Page 93 - Appreciative Leadership

66 Appreciative Leadership

Appreciative Leadership uses humor to bring out the best of situa-
tions; and in doing so, it brings out the best of people.
The capacity to laugh at oneself encourages an open, comfortable

environment in which ideas, information, and communication fl ow
freely. When people laugh about the inevitable glitches, they have
energy to move on to the really important issues. Mary organized a

coffee reception for the vice president’s wife. Many prominent com-
munity people were in attendance. When the guest of honor poured

cream in her coffee, it curdled in the cup. She looked up at Mary, who
was terribly embarrassed and said, “It’s okay, dear. I don’t need the
calories.” Everyone within hearing range laughed making Mary feel
at ease.

A workplace filled with lighthearted interplay is more likely to fos-
ter camaraderie and collaboration—key factors for well-functioning
teams. Team members who heartily embrace the motto “Work hard,
play hard” told us that if they are going to spend long hours working
together, they might as well have a little fun and enjoy each other’s

company in the process. “After all,” they said, “we spend more time
at work than we do with our families!” Alicia told us about how her
department developed a reputation as a high-performing team and
the “go-to” unit within the company. She said it was because of their
collective sense of humor and willingness to play:

We played games every day. I would write a category on the
whiteboard, such as rock bands with a color in its name—like
Deep Purple or Black Sabbath. People came from all over the
building to play. When we played this game, everyone was equal,
our department was approachable, and the entire company got
to know us. As a consequence, they believed in the decisions we
made and trusted that we would execute them eff ectively.

Positive and appropriate humor can be a very eff ective Appre-
ciative Leadership practice for bringing out the best of people and