Leadership Counterculture - Office Humor
Time for a good healthy laugh.
“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” Edgar Bergen
It’s the holidays – a perfect time for a laugh. There is the version of myself I’ve named Mortimer. He is a comedian. My coach (I practice what I preach) helped me identify different versions of myself, when they appear (what triggers them), and when they are useful or not. Mortimer is perfect when the ice needs to be broken. He is not when in a serious moment. In serious moments, I chase him off the stage. In moments where I need to lighten the mood, break the ice, or put people at ease, Mortimer can be very helpful.
I’ve always enjoyed office humor. Having served 27-years in the U.S. Army and now leading a few small businesses, I have plenty of ‘office’ time. I’ve carried some sayings and habits forward from my Army days to bring humor to the office. I find it helpful. It puts my people at ease, allows them to poke fun at me and me at them. It is respectful, not obscene, and not overly disruptive. Before Mortimer appears, I spend time building trust. I’ll prove, through word and deed, that I care, am a man of my word, and I fulfill my promises. Once the stage is set, I can let Mortimer off of his leash. Here are three of my best one-liners.
“My mistake, your fault.” This counterculture saying I picked up from an Army Drill Sergeant. The crusty and sly old sergeant had a handful of sayings which made us recruits laugh. I use this when I’ve made a mistake of low impact. If I’ve done something seriously wrong, I’ll remain serious. My people know me as a humble being so the saying works. It always evokes a laugh. One of my teammates gave me a sign to hang on my wall with that inscription on it.
“Always keep one person between you and the problem.” I heard this from a commander of mine once. I knew he was joking. It was hilarious. This counterculture statement countered a time-honored miltary code of, “you are responsible for all that your people do or fail to do.” It absolved the leader of any wrongdoing. I use it when my people experience challenges. I’ll even point out a person on the team, jokingly, whom we can pin the blame on. Of course, I use this humorous statement only after forming and fostering a spirit of ownership among my people. They always get a kick out of it.
“Drive fast, take chances!” This one I’m sure I heard somewhere in my ‘office’ journey, but I forget when and from whom. This counterculture statement punches organizational safety right in the face. Safety was very big in the Army. We had safety officers in our ranks given the dangerous missions and activities we performed. “Drive safe,” would be heard often as soldiers departed on a mission in their military vehicle or personal vehicle headed home for the day or weekend. I’d say this as a person was departing as part of my humorous counterculture approach and it would catch their attention. It still gets a laugh.
I’ve found this counterculture leadership humor is a wonderful way to break up the monotony of the office. These lines, among several others, are great attention grabbers and ice breakers. A good laugh is healthy. Know when to push your own version of Mortimer off the stage. Form and foster a good organizational culture. Work hard and seriously on that. Build trust first and ensure your people know when you are serious or when you are joking but engage in some humor now and then.
Toss out a counterculture line of your own or use these. You’re sure to get a healthy laugh and that contributes to a healthy workplace environment.
Drive fast, take chances!
Make it Personal!
Rob