{"id":6132,"date":"2021-04-09T13:53:46","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T17:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdctraining.com\/?p=6132"},"modified":"2021-04-09T13:53:46","modified_gmt":"2021-04-09T17:53:46","slug":"crying-out-for-a-laugh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c1mdevsite.com\/mdctraining.ca\/crying-out-for-a-laugh\/","title":{"rendered":"Crying Out for a Laugh – The 10 Laws of Using Humor to Enhance Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by: Roger HB Davies, Founder and CEO, McLuhan & Davies Communications, Inc.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The sign read:\u00a0\u201cAttention attendees of Improving-Your-Self-Esteem Workshop. Please go to back entrance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

OK, it\u2019s not that funny. But maybe it forced a smile.<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually any effort to elicit a laugh, a smile, even a groan, is appreciated by your audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Humor in Training<\/h2>\n

Humor has its place, especially in the training profession where (let\u2019s be honest) topics can potentially<\/u> be pretty dry. Frankly, these days, all of us are crying out for a laugh somewhere, somehow.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll recall that classical rhetoric suggests that perfect communication involves three objectives: To inform, to persuade, and to entertain. In the past, entertainment remained low on the list of priorities. Today? Sorry, no one likes humorless trainers! \u00a0Consider inserting a little humor as part of your repertoire while recognizing the risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are some obvious, and some less obvious, factors at play to help you manage these risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 10 Laws of Using Humor
\nto Enhance Learning<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Assess your audience carefully.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If you know your audience well, it\u2019s easier to judge what\u2019s appropriate. I used to edit a trade magazine called Water & Pollution Control (AKA taps and craps) where the audience was pretty forgiving. You know you\u2019re on safe ground when an industry flaunts an unofficial slogan: \u201cIt may be sh*t to you, but it\u2019s our bread and butter.\u201d \u00a0This clearly won\u2019t fly with most audiences. In any event, if you don\u2019t know your audience: play it safe. If in doubt, leave your humor out.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Don\u2019t make any obvious mistakes.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      You know what they are, but for the record they include: Ensure your humor is relevant to your presentation, and avoid cracks about age, sex, religion, politics. \u00a0Not to mention ethnic groups, and minorities. Also, off limits: stereotypical remarks about anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Give your audience permission to laugh.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
      2. You need to set your audience up, prepare them for the possibility that you may crack a joke. If you drop in a joke halfway through a serious presentation, without warning, it will only distract. People will start fidgeting and then chatting with colleagues. What did he say? Is he joking?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Point: don\u2019t distract your audience from your key message.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Script your humor.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          I\u2019m big on scripting humor rather than winging it. Some of you may be known for your quick wit, a worthy tool, if you get it right. But really high risk if you fluff it. Sooner or later you\u2019ll say something that backfires. So, if you\u2019re a blurter, join the scripting club. It\u2019s much safer.<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Source your humor wisely.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Where can you find good humor? The internet will overwhelm you, much of which is just not funny, IMHO.<\/span><\/p>\n

            However, I\u2019ve found some good quips online from famous people. One of my early speaking engagements involved helping engineers deal with the Press. I quoted Oscar Wilde in my opening lines:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cIn old days we had the rack, today we have the Press.\u201d \u00a0This always received rumblings of appreciation.<\/span><\/p>\n

            News articles provide another good source of smiles, e.g.,\u00a0typos, words out of place, ambiguities. \u201cAfghan hound for sale. Eats anything. Loves children. Also, \u201cPolice are investigating the theft of 24 toilets.\u00a0 Currently they acknowledge that they have nothing to go on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            Another source: true life. From time to time we all run into real-life humorous situations. Bad reality, great anecdote. Make a list of these stories and access the list when the opportunity arises. Signage provides another rich source. I particularly liked the ad selling \u201cAntiques While you Wait\u201d from the island of Bali. Also, closer to home, the sign at some gas service stations \u201cChange Your Baby\u201d. i.e., if you don\u2019t like the baby you\u2019ve got: no problem. Just swap it with someone else\u2019s!<\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Don\u2019t \u201ctell\u201d a joke, \u201ctell\u201d a story.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              We now get into semantics because of the difference between \u201ctelling\u201d a joke and \u201ctelling\u201d a story. Be very wary of \u201ctelling\u201d jokes. Many people react negatively to a joke. Too long. Often not funny. \u00a0On the other hand, \u2018telling\u201d\u00a0a story sets up a different dynamic.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Jokes tend to be artificial, and clearly implausible \u2014except in a joke scenario. A story tends to pull from real life. Could be true. Often is true. Which makes a story more engaging.<\/span><\/p>\n

                \n
              1. Test your humor.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                If you buy into my tip to script your humor, you\u2019ll want to dry-run your lines on a safe audience. Maybe on your partner. Or best friend. Before COVID-19, I\u2019d rely on dinner parties where alcohol passes lips. If no one laughs at your story in these circumstances, change the script.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Plan where to use the humor.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Think about where you are going to strategically insert your humor into the presentation. Usually the beginning, middle, ending, at the very least.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  In our workshops (Think on your Feet\u00ae<\/a>, Writing Dynamics\u2122<\/a>, and The Skilled Presenter\u2122<\/a>) we\u2019ve made a point of inserting humor into some of the learning activities.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. Play it safe with the tried and tested.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    For example, consider using puns. Perhaps surprisingly, dropping in a pun or two always seems to receive a good reaction. The worse the pun the better. A groan from the audience is just fine. Any reaction that changes the tone of your presentation will complete the job. In our workshop, Writing Dynamics \u2122, we use a pun to reinforce one tip: don\u2019t overuse the verb \u201cto be\u201d. We simply call them the \u201ckiller be\u2019s\u201d, because they kill good writing. \u00a0It always receives a groan. But most importantly, it also reinforces the learning.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. Tell stories at your expense.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      Given that many targets for humor have been eliminated, this leaves the safest target of all: yourself.\u00a0 It\u2019s safe. Shows you\u2019re human and allows you to tell a personal story that hopefully your audience will relate to.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Enough said!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                      \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      Written by: Roger HB Davies, Founder and CEO, McLuhan & Davies Communications, Inc. 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