😟 Why Your Company Needs More Comedy 🤣
In a world full of notifications, overwork and mental health issues maybe we all need to hang out and laugh more? My new project is bringing comedy to companies.
Who loves an icebreaker?
Nobody really likes doing those stupid icebreaker games do they? I feel like it’s only really the workshop facilitators who get off on those things. Making serious and important businesspeople dance around like well-dressed chickens, clap their soft hands together, and toss imaginary balls of positive energy to each other. I mean COME ON guys! We’re supposed to be serious and important adults.
But. The thing is that they work, basically every time.
They break down the walls of hierarchy and professionalism between the messy humans in the room and force them, for just a few minutes, to play and laugh and forget how serious and important their really definitely serious and important jobs are 😒.
Because guys. The term icebreaker is a metaphor 😉. It’s a good little metaphor actually. Once the huge metal vessel (silly game) has forced its way through the ice (social norms at work) it leaves behind it a safe waterway (light and open atmosphere) for other boats and ships (the next bit of the workshop).
Maybe we don’t need icebreakers though…
I think that people not acting like people gets in the way of doing great work. I’m at my absolute worst at work when I’m playing up to expectations of me, or suppressing important facets of my personality. Icebreakers are just one, well-established, groan-inducing way of forcing people to drop their business facade and be stupid humans together.
Because let’s face it. Everyone’s a bloody stupid human most of the time. We just pretend to be sensible at work because that’s what we think is expected of us. As Jon Barnes says:
It is irrational to assume we are rational and therefore all business decisions premised on the assumption that we are rational, are also irrational and therefore flawed :-)
With all this in mind, I’ve started a new fun project. With my pal Willy, I’m exploring some new ways to help people be people by bringing his world (stand-up comedy) and my world (indie business consulting) together. We’re calling it Comedy for Companies 🤘
A bit of really bloody ruddy awesome funny joyous serious useful fun in your company — com4com.website
We’re running some pilots in Berlin in October and will be doing more around Europe later in the year (email comedy@flux.am or head to com4com.website if you’re curious or want to chat).
It’s a flexible comedy/learning experience. Over 2hrs or a whole day you will learn the 6 principles of comedy and apply them in a final gig for your colleagues where you’ll TELL A JOKE you’ve just written.
It’s a pretty scary prospect for some people. In fact it’s pretty scary for most people. But like many many things that are scary, this one is totally worth it.
It’s worth it because laughing with people feels great. Playing with colleagues and friends is fun. Making light of seriousness is awesome for mental health. And putting yourself into scary situations is important and exhilarating.
Find us on Instagram @jimrali @the.antigram or email one of us at jim@flux.am or comedy@flux.am or willykosovich@gmail.com
