Laughter and Your Bottom Line

Humour in the Workplace Increases Productivity and Profitability

Are your people under stress due to workplace change and reorganization? Tell the truth, is there a little unrest, a tad of disgruntlement behind the scenes? Is your organization plagued by employee absenteeism due to stress related disorders?

You’re not alone. Statistics Canada reports that stress related issues cost Canadian companies a staggering 12 billion dollars a year! Absenteeism due to stress has increased over 300%, and according to a Watson Wyatt Survey, this all breaks down to an average cost of about $3,550 per employee per year!

What if I told you that I had the solution? What if I told you that I AM the solution?

Laughter. Yes. Humour in your workplace. That’s the key. Laughter is a formidable force for positive change. Medical sources as auspicious as the Mayo Clinic claim laughter not only has the short term benefits of soothing tension, but, long term, it actually fights stress and prevents illness by improving our immune systems. Goodbye workplace colds and flu!  By causing the body to produce natural painkillers, laughter is even credited with reducing physical pain. Hello reduced workers’ compensation claims!

Humour in the workplace is not an expendable “frill”. It’s a survival strategy that can save your staff’s sanity!

Humour is a powerful tool, and as a motivational humorist, I wield it very effectively and affordably.  Through the comedic keynote presentations I create and completely customize to my clients’ business objectives, I can motivate and unite front line employees, supervisory staff, association members, any and all audiences, imparting relevant messages to an organization in a way that teaches, entertains, and inspires!

How am I different from the rest?

– I work with individuals from your team in advance, to absorb and intuit the nuances of your business, your corporate culture, establishing a rapport and a deeper understanding of the issues that other, ‘canned’, keynotes can’t achieve.

–  I create appropriate, professional, motivational humor, completely customized to your objectives and management messages, as well as to your staff’s workplace challenges and concerns.

– I speak in the guise of a comedic alter ego, the much loved iconic character of “Shirley Best”,  stress management expert and certified  credit card utilization consultant., who serves as an unexpected foil in corporate situations to shake the apathetic out of their complacency. With the aid of a character so endearing and familiar, when airing staff frustrations or challenges, there’s no offense taken.

There is tremendous value here for any business entity wishing to inspire and invigorate their employees. Humour helps staff recharge and revitalize, reducing stress while increasing their ability to focus and accomplish more, thus improving their productivity.

My objective insights couched in the comedy help audiences shift their perspective, allowing your people to see situations in a more objective, less threatening light, helping them feel less overwhelmed and under pressure.

Humour in the business arena dissolves distressing emotions. Your people are given the opportunity to laugh at their frustrations, thereby releasing any bitterness, and dispelling harmful negativity.

David Granirer, M.A., a prominent North American psychotherapist, promotes laughter in the workplace as the answer to today’s organizational malaise:

“As more and more organizations reengineer, merge, restructure, downsize, rightsize, and even capsize, employees confront uncertainty on an almost daily basis…The result is often a sense of powerlessness that translates into increased stress, decreased wellness, demoralization, absenteeism, and lower productivity… people are an organization’s number one asset, and losing them costs money. In today’s uncertain work environment, humor isn’t an option, it’s a necessary way to boost morale…. Laughter may not change the external reality, but it can certainly help people survive it.”

The work I do in creating this hilarious, work life affirming, customized comedy is paramount to bringing a team-building, morale boost to your staff and increased value to your overall organization. The message is serious and focused to your company goals, but by delivering it with humour, the effects are immediate and positive:  reduced stress and increased workplace wellness and productivity.

–  through laughter staff recharge and physically release, reducing stress while increasing their energy, enabling them to stay focused and motivated to accomplish more. You can’t feel anxious or angry when you’re laughing.
– the group feels more united, as individuals see clearly that they are all essentially on the same team facing similar challenges.
– they are able to look objectively, even humorously at their challenges and frustrations, face them with a positive attitude, and thus feel less overwhelmed or under pressure.
– the group is left feeling valued, empowered, believing in their own abilities to better their relationships with co-workers, customers, and superiors, and to effectively change for the better how they carry out their jobs.

Customized humor can be used to teach, to heal, to sell, to promote, to influence, and to inspire. The possibilities are endless.

Humour in business increases employee productivity, thus your organization benefits and, quite simply, your company makes more money.

Working together, we can not only enhance your next conference, management meeting, or corporate event, but we can make a valuable, long lasting and profitable difference in your organization.

Go on. Make your event exceptional. Contact me today to discuss how. ~ Zandra