established that you’re good at what you do, and that you’re professional and take your work seriously, you’ll find that humor and a lighter style will work for you, not against you,” explains Paul McGhee, a motivational speaker. “The number-one rule, of course, is to always be sensitive to when any kind of humor or laughter is, and is not appropriate.”

Courtesy of psychotherapist Margo Escott, the following are some ideas for creating more humor in YOUR workplace:

* Create humorous bulletin boards – bring in baby pictures of staff, and let the fun begin as employees try to guess who’s who.

* Form a “fun committee” to continue to think up ways to create company-wide morale boosters.

*Start taking “humor breaks” during the day. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, it can help employees return to their desks refreshed and able to work more efficiently.

The possibilities are endless, but whatever you do, remember that humor is an important coping skill in dealing with stress. It can even add a colorful dimension to your personality – whether it’s impressions (like me) or something else. Take your WORK seriously, but treat YOURSELF lightly. It really helps!

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Caution: EAP/HR Intersection Lost (Part Two)

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EAP, Employee Assistance Report, HR, Impact Publications, Inc., Norma Montagnino-Gemza

By Norma Montagnino-Gemza, Guest Blogger

In my role in HR, the tables turned: I became a purchaser and management user of EAP – in other words, a customer. I witnessed first-hand that EAPs know what they provide, but they didn’t necessarily know what I needed as an HR professional.

In the years that I previously spent in EAP, I never wanted to sign a company that didn’t need the service. What I wanted were answers to questions that included:

*Why do you think you need an EAP?

*How do you see an EAP meeting your business’s needs?

*What personal problems are your employees facing that you are aware of or hear about?

*What organizational problems are you faced with?

*How large is your HR department? Your management staff? How many “layers” are there in your organization?

The point is, during the initial phase of sales, I wanted to form a relationship as well as conceptualize the business and what it would be like to work with them. During this process, EAP was explained — interwoven with questions and answers.

What didn’t work for me as a purchaser were statements such as: “We offer a 3, 5, or 8 session model. And because you are small (under 100 employees) we’d have to charge you $__/employee per year.”

Meanwhile, HR might respond: “Coincidentally, our small business has low EAP utilization, not because we don’t publicize and promote it, but because we have low need. So, please do an assessment to determine if there’s anything else you can offer. By the way, I’ll take the 3-session model, but let’s talk further because we have an aging Baby Boomer population and an increasing number of workers’ comp. and disability cases.”

The position between EAP and HR doesn’t have to remain precarious. Great potential exists since there are new and growing needs in the businesses that EAPs serve.

Norma Montagnino-Gemza will soon be retiring from her position as the Human Resource Director at JAY-K Independent Lumber Corp., in New Hartford, NY. She is also a former CEAP. Editor’s note: A version of this article will be appearing in Employee Assistance Report – http://www.impact-publications.com

Caution: EAP/HR Intersection Lost (Part I)

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EAP, Employee Assistance Report, HR, Impact Publications, Norma Montagnin-Gemza

By Norma Montagnino-Gemza, Guest Blogger

I worked as an employee assistance professional for more than a decade, so I am well aware of the many positive things that EAPs do in the workplace. I stress this point because some of what follows may seem a bit harsh. However, since I’ve been on “both sides of the highway” so to speak, I believe I offer a useful perspective as both sides seek to meet at the intersection that will lead to a partnership and alliance between HR and EAP.

Even with a vast background in organizational development and management, the realities of human resource needs in business escaped me.

I know this intersection exists, but it isn’t visible and so I don’t know which sign to follow. I see EAP Drive, and then I notice HR Path. But I’m still not seeing an intersection.

In 2005, I switched from EAP to HR. Looking back, I realize that as an EA professional, while I had a great command and working knowledge of human resources, in actuality that’s all it was .. a working knowledge. Even with a vast background in organizational development and management, the realities of human resource needs in business escaped me.

It’s a safe bet that these needs escape many EA professionals. There’s an urgent need to find the intersection where HR and EAP meet, and make sure it’s well marked.

NEXT TIME: Assessing, not just selling

Norma Montagnino-Gemza will soon be retiring from her position as the Human Resource Director at JAY-K Independent Lumber Corp., in New Hartford, NY. She is also a former CEAP. Editor’s note: A version of this article will be appearing in Employee Assistance Report – http://www.impact-publications.com

 

Start the New Year Right by Improving Communication

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building positive relationships, communication, email, New Year's resolutions, workplace communication

January is the time of year when New Year’s resolutions are fresh in our minds – changes we ultimately willfully ignore (what was I thinking?) forget about (oh, yeah, well, I “meant” to do it) or in rare cases, actually MAKE.

Sometimes resolutions don’t come to fruition because they were too difficult and unrealistic. In other cases, like communication in the workplace, employees and managers might not realize there is a problem.

Take all of the modes of communication available today: Laptops, mobile devices, email, texts, video chat, how could communication not be good? This might seem unlikely, but it’s been my experience that it happens all too often. Why? That will vary depending on where you work, and what type of boss you have, but occur it does. Here are a few reasons:

* Too much assuming. This one almost goes without saying, and yet it still happens all of the time. Let’s say you receive an important email from your boss – Joe – around quitting time. It’s likely that Joe will assume you read it and follow up on it if necessary. But what if you didn’t read it? You were nearly out the door after all. What if you read it the next day, but it was 10 a.m., and Joe wanted you to take action by then? Just one of the many examples of how assuming can make an….a-s-… well, you know the rest. Be as clear as possible about your intent and any follow-up that’s required – as well as a deadline, if there is one. It’s better to over-communicate than to be vague.

* Not understanding how your boss thinks. Is Joe the type of manager who is very detail conscious and wants as complete a report as possible? Then don’t communicate too little and just send the “bare bones”. What if Joe prefers a simpler approach in which he just wants the essentials, and will proceed from there? Then don’t bother Joe with a lengthy report that will frustrate, more than help, him. Or what about the type of communication? Joe might prefer email in which he will have a written record of what you’re saying. But if Joe isn’t an emailer, don’t email away and expect him to get back to you promptly. Pick up the phone! Knowing how your boss prefers to communicate is crucial to getting things done in a timely, efficient manner.

* Forgetting that communication is a building block. Think about all the business buzz words you come across. Building positive relationships. Innovative, outside-the-box thinking. Active listening. Teamwork. How do each of these start? With effective communication!

Improve communication in your workplace, and positive results will follow. That’s a New Year’s resolution worth keeping.