Can humour make an executive speaker more persuasive?
You're sat at a conference, and the speaker begins with a joke. Its painful, not funny, and you can feel the room cringe with you. The rest of the talk is spent apologetically trying to get the audience back on side. Disaster.
Its not worth the risk...
The above scenario would make most of us conclude that when you're giving a talk its best to leave the jokes in the locker room. Why run the risk? But lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Yes, jokes can be risky, but that doesn't mean we should rule out humour...
What's the difference?
We all know a joke when we hear one. If you're like me your dad punished the family's ears with his at the dinner table. "Knock knock.." and all that. Yes, all jokes are a form of humour, but not all humour is a joke. A witty observation is humour, but not necessarily a joke.
Why take the risk?
Isocrates, ancient Greece's most influential teacher of rhetoric said, "the argument which is made by a man's life has more weight than that which is furnished by words". He knew over 2,400 years ago that character is the foundation of persuasion.
If those you lead aren't convinced of your good character you'll struggle to persuade them no matter how strong your arguments. If character really is the foundation of persuasion, surely humour is one of the best ways to demonstrate yours. It shows people who you are.
Humour has an indirect effect too
On the surface strong communicators may seem like they're using humour to entertain, but below the surface much more is happening. They're demonstrating character. A humorous retelling of an interaction with their 6 year old daughter where they came off the worse can demonstrate light heartedness, ability to poke fun at self, family values, and more.
Most importantly
Humour can demonstrate vulnerability. When someone puts their flaws on show to the world they're showing their not perfect. This is rocket fuel for trust building as it shows that we're all similar. That we're all cracked, flawed, imperfect and have similar struggles in life. Perfection on the other hand, raises suspicion.
Pick your moment
Lets be clear here, if you're walking into a town hall meeting to announce mass layoffs, humour's best left off the menu. Wise cracks about losing your car keys this morning won't help here. But, when opening the company conference or a keynote it will definitely ease tension, and get the audience on your side.
Aim it in the right direction
Just to be clear, what I'm talking about here is self-deprecating humour. The sort aimed at yourself, not at others. Self-deprecating humour can demonstrate aspects of your character in ways other types of humour can't. But don't go too far, the aim is demonstrating character not David Brent-esque incompetence.
