You Can’t Be Serious: Putting Humor to Work – Book Summary
Seriously, You Can’t Be Serious
Not only is humor a key resiliency strengthening tool, it has become a hot topic in the world of employment. I have had the good fortune of enjoying good laughs with international speaker, humorist, and author, Michael Kerr. As his book cover attests,Michael does not take himself too seriously, but he is serious about putting humor to work in the office. If you are ready to discover the power of humor get a hold of You Can’t Be Serious: Putting Humor to Work.
Overview:
For many years, Michael was a Parks Canada manager. There, he learned powerful lessons about the importance of silliness, fun and humor. . . or sometimes, the lack of. In 2001, he poured his knowledge of management and over 15 years of humor research into his value-packed book. Although the research is plentiful, Kerr writes in a playful and conversational style. He models how easily humor can put into action without resorting to joke telling.
Basic Concepts:
- stress management
- individual and team creativity
- employee morale
- employees’ sense of being appreciated
- office team spirit
- effective communication
- savoring of coffee.
He generously shares over 200 ways to actively put humor to work. Just look at the chapter titles!
- Putting Humor in its Place
- Why Humor is Such a Powerful Stress Buster
- Putting Humor to Work Against Stress
- The Office Commute – May the Farce Be With You!
- Laughing in the Face of Change
- Humor as a Catalyst for Creativity
- Motivating The Troops Through Laughter
- Laughing Your Way to Better Customer Service
- We’ve Got to Stop Meeting Like This!
- Speaking of Humor (Adding Humor to Presentations)
- Humor Blocks – What Stops Our Sense of Humor?
- Practicing Safe Humor (Having Fun Without Getting Fired!)
- Guiding Lights for Adding Humor to the Workplace
- 201 Ways to Put Humor to Work
Michael Kerr Quotes:
- “Having a sense of humor is about having a sense of balance, perspective and proportion. A sense of humor is the ability to recognize the incongruities and absurdities that confront us on a daily basis.”
- “Humor reminds us that although we can’t control many of the events that happen to us, we can always control over emotions and how we react to those events.”
- “Humor not only helps people to take risks, it also encourages them to offer more creative ideas and to be accepting of creative ideas.”
- “To create an atmosphere of fun and enthusiasm in the workplace, start with the basics, like what we call ourselves. How would you like to your business card and stationary to announce your job title as “Chief Imagination Officer”?
- “Service with some laughter is service that won’t be easily forgotten.”
- “Meetings needn’t be onerous, stressful, and wasteful. By taking a little time to plan an injection of humor and establishing a relaxed tone throughout meetings really can be productive, efficient, and fun.”
- “In a world of bottom lines, profits and technology, touching each other through laughter is about valuing human connections and relationship.”
Summary:
Be like Michael and get serious about humor. You can make a significant and positive difference by doing so! Michael Kerr has also authored:
- The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank
- What’s So Funny About Alberta?
- When Do You Let the Animals Out?—A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Humour
- The Canadian Rockies Guide to Wildlife Watching.
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