logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2020
27m 16s

13. Make ’Em Laugh: How to Use Humor as ...

Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart
About this episode

Humor does more than just make people laugh. It allows you to connect with your audience, diffuse tension, elevate status, and compel others to your point of view. Humor can also help you and your message stand out, yet most of us hesitate to use humor, especially in our professional lives.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams speaks with Stanford GSB Professor Jennifer Aaker and Lecturer Naomi Bagdonas about when and how humor operates in the work place. “Many believe that humor simply has no place amidst serious work,” Professor Aaker says. “Yet showing your sense of humor can make your peers and your friends attribute more perceptions of confidence and status to us while also cultivating a sense of trust.”

Aaker and Bagdonas are are the authors of Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life, which comes out in October of this year. 


Connect:

Up next
Aug 21
224. Make Your Messages Epic: The Evolution of Words and the Stories They Carry
Why modern communication still relies on ancient words and narratives.All communication and connection depend on one thing: language. That’s why Laura Spinney says understanding language — where it comes from and how it evolves over time — can help us use it more effectively.“Lan ... Show More
23m 29s
Aug 19
223. Laughing Matters: Levity, Leadership, and Lasting Connection
By lightening up your communication, you can build serious connections.Humor in communication isn’t all fun and games. According to Alison Wood Brooks and Naomi Bagdonas, levity is one of the most serious tools we have in building successful connections.Wood Brooks and Bagdonas, ... Show More
23m 41s
Aug 12
222. Discussing Through Discomfort: Why the Conversations You Avoid Cost You the Most
Some conversations are uncomfortable, but avoiding them comes with a cost.You want a more successful career, a more fulfilling relationship, a more meaningful life? What if all that’s standing in your way — are the conversations that you’re avoiding?“Most things that we want in l ... Show More
24m 31s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
A Serious Case for Humor | Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas
A common denominator among all of the great meditation teachers is a sense of humor. They take the teaching seriously, but they don’t take themselves seriously. So perhaps there’s a link between human flourishing and humor. That’s not to say you have to be hilarious in order to b ... Show More
1h 7m
Feb 2021
How Many Managers Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb?
Jennifer Aaker, a Stanford professor, and Naomi Bagdonas, an executive coach, say that, even in times of stress and crisis, leaders should use and encourage good humor and levity at work as a way of building employee morale and engagement. That doesn't mean you have to tell jokes ... Show More
25m 7s
Oct 2021
Humour, Seriously
Humour, Seriously - by Jennifer Aaker & Naomi BagdonasWhy Humour Is A Superpower At Work And In Life (And How Anyone Can Harness It... Even You)Everyone loves a laugh. We like to watch funny movies, listen to entertaining podcasts, go to comedy festivals to watch stand up or impr ... Show More
25m 48s
Jan 2022
How To Make Humor Your Superpower
Did you know that we, as a society, have fallen off a comedy cliff? No joke. Studies have shown that we largely stop laughing when we enter our mid-twenties, which is a shame because delighting in humor has a ton of health benefits. Plus, being perceived as funny can actually mak ... Show More
37m 7s
Aug 2023
Why Humor Matters for Happiness
Humor can help us with stress, anxiety and feeling more connected to others. But is humor connected to mindfulness? And how can we find more of it? Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/2p9dkds7 Episode summary: For Emmy- nominated comedian Josh Johnson, humor has alway ... Show More
17m 20s
Jun 2019
TSE 1108: How to Use Humor In The Sales Process
Humor takes away tension and sellers who use humor in the sales process can increase efficiency and improve effectiveness. Andrew Tarvin realized over the course of his career that you can't be efficient with humans. Instead, you must be effective. His experience in stand-up come ... Show More
33m 3s
Feb 2022
How To Crack Up Your Coworkers (Without Being Offensive)
Last week we learned about using the four different styles of humor to your advantage, and who makes a good target for a joke. But what if you read the room wrong and absolutely bomb? On this episode of How To!, the second in a two-part series, we resume our conversation with Nao ... Show More
36m 36s
Apr 2024
How To Crack Up Your Coworkers (Encore)
Last week we learned about using the four different styles of humor to your advantage, and who makes a good target for a joke. But what if you read the room wrong and absolutely bomb? On this episode of How To!, the second in a two-part series, we resume our conversation with Nao ... Show More
33m 54s