Humour, Seriously: Why Humour Is A Superpower At Work And In Life

'A smart, funny, brilliant book on how to be smart about being funny, brilliantly' Sarah Cooper


'Humour, Seriously gives us the tools we need to deploy humour expertly in any environment' Susan Cain


'An intoxicating mix of science, strategy and slapstick - a knee-slapping, mind-expanding tour de force' Daniel H. Pink


'This book has finally convinced me that joking around can actually be important and powerful'
Ed Gamble


Have you fallen off the Humour Cliff? If you're anything like most people, the answer is probably yes: around the time you entered the workplace, your average laughs per day began to plummet.


But the upside of humour for our careers is significant. A recent survey of more than 700 CEOs showed that 98% prefer job candidates with a sense of humour and 84% think that funny employees do better work.


Psychologist Dr Jennifer Aaker and comedian Naomi Bagdonas' research has shown that humour makes us feel more competent and confident, strengthens relationships and boosts resilience during difficult times.


Based on the popular course "Humour: Serious Business" at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, where Aaker and Bagdonas help some of the world's most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds build levity into their organizations and lives, Humour, Seriously will show you how to use humour to:


* enhance creativity and problem-solving
* influence and motivate others
* build bonds and defuse tension within teams
* create a culture where colleagues feel safe, appreciated and joyful


Drawing on behavioural science, advice from world-class comedians and stories from top business leaders, you'll learn how to mine your life for material, which category of office comic you fall into, and how to keep it appropriate - and recover if you cross a line!


Humour is a superpower. If you're not using it, the joke's on you.