Tough Times Call for Laughter - or Do They?

Maybe because times are tough, but business communication is increasingly humorless. Wayne Pollard, president Hunter-Pollard, writing in Bulldog Reporter, says tough times call for laughter. PR people, he says, really don't get the joke. They're not alone.

Humor has always been a quick way to diffuse a tense or embarrassing situation. But what's funny? And what's appropriate? What's off limits?

Humor can be helpful, and it has an important place in business. But using it well is not easy. Self-deprecation is generally safe, unless its overdone. What people find funny is personal, and often generational. Humor can backfire if it's considered vulgar, too personal, or mean.

Funny is in the ear of the beholder.

Hey, did you hear the one about.....

Much like the Stimulus cartoon that set off a firestorm on Page 6 of the NYPost yesterday.

That was some shit[head].

Good question! I believe business needs more laughter - hard times or not.

There is some research that shows that laughing in person with someone else releases hormones that promote social bonding. Unfortunately it only works if you are in person, not over the phone, and certainly not typing LOL in a chat message!

I'd be willing to bet that research is not up to date and doesn't take into account the sea change in the way we communicate today through social networks.