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
Oct 7
234. Need to Know: Lead With Transparency, Character, and Silence
When it comes to leading a team, there’s no such thing as too much information.Good leadership is about good communication. And for General Stanley McChrystal, that means creating a culture of free-flowing information: “The goal is to have everyone know everything all the time,” ... Show More
25m 2s
Oct 2
233. Tech Tools: Write with Confidence and Impact
Transform how you communicate with tools that make your message stick.Clarity is the cornerstone of great communication—but turning your thoughts into words isn’t always simple. That’s why Grammarly exists: to help you express yourself with confidence and precision, no matter the ... Show More
11m 54s
Sep 29
232. Pause, Don’t Panic: Finding Calm in High-Stakes Moments
To connect with others, you have to get out of your own head.Whether presenting to millions on live television or talking to just one person, Dan Harris knows that the quality of every interaction depends on the presence you bring to it.Harris is a former national news anchor for ... Show More
26m 55s
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