I just got back from Hong Kong where I was honored to be the keynote speaker (they call it “guru speaker”—“come, gather ‘round; Guru Scotty wishes to share great wisdom!”) at a large HR conference. After enlightening my eager disciples on improving the workplace with employee recognition and more levity, one woman asked, “Can you teach us to be funny? The Chinese don’t have a sense of humor.”  Ignoring the obvious slight to the great Chinese comedy masters Margaret Cho, Jet Li, and the late Freddie Prinze, I agreed that China is known for its humor much like Iceland is known for its urban gang violence.

But the point I made to her, and the same is true for all of us, is that being funny is not critical to a more satisfying work environment. (see The Levity Effect: Why It Pays to Lighten Up) While laughter and jocularity do impact productivity and creativity they are not always generated by humor. Sometimes FUN is easier and more practical than FUNNY, while still providing the desired results of eased tension, higher morale, healthier employees, and of course reaching Nirvana. So, just for now, try to smile more and think “levity”…i.e., lighten up.

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