7

The Role of Humor and Fun

A project manager walks into his boss’s office and says, “Here is the bottom-line budget we need for the project to succeed.” The boss asks, “What can you do for half the money?” The project manager says, “Fail.” The boss asks, “When can you get started?” The project manager says, “I think I just did.”

Observe your reaction to the previous paragraph. Did you smile, laugh quietly, snicker, or break out in a hearty laugh? Sometimes we wish we had the presence of mind to react similarly when confronted with seemingly outrageous demands. People react differently to jokes, of course, but telling jokes and stories can get people’s attention and set the stage for addressing serious issues, such as success or failure.

In this chapter, we advocate for including humor and fun in the complete project manager’s toolkit. We do so because we believe that injecting humor into project situations is effective, productive, and memorable. We are not offering an exhaustive study and description of humor, nor can we prescribe how to create fun in every situation. What we can do is share our commitment to creating fun working environments, with the hope that others may renew their commitment to the same or else come to a new understanding of the need for lightening up some of the serious work of project management. Humor plays a vital role in getting others to laugh at situations that may seem overwhelming. People cannot truly laugh and still retain anger or hostility.

When a person laughs at a joke, he agrees with the basic premise of that joke. A joke is often a play on words that gives a double meaning to a statement. It is seldom the denotation of the words that is the joke; the connotation or some informal understanding makes the joke humorous. Those understanding both the denotation and connotation, or informal understanding, will laugh if they agree with the joke.

We often say that we are not intentionally creating humor—just reporting news in a unique way. Comedians use this technique to make us laugh at everyday occurrences that only seem funny when described in a different way. Likewise, in a project environment, a person may use humor to “report the facts” of a situation.

General Colin L. Powell (U.S. Army retired), former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former U.S. secretary of state, wrote in My American Journey (1996) that people should not take themselves too seriously. Approaching situations too seriously takes away our ability to think clearly and find the best solution to challenges. Powell’s ability to reason through many different global issues was aided by his ability to relax under pressure and see the lighter side of life.

It has been said that a true profession has jokes that point at its foibles and make fun of the way individuals conduct themselves in the work of the profession. Project management has become a more recognized profession when jokes are made about its practitioners. A joke about project management we recall is: “What is the difference between a project manager and a used car salesman?” “The used car salesman always knows when he is lying.”

Humor in the workplace can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a project team when used appropriately. It can change people’s attitudes and create a productive atmosphere. Specifically, humor can be used to diffuse tense situations and to suggest corrections to behaviors that are counter to team goals. Though it is healthy for people to laugh at themselves, demeaning or vicious humor can destroy the unity of a team and isolate individuals who feel criticized.

There are situations that clearly do not lend themselves to humor—for example, in the midst of a tragedy or the death of a loved one. Business situations, however, often inspire humor that changes the way people look at the environment. On past projects, every day I (Bucero) promised to tell my team members the “joke of the day” at lunchtime. It was a way to free people of stress, together as a team.

I (Englund) have observed Alfonso leading projects and can attest that his practice of telling jokes is truly effective. He creates a fun environment by telling the jokes in an animated way. People enjoy being in his presence and want to work with him. He exhibits an infectious personality largely driven by his attitude and humorous approach. These are precious assets.

Depending on the culture of the workplace, telling jokes or using humor in other ways may not always work well. Although fun and enjoyment are not appropriate or expected in every situation, humor may be most effective when least expected. Good judgment is essential to avoid eliciting unwanted reactions. Balancing good taste and humor are key elements for success in many areas.

The Effects of Humor on Project Management

A good-humored, creative environment is essential for most businesses to succeed. If the atmosphere is tense, unfriendly, toxic, or even hostile, productivity will most likely be very low. In such an atmosphere, everyone is in a guarded state, communication is limited, and the organization suffers greatly. The same situation applies to project teams. Team members may lose interest, avoid building relationships, and focus more on their day-to-day tasks than on the objectives of the project. A team of people who do not get along will probably face many more challenges and may have greater difficulty overcoming obstacles than a team that works well together and blends in a little fun.

We encourage you to make fun a priority on your project teams. Humor in business is not about clowning. It is about demonstrating that you are a warm, responsive, intelligent, and considerate person. We love people, and we want them to want to work on our project teams. We need people with energy, passion, and enthusiasm. We can inspire them by staying positive and focusing on the lighter side of our work, as appropriate.

