Comedy for professional development is on the rise

Humor in the workplace isn’t groundbreaking. For years, we've even taken improv comics advice, incorporating “yes and" as a valuable tool in the workplace—but that was an age of in-person meetings. After a year of remote work in a Zoom-inundated world, comedy for professional development is gaining momentum as a key to workplace success.

Stand-up comedy for professional development

Utilized as a team bonding experience, improv has been around forever. At our own company, we knew we needed to try something different after being inspired by a client. As she ended a call she told us her next appointment was with comedy coach Jo Scott (Second City, Adult Swim), the idea hit us to try stand-up comedy workshops at the office. They’ve been uproariously successful.

Working comedy into our pitches has made clients more comfortable and inspired us all to laugh--a personal connection that’s been missing in a time without water cooler talks.

Improv In the Workplace Prepares Workers For Rapid Change

We’re hardly the first company to recognize the value of comedy for professional development. Business schools such as Duke University and Stanford University are including improv classes in their curricula to prepare future leaders for a rapidly changing environment. Companies like Google, PepsiCo, and McKinsey have incorporated improv classes into professional development.

As we enter another year of remote work it’s clear that we need a different skill set for communicating via Zoom, and those who use know how to laugh will appear the most genuine. After all, spontaneity and quick thinking keep an audience engaged in what would otherwise be a dull monologue by video call. As professionals continue to feel the loss of spontaneous moments that brought us joy during the pre-COVID workday, execs that utilize comedy for professional development will forge brands that become momentum masters.

MFactor data shows comedy rising within the context of professional development rising. MFactor is a proprietary tool that measures cultural momentum through topic modeling and sentiment analysis. — *MFactor data shows comedy rising within the context of professional development rising.* *MFactor* *is a proprietary tool that measures cultural momentum through topic modeling and sentiment analysis.*

Research Shows Using Using Comedy Closes Sales

Comedic training goes far beyond improving workplace culture, however. Humor can drive more business. A study from Stanford University found that adding a lighthearted line at the end of a sales pitch—like “my final offer is X, and I’ll throw in my pet frog”—increases customers’ willingness to pay by 18%, but (almost) anything to lighten the mood helps.

Whether virtual meetings are a part of the new normal or not, organizations that take advantage of comedy for professional development and develop their employees’ ability to leverage their own sense of humor will be the most successful.