Page 13 - 114th Edition

114th Edition 29th November 2016
www.thegoodnewsnp.com.au
The Five Cs of Humour

At Work By Kevin J Ryan

Smart managers rec- people are concerned • The day your most the local community coming en-
ognise that a more that it will be per- famous product was centre, others helped gaged in a
humorous workplace ceived as them not released. do home maintenance contest - in
is more harmoni- taking their work se- • The day you moved for frail elderly people the right spirit
ous, productive, re- riously. Worse still, into your current of- living alone. - can generate
silient and better able customers might get fices. This worked brilliant- humour and

to respond to change. the impression that Collaboration/Coop- ly to break down the camaraderie.
The challenge is how we don’t respect our eration ‘silo’ mentality that It is remark- ties there are for hu-
to create this type of organisation, brand According to one es- had developed as the able how much effort mour. I have an ac-
workplace while main- or product. This is, timate, we are thirty company grew. Staff people will put in to tivity that encourages
taining efficiency and of course, false. As times more likely to members now had win a $5 trophy! workmates to identify
standards. Progres- George Bernard Shaw laugh with other peo- new friends in other Could you make the points in common. At
sive workplaces have said, “Life does not ple than when we are departments. boring, mundane the end of this ten
generated this humour cease to be funny alone. As more work Most interestingly, tasks part of a con- minute exercise ev-
by using one or more when people die, any tasks become solitary though, was the uni- test? For example, one ery participant says
of five strategies - the more than it ceases to activities with just versal feedback that company has started they have learned
Five Cs. be serious when peo- you and the computer they had more fun running a contest for something new that

Celebration ple laugh.” screen, what could be doing this than any- the funniest or scari- they have in common
People in groups love A great way to over- done to better engage thing else they’d done est ‘selfie’ when they with their workmate.
to celebrate. Some come this fear of not staff with each oth- at work in years. It have their photo taken Even those that have
offices have done being taken seriously er? wasn’t designed as a at log-on and log-off. worked together for
away with the tradi- is to celebrate your Recently, a large or- fun activity; but it cre- Another is using re- years! Getting staff to
tional birthday cake organisation’s great ganisation committed ated such engagement verse psychology by share their likes an-
at morning tea as the
staff numbers grew
because it became too

difficult - too disrup-
tive, too hard to get
everyone together or
just too many people
for one cake! This is
sad. While the logisti-
cal difficulties of the
birthday cake gather-
ing might be prohibi-
tive, this should not be
a reason to forgo the

one natural celebra-
tory day that every
staff member has. Put
a sign at their desk,
give them a special
carpark for the day,
use social media to get
all colleagues to pass
on a birthday wish -

celebrating this way
doesn’t have to be dis-
ruptive.
And don’t stop at
birthdays. Why not moments. For exam- one afternoon of their the fun followed. This running a messiest
hold a celebration on ple: annual staff confer- is the message for desk contest with an preferences is a good
the anniversary of the • The date the organi- ence to forming staff managers - don’t try to unpleasant sign that way to start. Create
day they started at the sation was founded into groups with a create fun activities; must be displayed for a ‘staff gallery’ and
organisation or took • The birthdate of mix of staff from dif- create engagement a month by the ‘win- have them all share
on their current posi- your founder ferent departments activities and let staff ner’. their top five movies,
tion? • The day your organ- who then went out create the fun. Commonality books and holiday

One of the main fac- isation received some and did good works in Competition The more that peo- destinations.
tors inhibiting fun in special recognition or the community. Some People are inherently ple have in common, Article continued on
the workplace is that award. helped at meal time at competitive and be- the more opportuni- page...16
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