But it is not easy for some people to add more fun to the workday. Many people do not make a connection between the words “fun” and “work.” Fun is not something that naturally accompanies a job. It can, however, be gradually integrated and eventually can become a part of the job or even the culture of an organization. The use of the word “fun” itself can be a problem for some managers—if that is the case, try using “enjoyment” instead. An environment that includes a little fun or enjoyment can attract highly skilled people, help teams become effective faster, and produce superior results.

Consider the following joke. A project manager, a software engineer, and a hardware engineer are helping out on a project. About midweek they decide to walk up and down the beach during their lunch hour. Halfway up the beach, they stumble upon a rusted old lamp. When they rub the lamp, a genie appears and says, “Normally I would grant you three wishes, but since there are three of you, I will grant you each one wish.”

The hardware engineer went first. “I would like to spend the rest of my life living in a huge house in St. Thomas with no money worries.” The genie granted him his wish and sent him off to St. Thomas.

The software engineer went next. “I would like to spend the rest of my life living on a huge yacht cruising the Mediterranean with no money worries.” The genie granted him his wish and sent him off to the Mediterranean.

Last, but not least, it was the project manager’s turn. “And what would you wish for?” asked the genie. “I’m the project manager, and I want both my team members back after lunch,” replied the project manager.

Project management humor is an important asset for the project manager. A joke like this is a good opener for a presentation or a meeting. People working on projects can relate to the players, aspirations, and thought processes. This joke, for example, underscores the project manager’s self-sacrifice and dedication to his work. Such a joke is also versatile: you can easily change the characters, perhaps replacing the project manager with a project sponsor, as applicable. A corollary response might be, let the project manager (leader) go first.

Keep jokes short, make them relevant, and do not spend too much time dwelling on them (though it is okay to refer to a humorous incident later, creating a sort of recurring theme).

Here is another example: A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He lowers the balloon and spots a man down below. He flies lower still and shouts, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised my friend I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.” The man below says, “Yes, you are in a hot air balloon, hovering approximately 30 feet above this field. You are between 40 and 42 degrees north latitude and between 58 and 60 degrees west longitude.”

“You must be a programmer,” says the balloonist. “I am,” replies the man. “How did you know?” “Well,” says the balloonist, “everything you have told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost.”

The man below says, “You must be a project manager.” “I am,” replies the balloonist, “but how did you know?” “Well,” says the man, “you don’t know where you are or where you are going. You have made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in the exact same position you were in before we met, but now it is somehow my fault.”

This scenario provides a humorous means to poke fun at various professions while also illustrating how people view the same things differently. The story is a good opener for a team discussion about roles, responsibilities, and personality differences. The next step then is to get closure about how a team can work together more effectively.

Figure 7-1: Top Reasons Not to Use PM

We have derived yet another example from our own project management experiences: the top ten reasons why some upper managers do not want their people using project management (see Figure 7-1). We believe that each of the reasons provides a lighthearted yet important incentive to help prepare a contingency plan.

Humor across Cultures

We consulted with the Risk Doctor, Dr. David Hillson, PMI Fellow, HonFAPM (www.risk-doctor.com), for his diagnosis on humor in project management. Here is the “prescription” that he sent us from the U.K.:

The Effects of Humor on Soft Skills

Humor affects all project management soft skills (see Figure 7-2).

COMMUNICATION

People pay more attention to speakers who use a humorous style, and humor improves information retention. I (Bucero) managed a project outside my city of residence for two long years with a team of 150 people. When we arrived at the customer site every Monday, some of my team members said, “Oh Alfonso, today is Monday, Friday is very far away.” I usually replied as follows, “Don’t worry. It is 9:00 in the morning, and in a while we will have a nice breakfast. After breakfast, we will work a couple of hours and go for lunch, and after lunch it will be almost Tuesday.” People laughed at this response, but I perceived that they appreciated my comments. A humorous response acknowledges people’s concerns while offering a different perspective. Humor can make a statement more persuasive, but it can also be misused to obscure meaning.

The words we use make a big difference in how well we communicate. For example:

TEAM MANAGEMENT

Using humor in the team-building phase is a noninvasive way to test relations and gives people who use it a parachute in case others respond badly. A positive response to a joke encourages other team members to use humor, speeding up the socialization process. Humor represents a shared interpretation of events that highlights similarities among team members and creates a sense of equality. A joke can start a chain of humorous takes on a situation, giving a feeling of consensus and camaraderie among team members.

