From time to time things can get very tense at work. You can smell the stress in the atmosphere. You’re not an easy person to work for; fair but demanding. People like working for you because you offer recognition for great results, drive them hard and encourage them to achieve extraordinary goals.
But when things get very tense, it’s good to be able to diffuse the situation and one way to do it is through humour. Humour is infectious. Stress can disappear like a rat up a drainpipe. So, I urge you to think about how to inject humour into the proceedings at moments when a diffuser is required. Maybe have a joke up your sleeve, to be magically whipped out when needed.
If you don’t have a joke, here’s one I use. It’s not very politically correct, but it’s funny, easy to remember and I guarantee it will make people laugh.
There are 3 guys working on the 19th floor of a new building – an Englishman, and Irishman and a Scott. Each day they sit down for lunch and pull out a sandwich they’ve brough from home.
The Englishman says, “I’ve had a cheese sandwich every day for lunch for the last 3 years. I’m sick of cheese. If I have a cheese sandwich tomorrow I’m going to throw myself of this building.”
The Scott says, “I’ve had a haggis sandwich every day for lunch for the last 4 years. I’m sick of haggis. If I have a haggis sandwich tomorrow I’m also going to throw myself of this building.”
The Irishman says, “I’ve had a ham sandwich every day for lunch for the last 5 years. I’m sick of ham. If I have a ham sandwich tomorrow I’m going to follow you two guys and throw myself of this building.”
Sure enough, the next day the Englishman pulls out a cheese sandwich, gives a large sigh and throws himself off the building. Dead. The Scott unwraps his haggis sandwich, takes a last look around and throws himself off the building. Dead. The Irishman looks in his sandwich box, sees it’s ham and jumps. Dead.
The wives gather at the joint funeral for their husbands. The wife of the Englishman says, “If only he’d told me he didn’t want cheese any more, I would have made him a different sandwich.” “Same here,” says the wife of the Scott. “I thought he loved haggis. If he’d just told me he wanted something different, I would have made it for him.” They both turn to the widow of the Irishman. “What about your husband?” She look at both of them and says, “He made his own sandwiches.”
If you don’t like that joke, try another. But always have one available. Show you’re human too. And try to vary the food at lunchtime!
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