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Using Humor & Metaphors in Your WorkCPAD<br /> Darren Kaltved, M.Ed.<br />Vic Massaglia, M.A.<br />

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"He who laughs; lasts."<br />~ Anonymous<br />"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people."<br /> ~ Victor Borge<br />

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How Many Times A Day Do Adults Laugh?<br />

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150-400<br />15<br />Laughs per Day<br />90<br />80<br />70<br />60<br />50<br />40<br />30<br />20<br />10<br />0<br />Grown ups<br />Children<br />Fake Graph, Smith 2004 ;43 (2), Imaginary Journal<br />

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Adults<br />Kids<br />Laughs per Day<br />Another Fake Graph, Smith 2005 ;43 (2), Imaginary Journal<br />

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Benefits of Humor<br />Holistic <br />Treatment of the critically ill & terminally ill<br />Adds in defending against infections<br />Good for respiratory and cardio vascular system – stimulates immune system<br />Reduces stress<br />One of the best devices to combat burn-out<br />Nevo & Foster<br />

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How Does Humor Help the Counseling Relationship?<br />(if you agree it does)<br />

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How Does Humor Help the Counseling Relationship?<br />Building the relationship: it produces a bond between the therapist and the client. It also facilitates rapport and self-disclosure (Golding & Bordan, 1999). According to Maples et al. (2001) it helps establish a more collaborative and friendly relation. <br />Increasing Communication and Attending: through humor, messages can be expressed in an indirect and less threatening way, allowing the client to attend and understand what is being said. <br />

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How Does Humor Help the Counseling Relationship?<br />Changing Feelings: humor allows people to experience for a period of time a relief from their depressive or anxious mood. <br />Changing Thoughts: humor allows clients to change the way they perceive different situations by giving a new perspective or through incongruity. <br />Changing Behavior: when people are in a better mood they become more active, may try out new activities.<br />

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HUMOR’S EFFECTIVENESS:A “CLEESIAN” PERSPECTIVE<br />I. Humor facilitates learning.<br />II. Humor helps change people’s behavior.<br />III. Humor promotes an increase in creativity.<br />IV. Humor reduces stress.<br />From the videotape “Humor Is Not A Luxury” <br />by John Cleese, available from Video Arts<br />

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Five Things Humor Will Do For You:<br />Releases negative emotions such as anger & guilt <br />Improves enthusiasm for work <br />Reduces inhibitions & increases self-confidence <br />Humorous people face life's problems better <br />Sense of humor is the #1 romantically attractive trait <br />Kevin Lee Smith<br />

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KEYS TO THE SUCCESSFUL USE OF HUMOR<br />Relationship<br />Rapport<br />Setting<br />Timing<br />Jim Winter - www.wavelength.biz<br />

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I. RELATIONSHIP<br />Know your audience<br />Make your intentions clear<br />Tell stories with a purpose<br />

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II. RAPPORT<br />Understand your audience’s feelings<br />Should be laughing with, not at someone<br />Obtain permission to tease<br />

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Funniest Resume Mistakes, Bloopers and Blunders Ever<br />“2001 summer Voluntary work for taking care of the elderly and vegetable people”<br />Candidate wrote resume as a play – Act 1, Act 2, etc.<br />Under “job related skills” – for a web designer – “can function without additional oxygen at 24,000 feet”.<br />One applicant for a nursing position noted that she didn’t like dealing with blood or needles.<br />“Seeking a party-time position with potential for advancement.”<br />

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Funniest Resume Mistakes, Bloopers and Blunders Ever<br />“Able to say the ABCs backward in under five seconds.”<br />“Personal interests: donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far.”<br />“Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store.”<br />Skills: “I have integrity so I will not steal office supplies and take them home.”<br />Objective: “I would like to work for a company that is very lax when it comes to tardiness.”<br />References: “Bill, Tom, Eric. But I don’t know their phone numbers.”<br />Awards: “National record for eating 45 eggs in two minutes.”<br />Education: “I have a bachelorette degree in computers.”<br />

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III. SETTING<br />Make sure the humor is appropriate for the space<br />Respect everyone within earshot<br />Humor should enhance, not distract<br />

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IV. TIMING<br />Allow time for the imagination to work<br />Never rush a punch line<br />Remember the non-verbal pathway to humor<br />

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KEYS TO THE SUCCESSFUL USE OF HUMOR<br />Relationship<br />Rapport<br />Setting<br />Timing<br />Areas of Humor to Avoid<br />

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AREAS OF HUMOR TO LIKELY AVOID<br />Politics <br />Sexual<br />Ethnicacial<br />Religious Political<br />Hostile Sick<br />Demeaning to Men Women<br />Graveyard<br />

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How Can Humor Be Destructive?<br />

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Guidelines for the proper use of humor in counseling<br />There are certain considerations that the counselor must think of before applying humor in the counseling process. Some of these are: <br /> <br />Observe the client student's mood to determine if the humor will be appreciated or not (Tichacek, n.d.)<br /> Start slowly (Tichacek, n.d.)<br /> Make it relevant to the student's situation (Tichacek, n.d.)<br />

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Guidelines for the proper use of humor in counseling<br />Do not use humor as a put-down (Gladdin, 1995)<br /> Do not use it too frequently because it becomes boring (Gladdin, 1995)<br /> Use it in an appropriated time (Gladdin, 1995)<br /> Consider the student's sense of humor (Gladdin, 1995) <br />

