The stellar alumni list includes many of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” (Akyroyd, Belushi, Murray, and Radner), as well as Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jane Lynch, and Steve Carrell of “The Office.” But now, the organization has branched out into workplace training, using humor to engage participants, of course.
“Humor gets people to think differently about a topic” and is a great way to help learners retain information, says Tom Yorton, CEO of Second City Communications, the business solutions division of The Second City. “People remember more when they laugh. When they laugh, they think.”
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The use of humor also can help trainers build credibility with learners. “People appreciate the fact that you’re trying to reach them in a different way,” Yorton says.
However, humor must be used effectively. “People use humor the wrong way sometimes,” he says, adding that some trainers act like stand-up comedians and deliver “mean-spirited” messages in an attempt to make learners laugh. “That is a danger ground,” he adds.
In addition, Yorton says, “sometimes inexperienced leaders or inexperienced managers make a good-natured attempt at humor but do it in the wrong context.”
“Most trainers are accustomed to being on their feet and in front of the room” and can use humor effectively, he adds. But you don’t have to be naturally funny to incorporate humor into training. For example, when tasteful and relevant to the training topic, humorous cartoons can help “reduce the distance between you and the audience” and help drive engagement. Funny videos and live sketch work performed by professionals can help you accomplish that task, too.
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There is a place for humor with any training topic, as long as humor is used effectively, and the trainer is sensitive to the topic and how the humor might be perceived by learners. “No issue is too thorny to not use humor,” Yorton says. However, “if it’s not done well, people will just view you as insensitive.”
For example, while trainers can tap the humor in real-life scenarios to connect with learners and acknowledge challenges they might be facing, trainers should avoid using a video or sketch in which “a boss is making fun of what subordinates are going through,” he says. “Respect the intelligence of your audience, and respect where they’re coming from.”