Figure 7-2: Humor and Soft Skills

Humor at the right time and right place can lead to better relationships among team members, as long as the humor is not demeaning or off-color. The wrong type of humor can work to the detriment of the project team. It can make people feel criticized and isolated.

The spontaneous use of humor may serve as an indicator of personal or organizational well-being. Humor can be used in critical situations to alleviate anxiety and fear. Humor is also a response to incongruities and contradictions. Spontaneous humor can serve as a signal of ambiguity; unanticipated yet funny responses can highlight gaps in understanding. Some of the most effective humor comes from spontaneous moments. A commitment I (Englund) make, even if only to myself, is to be on the lookout for those spontaneous comedic moments and to take the time to revel in them. That means pausing serious work on the agenda and taking time to have a good laugh—these are precious moments that may be long remembered and treasured. It is so easy to pass over these moments and get back to business, so I am committed to elevating them to foster team building and bonding.

LEADERSHIP

Studies show that the use of humor by leaders has a positive relationship to individual and unit performance. Good leaders are often humor appreciators rather than humor initiators.

Leaders who are humor initiators have a task-oriented leadership style. Leaders who are humor appreciators have a relationship-oriented leadership style. It is also possible that bad leaders may attempt to mask their inability through humor.

Leaders can set the stage for a workplace culture in which fun is encouraged and expected. One leader at a corporate project office placed the letters B M F at the top of each staff meeting agenda. At the start of every meeting, he reiterated the affirmation, “We are here to Be productive, Make a difference, and have Fun.”

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Humor can be used in various ways to manage conflict, depending on one’s preferred conflict resolution style.

•  Avoidant. Humor promotes coping, reduces people’s emotional involvement in a situation, and changes the dominant perspective on the situation. It also can be used to deflect criticism.

•  Confronting. Humor, mostly in the form of metaphors, reveals different perspectives on a situation, providing a broader set of alternatives for handling it.

•  Smoothing. Humor can be used to make a situation seem more positive by playing down differences, which can help create common ground.

•  Compromising. Humor can be used to make messages more ambiguous and thus can be used to express ideas that, if communicated directly, would offend or upset others.

•  Forcing. Humor can express hostility and aggressiveness. Embedding aggressive messages in a joke is perceived as less risky for the sender and less hostile to the receiver, but the meaning of the message is still intact.

Humor is a two-edged sword. It can be used to ease the sting of confrontation and thus facilitate interaction, but it can also be used to obstruct attempts to deepen the level of an interaction or broach sensitive topics. Not permitting conflicts to come to light can be dangerous, but generally, humor does not effectively hide or suppress conflicts.

PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING

Humorous stimuli can positively affect problem solving and creativity. Humor lowers tension and improves divergent thinking. However, humor may have negative effects related to the perception of risk. People may underestimate the importance of a risk if it is presented in a humorous way.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress affects many people in today’s business world. Some are working under difficult deadlines that have been set by upper management or people who pile on pressure to meet deadlines. Others are struggling to juggle their professional and private lives. All of this can put more and more pressure on people, who may end up melting down or burning out, whether professionally or personally.

Humor—and its result, laughter—helps reduce the negative effects of stress. It produces a cognitive shift that can make people feel calmer and less emotional. Humor also reduces hostility, relieves tension, and improves morale.

Some managers are becoming more aware of how stress can diminish the probability of success. Some organizations are offering recreational activities at work to eliminate stress, but these are often expensive. It is important for organizations to deal with stress in the work environment, and it is equally important to examine the costs that come with dealing with that stress. By encouraging employees to stay positive and laugh at work, companies can minimize stress and diminish its negative effects.

See “The Research on Humor” below for more on how humor can relieve stress.

MOTIVATION

Humor can influence people’s sense of hope. It creates a greater sense of self-efficacy in dealing with specific problems or stressful events, as well as a focus on positive thinking instead of failures and problems. It does this by facilitating open-minded thinking, allowing people to generate new ideas and deal with problems, thus increasing motivation.

In a project I (Bucero) managed in Spain for a telecom operator, I observed that the customer always focused on project problems at monthly project review meetings. The project could not progress because of the customer’s excessive criticism and negativity. So I decided to take action. At the next monthly review meeting, I asked for a break in the middle of the meeting. I treated everyone to coffee and told them some jokes about the latest news of the day. In a few minutes I got them laughing. The situation shifted from negative to calm. People were more relaxed after the break, and we started to think about alternatives to solve the issues and problems. Taking a “humor break” does not work all the time, but it was very helpful for me in that situation.

