Effective Office Humor: Wall Street Journal article

Found this article published in the Wall Street Journal titled "Secrets of Effective Office Humor."

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324085304579008554174349982

Here is an interesting paragraph that points to potential benefits of humor:

Employers like to hire people with a sense of humor, research shows. And mixing laughter and fun into a company culture can attract skilled workers, according to a study last year in the journal Human Relations. A 2011 study at Pennsylvania State University found that a good laugh activates the same regions of the brain that light up over a fat bonus check.

The article is good about pointing out some of the challenges of using humor, both in delivery and how it is received.

And it provides a fun activity - Jargon Day.

"The best office humor brings people together, often through shared pranks or inside jokes, Mr. Tarvin says. For nearly three years, employees at Silver Lining Ltd. held monthly "corporate jargon days" when they tried to use as much vague, bureaucratic language as possible, says Carissa Reiniger, founder and chief executive of the New York City-based small-business management consulting firm. The goal: to goad the group to break the buzzword habit!

And this makes me think of Buzzword Bingo which gets at the same idea of using less jargon and clearer language.

http://www.businessbuzzwordbingo.com/

Rock 'em, sock'em :)