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HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR PERSONAL SENSE OF HUMOR<br />Look for humor in everything<br />Collect humor<br />Smile more<br />Participate in humorous activities<br />Hang out with funny people – try the humor buddy system<br /><ul><li>Use humor in your correspondence surveys tests

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Try out other styles forms of humor

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Tell stories on yourself

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Have some sort of humor always at the ready</li></li></ul><li>HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR PERSONAL SENSE OF HUMOR<br />Collect Humor<br />Keep a journal file bulletin board library of:<br /> Books Magazines Cartoons Headlines<br /> Jokes Stories Excuses Oxymoron's<br /> Signs Anecdotes Videos Audio Tapes<br />

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What Are the Multicultural Implications?<br />

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Prayer:God Grant Me the Senility to Forget the People I NeverLiked Anyway, the Good Fortune to Run Into the Ones IDo, and the Eyesight to Tell the Difference.<br />

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Take your work seriously<br />--and yourself lightly<br />"From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere."<br />~Dr. Seuss<br />

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“Key metaphors help determine what and how we perceive and how we think about our perceptions.” <br />~M. H. Abrams <br />

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“Time is Money”<br />What do you think of when you hear this?<br />What images come to mind?<br />

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Metaphorical Thinking<br />Metaphorical Thinking:<br />A direct comparison between two unrelated or indirectly linked things. (a bridge between the new and the familiar)<br />Can be used to improve communications: They can add impact or can help you explain a difficult concept by association with a more familiar one. <br />It can be a good way to build connections because the human mind tends to look for similarities (Making Truth: Metaphor in Science, T.L. Brown, 2003). <br />For instance, scientists will describe the distribution of mass in the universe as foam-like or that the earth is like a living organism. <br />

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As for career counselors, we also have the opportunity to describe career development concepts using metaphors – especially new concepts or ideas<br />such as the relationship between dating and interviewing.<br />Branding – branding products or services<br />The world is your canvas, what picture do you want to paint?<br />What other metaphors do you use? <br />

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How do we make this work?<br />They key to instituting this methodology is to get students or clients to awaken their image-thinking part of their brain. <br />Ever wonder why the word “Image” is the root word for “Imagination?”<br />A word is worth a thousand pictures! <br />Create a whole new world of perception, understanding and experience – a clearer meaning<br />Einstein once said “I rarely think in words at all”<br />Use physical drawings or pictures to create visualization<br />Wikipedia or Google Images<br />Don’t just stick with one metaphor…have alternates<br />

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Examples<br />Software Development at Microsoft:<br />Microsoft builds its software in conditions of considerable security. The software developers are large groups of skilled professionals who are kept separate from other employees under the authority of a senior project manager. <br />HERE IS WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SAID…<br />Microsoft…(builds its) software like cathedrals, in that a cloistered team of software developers work…much as medieval cathedrals were built by vast armies of craftsmen under the authority of a bishop or high cleric. <br />WHAT NEW IMAGERY WAS CREATED IN THE ACTUAL STATEMENT?<br />Images: Messages:<br /> Cathedral More Physical<br /> Cloister More Visual<br /> Armies More Romantic<br /> Craftsmen Less Bald<br />

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Examples<br />Asked to use a metaphor to describe their careers, over 50% used the word “Journey”<br />Words:<br />Career Path<br />Career Exploration<br />Career Ladder or Career Plateau<br />Progress, Climb, Destination, Map, Track, Journey, Path<br />Fit, Match (Assessment-oriented)<br />Phrases:<br />Your career is a journey not a destination<br />I want my career to be on the fast-track<br />Interviewing is like going on a first date…<br />It’s a roller-coaster ride<br />It is like fitting a square peg into a round hole<br />What about descriptors – the more the better. Remember your goal - to create understanding!<br />

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Resources<br />Nevo, O. (1996). Uses of humor in career counseling. Vocational Guidance Quarterly, March, 188-196.Bordan, T. & Goldin, E. (1999). The use of humor in counseling: The laughing cure. Journal of Counseling and Development, Fall (77), 405-410.Metaphorical Thinking: Using comparisons to express ideas and solve problemshttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_93.htm Unlock the Power of Metaphorical Thinkinghttp://www.innovationtools.com/Articles/ArticleDetails.asp?a=188Promoting Metaphorical Thinking Through Synectics: Developing deep thinking utilizing abstractionshttp://facstaff.bloomu.edu/dwalker/Conference%20Information/IUT/Synectics.pdf<br />

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Resources to Get Your Started<br /> Article from Monster.com about Workplace humor:http://career-advice.monster.com/in-the-office/Work-Life-Balance/Workplace-Humor-Guide/article.aspxCareer Counseling "spoof" from GW Law School:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsnZQik4-Ys&feature=player_embedded#<br /> Silly Job Interview - Monty Python:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP0sqRMzkwoCareer Metaphors and Their Application to Theory and Counseling Practicehttp://www.virtualhabitats.com/Students/CareerCounselorWebquest/Career%20Metaphors.pdfMetaphor: A new way of thinking about careers (NCDA)http://www.associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/5132/_PARENT/layout_details_cc/false<br />ThinkBlocks Tutorial: Metaphors and Similieshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr0-kMlWJgw&feature=related<br />

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Questions?<br />

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Fun Videos/Resources<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asxUtX8Hyd4&feature=related<br />http://www.laughterremedy.com/<br />

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Ever wonder what an interview at IKEA is like?<br />