The Cranky Middle Manager Show #150 Lighten the Heck Up- Adrian Gostick
Today Wayne Turmel discusses the need to lighten up at work using humor and energy with author Adrian Gostick, co-author of The Levity Effect-Why It Pays To Lighten Up.
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to our 150th Episode. Yeah you heard it, 150… I think the reason we are still here is people want to lighten up while still learning and getting better at what they do. We dedicate this episode to the Muslim Mullah Nasrudin. It’s hard to learn anything while being miserable….. whether it’s life or just how to do a decenjt performance review.
3:43 George Bernard Shaw has our quote of the week. If you’re going to tell people the truth, make them laugh or they’ll kill you.
5:18 Welcome Adrian Gostick. Why are we so darned serious at work and why should we lighten the #$%@% up? Research shows people stick around at companies where it’s fun to go to work. So why are companies so afraid of humor in the workplace?
9:21 Can you suddenly turn on fun in places that weren’t fun til now? Adrian’s research says fun is critical and it’s never too late. You can start with some goofy contests or Academy Awards ballots. People really are eager for fun.
11:51 People can be cynical…. programs like FISH can backfire on you… how do you avoid cynicism and the “flavor of the month”? Plus, let’s face it…. some people are fun and some don’t want fun thrust upon them.
16:47 Is fun cultural? How do you create fun when people are so spread out all over the planet? It IS doable. Tie the fun to work and celebration.
21:07 Don’t laugh, there’s evidence and lots of data that this works. Fun is a major factor in retention oh, and it’s your responsibility, middle managers.
More Resources
The Back of the Napkin- Dan Roam
The Speed of Trust- Stephen M R Covey
Don’t let the weasels get you down
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
[...] for snapping people out of a funk at work, and other interesting tidbits, tune in to the podcast. Those of you familiar with Wayne Turmel’s podcasts are aware that he is no stranger to [...]