“Laughter is the closest distance between two people.”
—Victor Borge
Sometimes, a good laugh is the best way to start the day. In the work environment, in particular, humor can go a long way toward encouraging teamwork, improving communication, establishing connections, and reducing tension. Apparently, the CLMA realizes this; both general sessions at the Clinical Laboratory Management Association’s ThinkLab ’06 in Charlotte, NC, carried a humor theme.
The opening general-session speaker was Jeanne Robertson, a former Miss North Carolina (1963) who told us that, at 6 feet 2 inches tall, she is the tallest person to lose in the Miss America competition. Shortly into her talk, I was doubled over in laughter and wiping tears from my eyes. She was hilarious while she made valid points about accepting the things you cannot change and finding the humor in everyday situations.
One of her stories was about a contestant in a local beauty pageant whose only talent was moving a baton from side to side as fast as she could so that no one would notice that she couldn’t actually twirl it. In the end, it didn’t matter that she couldn’t twirl a baton, because everyone liked her and wanted her to win.
The presentation was also about seeing the humor in stressful situations and moving on, even when you’re responsible for the situation. When the contestant threw the baton in the air, it disappeared into the auditorium’s rafters; and when it never came down, the contestant began twirling an imaginary baton in ways that no one could have handled a real baton. With no actual baton to limit the possibilities, she had moves and maneuvers that would have amazed baton aficionados worldwide.
Those of us who were there for Jeanne Robertson’s presentation will probably smile whenever we hear the word “baton” because of the visual she provided while demonstrating how the contestant twirled the imaginary baton. The stately beauty was a favorite topic of conversation during the remainder of the meeting. She left us all inspired and ready for the business ahead.
Ross Shafer, author of the books Nobody Moved Your Cheese and Cook Like a Stud, spoke during the closing general session about customer service and getting employees to care. Using his own brand of humor, he provided inspiration when he showed a video clip and told the story of musician Richard Peterson, who, in his eagerness to do his job, argued at length for the permission to come in to work as early as possible.
Most of us will never argue to be allowed to come to work earlier or leave later. However, the best work environments are those in which employees can relax, laugh, and have fun while performing their job responsibilities. These positive settings boost creativity and innovation; build rapport; and encourage employees to be enterprising, while allowing them to be human.
As laboratory professionals, you have to take your jobs seriously. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to take the fun out of work or that you can’t take yourselves lightly. Jeanne Robertson ended her talk by saying, “When you ThinkLab, think sense of humor.” Not a bad idea.