One program manager I (Englund) worked with injected humor into the minutes of program team meetings. Usually the target of his humor was himself, which is a safe way to do it. “Well, yours truly screwed up again …,” he might write. One project manager told me she looked forward to reading these reports and passed them along to her sponsor, who also was eager to read them. Combining entertainment with reporting progress motivated people to pay more attention to the program. Expressing humor in this way also revealed the program manager’s talent for humorous writing, which otherwise may have been wasted.

NEGOTIATION

Humor increases a communicator’s likeability, and people who are more likeable have greater power to influence others. Humor also makes the object of a negotiation seem less important, possibly leading to greater concessions from the party being asked to compromise.

The Effects of Humor on Hard Skills

Hard skills need to be learned and then applied. Inserting humor when teaching hard skills aids in learning. For example, incorporating humor into lecture materials improves listeners’ attention, increasing their ability to make connections between concepts, find inconsistencies, and retain information. Humor is also very desirable in self-education activities, as it captures readers’ attention. Approaching the application of hard skills with humor tends to shift focus from the specific methodology to the way it is used. A funny approach is especially helpful during the introduction of new methodologies.

An early Tom Hanks movie, The Money Pit, helps demonstrate the difference between working individually or connected. It’s a comedy that shows him working on his own to remodel a potentially beautiful house, which collapses on him and gets very expensive. In contrast, bringing in help, depicted by a somewhat motley crew, creates a wonderful outcome. We laugh, but we also get the point … and remember it longer because of how it was illustrated.

Any occasion to listen to or attend a session presented by our colleague Carl Pritchard is delightful. He manages to tell stories and animate points that bring interest to topics like risk management. Alfonso does the same when teaching PMP Exam Preparation courses.

But make sure the jokes are relevant to the lesson material. Project and program manager Remco Meisner says, “Humor allows project managers to tell customers things that must not be said, but nevertheless ought to be” keeping in mind that “humor is to be used in well-proportioned quantities and in selected situations. I once made fun to a group of bankers following a very successful project board meeting: ‘Gentlemen, I think we have solved all of our problems in the last forty-five minutes. What can we do about that?’ This caused a full disconnect for all of these managers. They simply did not understand the joke. It confused them and spoiled the accomplishment.”

The Research on Humor

In the past, humor was not the subject of serious study, but in the last several decades, psychologists and sociologists have taken a more rigorous and systematic approach toward research on humor. The study of humor at work and in workgroups is only just beginning. Research has shown health benefits of laughter that range from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings to increasing one’s threshold for pain. There is even an emerging therapeutic field called humor therapy, in which humor is used to help people heal more quickly. Humor has several important stress-relieving benefits:

•  Hormones. Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine, and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All of this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.

•  Physical release. Have you ever felt like you have to laugh or you’ll cry? Have you experienced a cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.

•  Internal workout. A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs, and loosens the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.

•  Distraction. Laughter has greater benefits than other mere distractions because it draws the focus away from anger, guilt, stress, and negative emotions. It relaxes people, preparing them to think clearly and act rationally.

•  Perspective. Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a threat or a challenge. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective and help us view events as challenges, thereby making them seem less threatening and more positive.

•  Social benefits. Laughter connects us with others. Also, laughter is contagious, so adding more laughter to your life may help others around you laugh more and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of your interactions with them, reducing your stress level even more.

Think Differently

Project managers need to be aware of how the team and each team member are feeling. If you sense that all is not well, it is important to make adjustments in order to keep momentum going and team members motivated. Using humor to encourage people to see things in a new, possibly unexpected way can lead to new ideas or discussions that yield exciting end results.

We all want to work hard and give it our best, but we also want to have fun while doing it. We are spending more and more time with our coworkers these days, so it is very important to be able to share a good laugh with them on a daily basis. Keeping this in mind will help complete project managers achieve the ultimate in project results.

When confronted with a stressful or challenging situation, say, “I can think differently about this.” Over the years I (Englund) have invoked this phrase many times, and it has changed my life. When someone criticizes me harshly, instead of responding defensively, I say to myself, “I can think differently about this,” then reply, “Thank you, you just made my day.” When a mentor told Alfonso that he would not be able to get something done, he responded with “I love you too.”

Defensive responses are seldom effective. In these situations, he who loses his cool first loses. A wise manager shared that advice with me (Englund) just after I lost my cool. (At that point, I definitely had to think differently—I started looking for a new job.) In contrast, a humorous, unexpected, and positive response is utterly disarming to adversaries.

