Enrique CavalittoRetired| RetiredLa Plata Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Does humor play a role in professional project management? Do you remember situations where humor helped, for instance, to bond a team or to solve a conflict? Saving Changes...
Humour can be a double-edged sword especially in scenarios when working with multi-cultural teams.
One the one hand, as everyone notes, getting people to chuckle often gets them in a better mood and makes everything smoother.
On the other hand, if a line is crossed - even unintentionally - it can have disastrous consequences.
I personally am fairly quick in coming up with one-liners and funny comments, but I put these thoughts through a stringent filter before uttering them out loud. It's not just a question of your immediately proximal audience - but your words (especially written words) have a way of being transmitted to an audience that might find your comments offensive.
It is up to you to ensure you do not cause any unnecessary offence. If you can practise that, then go full speed ahead with implementing your humour. If not, memorise a few jokes and riddles for children that can be placed into conversation - those are usually the safest. Saving Changes...
Michael DelaneyPartner| Delaney Management LLCWest Chester, Pa, United States
Apr 08, 2018 6:54 PM
Replying to Paul Boudreau
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I once had a Manager who insisted on abbreviating "Follow Up' in the status and issues report to FU. He did not notice the implications. It became known as the 'FU" report to the project team.
Paul I also am a fan of abbreviations but use F? instead of the FU Saving Changes...
Ellen GraggSenior Consultant| Mazars USABallwin, Mo, United States
I think finding the humor in everything is an important way to keep sane and keep project challenges in perspective.
Of course, it must be appropriate to the workplace and not mean spirited. Saving Changes...
To cheer up and to lighten up serious presentations I do use cartoons. Being too formal just doesn't go with my way of working but than business is business and a cup of tea is a cup of tea. Saving Changes...
Amany NuseibehSpeaker, Global Leader | Optimal ConsultingSydney, Nsw, Australia
Enrique,
Nothing like humour to lighten up a very intense day that is full of pressure, deadlines and difficult stakeholders. I am very serious about what I do. However, I cannot do it without humor, ability to put a smile on other people's face while they think their world is falling apart. As long as the humor is ethical and is still within the professional and cultural acceptable boundaries. Saving Changes...
With humor we should be carefully, at least working with cross-cultural and cross-geographic countries...for example I read twice the comment about FU, and for me don't have any sense... Saving Changes...
Enrique CavalittoRetired| RetiredLa Plata Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Like al interpersonal tools, humor should be respectful and sensitive to the atmosphere and to sensibilities, but it should be present whenever possible (both in projects and in everyday life). By this I don't mean just cracking jokes, but also finding a funny side to situations and avoiding unnecessary solemnity. Humor can be a wonderful bridge-builder. Saving Changes...
