54. As it turns out, I have a very loud and somewhat grating laugh. Some people don’t like it, but I refuse to tone it down, because a hearty laugh feels great, and nothing good comes from stifling one—and because humorless people are no fun.
If this happens to be the first page you flipped to in this book, welcome to my book, and please note that I am an introvert and I’m not funny. This is key, because neither of these facts has anything to do with bringing a humor mind-set to work.
We were far from a loosey-goosey operation at bare. We were always serious about becoming a leader in the beauty industry. But without levity, we would’ve fallen short. A culture of humor brought the teams closer together, amped creativity and trust, and took the pressure off. Most important, people brought their whole selves to work, not just the image of the perfectly coiffed professional.
Try on these techniques:
Practice being yourself.
Finding your humor at work is not an invention—it’s a rediscovery. Unless you are an inherently sinister human being, your natural style for lightness should be welcomed at work. I liked running around the office barefoot and doing yoga on the conference room table. This may not fly in your space, but you know what will. We all have an innate playful side; dust it off.
Go around the room with an offbeat question.
I would invite employees to my house for cocktail parties, and the best part was mining for untold stories. It was casual and conversational, so everyone was open to participating. It was always funny.
Have a 2:00 P.M. call to action.
At bare everyone would report to the lobby without shoes at 2:00 P.M. We’d dance to two songs and then go back to work. No announcements; we just needed to loosen up and lighten up.