Adding humour to office dynamics

Laughter helps navigate difficult situations and lighten the heaviest loads

All books on management highlight certain traits in a successful leader: intelligence quotient (IQ) and emotional quotient (EQ). In his book, Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman emphasises the importance of emotional intelligence over IQ in becoming a successful leader. According to him, emotionally well-adjusted individuals are more likely to excel in leadership, mental health, and job performance. He identifies five key elements of EI—self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills—as crucial for effective leadership.

In addition to IQ and EQ, humour also plays an important role in successful leadership. Studies have shown that leaders with a sense of humour navigate difficult situations adeptly and are more engaged and committed compared to those who lack humour. 

Drawing from my 50 years of experience working with Indian companies and MNCs, humour, along with EQ
and IQ, has helped me tide over difficult situations.

In a reputed MNC where I worked, we held an annual “Open House,” where employees could freely raise any issues they faced. Department heads were tasked with addressing questions, no matter how embarrassing, about their department’s operations. Naturally, the human resources department was often the target. On one occasion, a newly recruited engineer remarked, “Sir, if you pay peanuts, you will end up hiring only monkeys.” His question was greeted with a resounding round of applause. All eyes were on me, eager for my response. Despite the initial awkwardness, I responded by asking how he thought I had managed to recruit him. Even the questioner joined in the laughter. Good humour can defuse any embarrassing or difficult situation.

In another instance, the production head of our unit was invited by the parent company to the United States to share his experiences with the merging of two different and disparate work cultures. After painstakingly preparing his presentation, he sought feedback from the managing director. After reviewing the presentation, the MD jokingly advised him, “I really like your presentation. All you have to do now is add flesh to the bones.” Though it required additional work, the humour softened the critique.

Employees also provide feedback in subtle ways. At a farewell party for our engineering head. Amidst generous praise from senior management for his leadership, he humorously remarked that had he known his sterling qualities were so valued, he wouldn’t have resigned—an indirect critique of the company’s performance management system, delivered with wit.

Even in politics, the leaders have extricated themselves from embarrassing situations. The effervescent Member of Parliament, Piloo Mody, was once admonished by the speaker for turning his back towards the Chair. Mody, realising his mistake, addressed the Chair: “Sir, I neither have a front nor a back, for I’m all round.” And the House roared with laughter, as did the speaker.