simply by kevin dooley

I have been a fan of NBC’s popular sitcom “The Office” for quite some time. More than anything, the secret to the show’s success is its ability to develop a humorous parody associated with true life office circumstances, such as boring meetings, a good irrational boss, office national politics, competition, even romance. One of the areas the writers work on will be humor in the work place. 2 situations in particular come to mind: jordan Scott’s (the boss) vano ability to tell jokes in order to his staff, which no one appreciates, and Jim Halpert’s barrage of practical humor on his nemesis at work, Dwight Schrute (moving Dwight’s table into the men’s room has been my personal favorite).

In Scott’s case, because manager he simply wants to lighten things up in the workplace. even though he genuinely believes he is being witty, he is oblivious to the fact his delivery is not only bad, but his feedback are embarrassingly crude plus politically incorrect. Although he has the best intentions, his personnel is simply shocked by what comes out of his mouth. In other words, instead of easing the stress in the office, he compounds this.

In Halpert’s case, there is considerable pressure between Schrute and themselves, but because of Dwight’s offbeat persona, he makes an easy target for Jim that gets satisfaction watching their foil react to his jokes. This greatly relieves the stress of work, at least for rick and Pam. However, rick can become distraught if their practical jokes backfire.

The lesson through both scenarios is there is a fine line between including levity to the workplace plus making matters worse.

There is a trend in management today to promote humor in the workplace in the hopes it will relieve the particular tedium of work.

Although this sounds almost all well and good, there are also pitfalls. First, not everybody shares the same sense of humor. exactly what one person considers funny may be considered obnoxious or horrible to another. Second, it is very easy to go over the line and inform a politically incorrect laugh, thereby paving the way for a reprimand or, even worse, a lawsuit to be filed against the individual, the company, or both.

Sarcasm is perhaps the most common form of humor found in the workplace, yet this can get old rapidly if done excessively plus perceived in a negative framework. Imitations of people can be humorous, but it also reveals your correct feelings about someone, in addition, if your target finds out about it, you might earn their difficulty or turn a friend in to an enemy. To me, replicas of people in the office are the 1st hint that someone has their foot on a banana peel off.

Practical humor are still around, but not to the degree as exemplified within “The Office. ” The biggest danger here is if the laugh is manifested in front of the prospective or existing client, thereby affecting business. organization newbies, particularly recent university graduates, beware: be wary associated with sophomoric hijinks in the workplace. laughter in the office is vastly different than what you experienced in university.

Is there space for humor in the workplace any longer? Yes, the prime intent is to relieve stress, engage the brain, plus reinvigorate your coworkers. You should be cognizant though of the good line between silliness and getting in the way of accomplishing productive function. Like any comedian, you should know your own audience and tailor your own humor accordingly. No, all of us no longer live in an era exactly where crude jokes can be freely told in the workplace. We must be careful not to offend, but aside from this particular, there is nothing wrong with a little levity in order to liven things up.

And for God’s sake, avoid try some of Jim’s useful jokes at work.