Humor Advantage

Mary Feeley, edutained (educated and entertained) Comerica Bank's Women Business Symposium guests last week, as she shared the importance of laughter in our lives.  She gave many ways for each of us to combat a plague-like situation in our workplaces: HDD - Humor Deficit Disorder.  She effectively used humor to convey the importance of being a blend of the following orientations:

• Action
• Detail
• People

I'm delighted to discover that I'm an action-oriented, detailed, people person.  

I Thought You Said...

Two recent workplace experiences reminded me that we often hear what we expect to hear.  A colleague asked a relationship banker for information about a tower company.  The responding colleague heard and provided information on a towel company.  The response was 100% correct for the question heard, but not responsive at all to the question actually asked. 

On the heels of this situation, another colleague asked about the toffee in the break room (home made and apparently delicious) and the respondent provided a response about the coffee.

Both incidents provided laughter therapy for those involved. And a reminder, that when accuracy is important, we need to verify that what we heard is actually what was said.  Asking the question a different way can often validate the information or surface the miscommunication.

This tactic can also work well when communicating with friends and family members who don't hear well and those who don't enunciate. 

Turn-by-Turn Directions

I'm the only directionally challenged individual in my entire family.  Turn-by-turn directions are a godsend to me.  The only time that north, south, east and west are meaningful to me is when I'm in my own driveway or on I-10 or one of the major thoroughfares that run parallel to this interstate highway. 

Julia shared the most amusing turn-by-turn directions that her friend discovered in Google Maps.  There are 82 steps to get from Japan to China.  Step #43 is by far the most challenging - jet ski across the Pacific Ocean. 

Even when we have turn-by-turn directions, getting to our destination may not be as easy as 1 to 82.

Laughter

My dear Mother stitched this delightful piece for me when I was young. It hangs in my laundry room, vividly reminding me to find humor in every day life.

"Revelations in the Rear View Mirror"

At our recent Sterling Bank Women’s Business Initiative Luncheon in Houston, our fabulous keynote speaker, Louise Parsley, generated laughter and connectedness that has generated tremendous feedback from attendees. This accomplished author and speaker is witty, with it and wise! She shared marvelous tales from her terrific book, "Revelations in the Rearview Mirror: One Mother’s Hard-won and Hilarious Epiphanies on the Road to the Empty Nest". Her college fascination with Kierkegaard’s philosophy, “Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward” provides a framework for her title. With 26 years of motherhood under her belt, she beautifully shares the humor and love of everyday life and vividly reminds us of the importance of communication.

There’s no way to do justice to her humor in this summary, so instead I’ll share some gems of wisdom from her book:

Somewhere between setting boundaries and finding forgiveness, humor is the glue that holds family together.

Heart creates a good mother.

Enduring the rub of irritation, routine and responsibility creates the pearl of love and acceptance.

Family sees us at our best and our worst... and keeps the faith that the best shall prevail.

Life’s ordinary miracles are in-between big events.

Success is all in the state of mind.

If we don’t let go of one great adventure, we’ll miss the next.

I encourage you to read each delightful chapter to fully appreciate Louise’s unique brand of humor and insight.