Humour: The Ultimate Engagement Tool
Long-winded videos discussing new procedures or safety protocols often lead to dwindling attention spans among employees. However, if you infuse these internal comms with humour, you can hold your audience’s attention better and help them retain the information.
And these benefits aren’t solely limited to the workplace, either! For instance, a study by the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication found that viewers are more likely to accurately recall information about politics and policies “when it was conveyed in a humourous rather than non-humourous manner.” In addition, these viewers were more likely to share the info they learned on social media.
Perhaps the most telling portion of this study was that the humourous news clips generated increased brain activity in viewers compared to non-humourous clips, especially in parts of the brain that generate thoughts about others’ thoughts and feelings. This indicates that comedy doesn’t just help us learn — it can also bring us closer together!
Humour can prompt discussions among employees, creating a more collaborative environment. When colleagues share a laugh over a funny internal memo or an unexpectedly witty training video, they build camaraderie and encourage open dialogue.
Bringing Jokes to Life Through Animation
Animation offers a unique platform to incorporate humour into internal communications and more easily conveys scenarios that can be difficult to depict through live-action videos. Animated characters can exaggerate expressions and situations, making the content funnier, more relatable, and much more entertaining.
This is a big part of why animated explainer videos from professional studios like Sliced Bread Animation are so popular. Visuals have a lasting impact, sticking in our memories better than the spoken or written word. When we combine animation with humour, we can convey key messages more effectively and help the information resonate with employees.
AI and the Elusive Human Nature of Humour
Artificial intelligence plays a major role in various facets of modern business operations. While AI can be helpful in many contexts, it falls short when it comes to understanding and generating humour. AI models can process vast amounts of data and attempt to create jokes, but they typically lack the nuanced understanding that comes naturally to us as humans.
A recent study from The New Yorker challenged AI models to examine entries in its Cartoon Caption Contest. The AI models were asked to match a joke to its cartoon, identify the winning caption, and explain why that caption is the funniest. As you might expect, the AI models struggled immensely, failing the matching tasks and providing poor-quality explanations.
Keeping Humour Appropriate in the Workplace
While humour can be an incredibly powerful tool, it’s important to make jokes that hit the mark rather than backfire. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure your workplace humour stays within the boundaries of good taste.
- Know Your Audience: Keep your team’s cultural and social contexts in mind. Remember that what works in one setting might not land in another.
- Be Inclusive: Avoid jokes that could offend particular groups or be misinterpreted. Your humour should unite people, not divide them.
- Stay Relevant: Keep your humour in line with your message. Irrelevant, random jokes distract people from your core message.
- Test the Waters: Run your humour by a small group before your full team. Use their feedback to gauge its appropriateness and effectiveness.
