Welcome Professionals…
…it is fun Thursday again in our Thursday Night Flight series!
A good sense of humour helps a great deal to get along with hard work. We all know that.
I was talking to a friend last week who told me that his boss went on a seminar to a “humour training institute”. That sounded really odd. His boss wanted to learn how to tell jokes the right way. But, whenever he tried, the situation got awkward and people turned away from him. Even after a two-day training session, he did not see any improvement.
So he figured it was due to the fact that he had a different cultural background and people were just not able to understand his special sense of humour. I do not agree. He failed because he made jokes on his direct reports in front of other people.
The best and most elegant way is always to make fun of yourself. Be always ready to laugh about yourself. I think this cuts across all cultural differences and is the most appropriate way for humour in business.
This is why I will tell you my favorite joke about consultants:
A consultant, a priest, and a doctor are trying to enjoying a round of golf. Ahead of them is a group playing so slowly and inexpertly that in frustration the consultant asks the greenkeeper for an explanation. “That’s a group of blind firefighters,” they are told. “They lost their sight saving our clubhouse last year, so we let them play for free.”
The priest says, “I will say a prayer for them tonight.”
The doctor says, “Let me ask my ophthalmologist colleagues if anything can be done for them.”
And the consultant says, “Why can’t they play at night?”
And now another one for all German-speaking consultants: Have a look at this recent content by Harry G. – I think it is hilarious.
Have a fun week
Malte
Thursday Night Flight is brought to you by Malte Müller Professionals. Sharing best practices for top management consultants on topics like communication, client handling, problem solving, appearance, and fitness. Check out www.mm-professionals.com for more material and free resources!