‘Breaking the ice’ is often used in interviews in order to create a relaxed atmosphere to what would be perceived as a nerve-racking or pressured situation. Once the ‘ice is broken’ this could lead to a more effective interview and perhaps an effective career.
The working environment is a place of productive activity and it can also be a pressured environment depending on the industry you are working in and the job role you have. However, according to research, humour could help boost your career.
As a leader, your main role is to inspire, motivate and lead your team towards a common goal; and research by Havard Business Review, revealed that leaders with a sense of humour are considered as 27% more motivating and admired , to those who don’t. This leads to employees being 15% more engaged and therefore more likely to solve a creative challenge.
Although creating and maintaining a productive workforce is the first priority for any leader, but with humour from time to time, this can be seen as also creating a relaxed working environment. Working relationships are also a key factor in this; if employees are able to adapt a strong working relationship with a colleague or colleagues at work, this could drive strong performance levels.
A study showed that people with close work friends were 96% more likely to say they felt "extremely satisfied with life."
As most businesses have adopted a WFH regime, there are various technologies and tools available for employees to be able to communicate and collaborate effectively on a day-to-day basis. There are different characters in working environment, but everyone has a sense of humour.
There are various technology and digital tools that can be used to initiate some simple steps of humour. These include email sign offs, humorous backgrounds in zoom calls and GIF’s are increasingly being used to generate conversations across social media platforms. Social media is a place for light-hearted conversations which are seeing more businesses engage with followers. TikTok and Instagram stories are often an effective tool currently being used by various brands to connect in a different way with not only consumers but colleagues.
This is not just on the leaders to make this change, but everyone in the working environment. This is something which can be learnt and integrated into workplaces slowly, boosting wellbeing and team performance. However, balance is key; maintaining a happy and productive workforce.
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