Good Sense of Humour: Employee Retention

employee retention: Cartoonist Scott Adams seems to have an innate ability to find humour in every element of work, ranging from technology to corporate culture, interpersonal issues and employee-boss relationships. His characters are always commenting on office politics and the many ridiculous decisions that often arise from poor leadership. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. A study in 2007 by Chris Robert, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri, found an individual with a good sense of humour not only showed higher levels of productivity but was also able to communicate more effectively with their boss, co-workers and customers. As well, humour helped to increase an employee's psychological connection with his or her organization and served to improve employee retention overall. As well, leaders with a good sense of humour are known to be more effective at motivating employees, reducing workplace stress and developing effective rapport and communication with their employees. They use their quick wit to develop and maintain morale and to demonstrate overall laughter is a valued characteristic within the workplace. When I started to think about laughter and humour in the workplace, I was immediately reminded of the now famous Dilbert cartoons. This American comic strip arrived on the scene a little over 25 years ago and has become a wildly popular source of satirical office humour. In many cases, office humour has been an individual employee effort with the Dilbert cartoons pinned to an office cubicle or taped alongside a computer. Today, leaders are recognizing humour can play a bigger role in creating overall employee job satisfaction and can be a powerful strategy for building a positive corporate culture. In fact, surveys over the years have suggested humour and laughter encourage creativity, fosters positive workplace relationships and helps to create a more human face for your organization. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.