Lightness and levity at work matter; here's why.
I read a fascinating book, The Levity Effect
,
by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher. It's about how "levity" can
transform the workplace. They make a powerful case for why levity is an extremely effective tool for helping people to work better.
Now, you might be thinking, as I did, "Levity would sure be tough for
me, I'm not particularly funny, and I'm not particularly outgoing."
But what the authors mean by "levity" is really a sense of "lightness."
Ah, I thought, I'm trying! The Ninth of my Twelve Commandments is "Lighten up."
Gostick and Christopher include a quiz about workplace levity.
Looking at it, I realized that most of my workplaces included these
elements, which I'm sure contributed to the positive experience I had
everywhere (except for the summer I worked as a waitress at Dos Hombres
Mexican restaurant; zoikes, I did not like that job).
For example, as a clerk for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, I'd assumed
that the atmosphere around the Supreme Court would be serious,
thoughtful, and grand. And it was. But in her chambers, Justice O'Connor
incorporated certain goofy aspects that made it a lot of fun, too. Each
Halloween, she required her clerks to decorate elaborate pumpkins, and
birthday celebrations were always a big deal, and she took the clerks on
a yearly outing (we went fishing). And that sort of thing really made a
difference.
How does your workplace measure up? Check out the 11 characteristics that Gostick and Christopher cites in their quiz/checklist:
- New employees are made to feel welcome
- Meetings are positive and light
- We have fun activities at least once a month
- It's common to hear people laughing around here
- I can be myself at work
- We have a lot of celebrations for special events
- When brainstorming, we like to have fun
- My boss is usually optimistic and smiling
- Customers would call us fun to do business with
- I have a friend at work who makes me laugh
- We have a good time together
It occurs to me that this is a good list for home, too; I just need
to substitute a few words. I've been working hard to be a more
light-hearted parent and spouse, and these are helpful points to keep in
mind.
Have you found that an atmosphere of levity and good humor makes a difference to your workplace or home? Have you found any good strategies to keep things fun and light?
Have you found that an atmosphere of levity and good humor makes a difference to your workplace or home? Have you found any good strategies to keep things fun and light?