Laugh Your Way up the Corporate Ladder

A good sense of humor can be a professional catalyst. How? Here are a few ways levity can help your career:

• People enjoy working with you. Using humor is one of the best ways to enhance your relationships with others. Working with someone who’s fun to be around feels good and tends to make the day go by more quickly. When people enjoy themselves, it builds rapport and camaraderie among team members.
• You think more creatively. Comedians are observant and look at the world a little differently than most, seeing things a lot of people overlook. This allows them to see humor in everyday items and situations. If you exhibit a good sense of humor, it’s likely you’re fairly creative, are able to approach challenges from different angles and have an open mind.
• You help relieve stress. You’ve probably heard the phrase “Laughter is the best medicine.” This advice is especially true on the job as well. The workplace gets stressful, and humor is very effective at relieving that tension. If you are able to feel at ease during pressure-filled situations, you’re more likely to work through the task at hand in an efficient manner and help others who are frustrated by the challenge overcome it.

Heard in the Lunchroom^SM is provided by Robert Half, the world’s largest specialized staffing firm and a leading authority on workplace and management trends.  For more information, visit www.rhi.com.