How getting humor right at work can help bridge generational gaps

With several different generations in the current workforce, it can be tricky for workers find common ground across them, especially considering the range of each group’s lived experiences. And while each generation certainly has different ideas about what they think is funny, using humor in the workplace can actually help bridge generational gaps and foster greater connection and belonging between seemingly non-like minded people.

And in actuality, laughter really is a great medicine — it stimulates organs like the heart and lungs and increases endorphins in the brain, which helps to relieve stress responses and soothe tension while lightening one’s mental load, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“Humor and a shared laugh can help colleagues build rapport, deepen a sense of connection and bring more joy to our work,” said John Scott, head of learning design at MasterClass at Work.

Joking around in meetings, informal chats and on Slack can also help and make people feel more engaged and in tune with their coworkers in today’s hybrid work environments where staff members aren’t meeting on a daily basis, and some companies are promoting laughter among colleagues, like Peppercomm, an New York City-based agency.

Laughter and humor are core to Peppercomm’s culture. Stand up comedy training is part of the company’s onboarding experience, during which a cohort of staff spend afternoons attending comedy training and sharing their stories playfully but also vulnerably when they do a final short performance by themselves. Peppercomm also has a laughing matter council, which consults with experts including academics who study humor to help inform activities and practices in the workplace with the goal of boosting humor and social belonging.

“What we need to do is come together, understand each other better and figure out a way to work together in a way that's meaningful for everybody. And that's where the tenets of humor can really be powerful."

Ann Barlow, evp and chief engagement officer at Peppercomm.

“What we need to do is come together, understand each other better and figure out a way to work together in a way that’s meaningful for everybody. And that’s where the tenets of humor can really be powerful,” said Ann Barlow, evp and chief engagement officer at Peppercomm.

However, in today’s workplaces, trying to not offend others is key, and it’s one issue that different generations may not have the same perspectives on. But there’s pretty much one straightforward rule to get humor right at work: Refrain from making fun of others, Barlow said. Essentially, “as long as you’re not mean and you’re not risque, you’re gonna be okay,” Barlow added.

“If we’re starting to poke fun at somebody’s background, or personal experience, orientation, whatever it might be, that’s mean, so don’t go there. But if we really are engaging around other things in life we start to get on safe ground. We actually find that you don’t need to overthink it,” she said.

One exercise Peppercomm staff regularly do is called “wave, high five, shake.” Staff are randomly broken up into three groups and assigned to either wave, high five or shake hands when walking around and introducing each other, leading to some silly confusion and inspiring laughter that helps coworkers connect and better understand each other.

“It’s actually a funny way to start getting people to understand how people come at things a little bit differently. It starts opening the door to different perspectives even in a very abstract way,” Barlow said.

“When we direct the humor at ourselves, we limit the risk of insulting or offending someone else, and through that vulnerability, we are creating spaces where people feel more comfortable being their authentic selves."

John Scott, head of learning design at MasterClass at Work.

One key tenet of comedy is listening, which is an important and transferable skill in the workplace. Vulnerability is also key, and providing safe avenues for staff to be vulnerable undoubtedly boosts belonging and connection, Barlow said.

Ultimately, learning from the stories and experiences of others can lead to better knowledge retention and keep staff more engaged while helping them connect on a deeper level, Scott said. Scott recently spoke at SXSW 2024 about the influence of personal narratives and how involving humor can make them even more effective.

“When we direct the humor at ourselves, we limit the risk of insulting or offending someone else, and through that vulnerability, we are creating spaces where people feel more comfortable being their authentic selves,” Scott said.