Enjoy yourself. Sometimes the best answer in a predicament is laughter. Courageous project leaders have a sense of humor; they are able to laugh at themselves and their troubles. Being able to laugh even in the most stressful of times helps people thrive. Courageous project leaders find the comic in the tragic. They make it okay to have fun even when times are tough. They know that laughing, even when you are low, lifts the spirits. Humorless people who take things too seriously are much more likely to dig themselves deeper into the hole of despair—and to bury us all.

As one student discovered, “I’m not a joke teller, but I find that there are often many informal instances to apply humor, fun, and personality to a project. For example, most meetings usually start a few minutes late as we are waiting for someone to join us—so often those already in the room will chat about their weekends, travel plans, or some funny story that recently happened to them. I always like these informal moments to do some interpersonal bonding amongst the team. I am not a fan of forced humor, but if I see a natural opportunity to put the team at ease or crack a smile, I take it!”

A BIT OF PERSPECTIVE

Some years ago, my (Bucero) father became ill. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. At that same time, I joined a multinational company as a project manager. I couldn’t give up on work because I had a family, and I needed to move forward professionally. I tried to stay with my father every weekend, some of the time without sleeping (he could not sleep well). The rest of the week I managed the project far from home (450 km away). My father always smiled every time I met him on the weekends. He always encouraged me to continue managing the project. I remember well his words about working in organizations. He said, “When you are young, you must fly and learn, be focused on people, and take care of the details. You will be able to gain your credibility as a professional.” I’ll never forget his words. He used to tell jokes and stories, and I inherited that skill from him.

It seemed that he was not conscious about dying. After he passed away, I realized that he did not want to damage me. He always thought in positive terms and smiled when I joined him. I will remember my whole life all those days talking to my father and how he helped me deal with my stress. I knew he was dying step by step, but he never complained. He passed away smiling and loving people; he was an example for the whole family.

I have experienced stressful situations in projects, but most of them seem insignificant when I think about how my father handled his illness. The first thing I remind myself is about the number of blessings I have in my life every day and to smile and never give up. This attitude makes me happier and also makes for happier teams. Today is a good day to smile a little bit more.

LESSONS LEARNED

We want to share with you three humorous stories and accompanying “lessons learned.” We hope these lessons help you as you work through the challenges of project management.

You may remember this first story from Chapter 1.

A crow was sitting in a tree, doing nothing all day. A rabbit saw him and asked, “May I sit with you and do nothing all day?” The crow answered, “Sure, why not?”

So the rabbit sat down on the ground under the tree and relaxed. Suddenly a fox appeared … and he jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Lesson 1: In order to spend all day doing nothing on a project, you must be positioned very, very high in the organization.

A turkey said to a bull, “I would love to be able to fly up into that the tree, but I do not have enough energy.” “Try eating my dung,” replied the bull. “It is full of nutrients.” The turkey ate a little bit of dung, which gave it enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree.

The next day he went up to the second branch, and after two weeks, he was proud to reach the top of the tree. Just then, a farmer appeared … and shot him.

Lesson 2: Dung can rise to the top, but it cannot stay there.

A bird was flying south to pass the winter. It was so cold that the bird froze and fell to the ground. As it lay on the ground, a cow passed by and let fall some dung, right on top of the bird. The bird felt so warm! It was so happy that it began to sing. Hearing the bird singing, a cat approached. Discovering the bird inside the dung, the cat immediately ate it.

Lesson 3: Not everyone who drops dung on you is your enemy; not everyone who frees you from the dung is your friend; and when you are in deep dung, keep your mouth shut!

Summary

In this chapter, we advocate for the judicious use of humor and fun—find ways to integrate humor into all aspects of the complete project manager’s molecule. A project manager’s toolkit is more complete when fun is on the agenda and every day includes laughter. A profession has “arrived” when it tells jokes on itself.

Life in general and projects specifically seem to flow better, and more is accomplished, when people have fun doing whatever they are doing. Humor and fun offer a multitude of benefits. They can improve health, both personal and organizational. Humor grabs people’s attention and helps them retain information. It creates bonds between people, helps people manage conflict, reduces stress, increases motivation, and can ease negotiations. Seek a fun path that lightens the load while leading to your target. If necessary, think differently about humor’s place in the work environment. People will want to work together—and with you—when they know the experience will include having fun.