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by Lory Block"Work is supposed to be fun," says Arlene
Jorgenson, an occupational health nurse who
gives workshops about humour in the workplace.
But Arlene says most of us are suffering from
terminal seriousness. "We have stuffy meetings,
stuffy offices and we've become stuffy people
because we don't give ourselves permission to
lighten up," she says.
Her research reveals that workplaces
deliberately incorporating humour in their routine
are more productive and creative, use less sick
time and have less turnover. "Humour," Arlene
says, "helps us handle difficult situations, build
team work, release stress, and validate each
other."
In hard economic times, when the workforce
must do more with less, humour is a productivity
booster. "Put on nerd glasses," suggests Arlene,
"post jokes on the bulletin board or have a
fictitious award for the funniest phone call of the
day. Don't let terminal seriousness take all the
fun out of work!"
-As a recreational rehabilitation counsellor, Lory Block began to explore the importance of work in people's lives. Lory is now the owner of Careers by Design, an agency which provides career and employment counselling to individuals and companies facing transitions. She welcomes your comments at Lory_Block@bc.sympatico.ca
