| Some trainers, teachers and other | | | | have a remarkable memory -- a memory car |
| communicators wish they could add humor to | | | | file through which the comic's brain |
| | | | |
| their presentations, but they think, "I'm | | | | can riffle at lightning speed. But again, as |
| like the Muppets Fozzy Bear: I'm not | | | | impressive as this feat is, it is more a |
| funny."The truth everyone is funny; including | | | | |
| Fozzy; including you. More importantly, YOU | | | | matter of craftsmanship and professionalism |
| | | | than art."You can reach a degree of this |
| are funny, not in the same way that other | | | | professionalism by learning the craft. When |
| people are, but in your own unique | | | | you |
| | | | |
| fashion. After all, one of the keys to | | | | notice that learners have laughed at a |
| relationships (romantic, plutonic or | | | | comment you made, make a mental note of |
| | | | |
| professional) is the ability to laugh | | | | what happened and try to replicate it with |
| together. You already do that in your daily | | | | another audience. If your get the same |
| life. | | | | |
| | | | laugh in front of three audiences, keep it; |
| All you need to do now is to take those | | | | play with it; expand it. If it stops working, |
| pre-existing skills and develop them in a | | | | |
| | | | |
| focused way. Here's how legendary funny man | | | | revert to the original line and lock it in. |
| Steve Allen explained it."The popular | | | | Then begin searching for another line. |
| conception of a humorist or comedian is of | | | | |
| someone who writes, does | | | | Continue in this manner over a period of |
| | | | time and you will develop your own |
| or says funny things. But a funny person is | | | | |
| also someone to whom funny things | | | | comedic library of "ad-libs" to draw upon as |
| | | | the situation warrants.Tip 8. Have fun. |
| happen. The comedian's experiences are | | | | |
| probably no more amusing than others; | | | | This is perhaps the biggest secret of being |
| | | | funny. The audience will not laugh if you |
| he or she simply has a certain sensitivity | | | | |
| to the environment and circumstances and | | | | are not having fun. Your demeanor sets the |
| | | | expectation. If you exude enjoyment of |
| so perceives humor that a more serious | | | | |
| person might miss."Below I offer eight tips | | | | the world around you, and of the events and |
| that can help you perceive, absorb and | | | | learnings that occurs within your |
| harness the humor | | | | |
| | | | classroom, your trainees will join you. They |
| around you.Tip 1. Surround yourself with | | | | will also join you if you choose to regard |
| humor. | | | | |
| | | | what you are doing as drudgery. The banana |
| Start your day by looking at a humorous | | | | is in your hands. Having fun and you |
| daily calendar, listen to humor on your way | | | | |
| | | | will be instantly likeable, and thus more |
| to work, display silly signs at your work | | | | likely to gain laughs.Joke Killers to watch |
| location and prop up your office. Items like | | | | out for |
| | | | |
| daily quote calendars; silly hats and wind | | | | There are some additional factors that will |
| up toys have a positive effect on your | | | | prevent you from being funny. As you |
| | | | |
| emotions and those of the people you come in | | | | put on your new humor hat, make sure you do |
| contact with. Some of the items I | | | | the following.Caution 1. Make your humor |
| | | | self-deprecating |
| have collected and currently display in my | | | | |
| office include a plastic shovel attached to | | | | The best humor is self-directed. I find it |
| | | | preferable to point out my faults before |
| a neck lanyard (for boring meetings), a | | | | |
| skeleton and a crown (my emergency Hamlet | | | | others do. In that way, I admit my |
| | | | fallibility while indicating that I can take |
| kit for pontificating), various hats (Mounty | | | | a joke. It |
| for finding someone, Viking for going on | | | | |
| | | | sets a benchmark for the training |
| adventures and Outback for taking | | | | environment. In addition, humor that is self- |
| walk-abouts) and a Far Side daily cartoon | | | | |
| | | | deprecating is less likely to offend |
| calendar. I do it because they help me think | | | | others.Caution 2. Be yourself. |
| funny. Surrounding yourself with these | | | | |
| | | | Humor will not work if it is forced. When |
| kinds of items will place you in a humorous | | | | people laugh with you during your |
| mood and create an aura of funny about | | | | |
| | | | everyday life, it is not because you have |
| you that makes it easier for other people to | | | | taken on a persona, it is because they enjoy |
| accept you as humorous.Tip 2. Look for the | | | | |
| absurdity in daily life. | | | | who you are and the humor that naturally |
| | | | emanates from your humanity. Be who |
| Fortunately for funny people, the business | | | | |
| and academic worlds abound with | | | | you are. Allow that naturalness to create |
| | | | your humor for you. I can offer an |
| endless absurdity. There are the inane | | | | |
| policies, bureaucracies and inarticulate | | | | example by picking on myself. It has been |
| | | | said that I look stiff and formal. I cannot |
| memos to enjoy. There's also the | | | | |
| unintentional statements of life: you have to | | | | help it: it just is. That continence could |
| hit | | | | have prevented me from being funny. |
| | | | |
| "delete" to start Windows; you land at a | | | | Instead, I have learned to use it. Because |
| "terminal" when flying; and you park on | | | | of my look, I dress and act slightly |
| | | | |
| "driveways" and drive on "parkways." It's | | | | pompous. That pomposity allows me to say and |
| everywhere, if you look for it. If you cannot | | | | do fairly absurd things. The |
| | | | |
| | | | disconnect between how I look and the |
| find it yourself, read Dilbert. If you can | | | | craziness of what I say or do creates |
| laugh at the daily absurdities, you will be | | | | surprise |
| | | | |
| less stressed when the bizarre happens and | | | | and allows natural humor emerges.Caution 3. |
| more in touch with the grand adventure | | | | Avoid offensive material. |
| | | | |
| that life is.Tip 3. Listen to comedians. | | | | Political, religious or ethnic jokes are all |
| | | | not worth the telling. Even if some |
| The late night comedians provide a daily | | | | |
| lesson in being funny. Pay attention to | | | | members of your audience respond with |
| | | | laughter, other members will become so |
| them, not as an audience member, but as a | | | | |
| technician. Focus on the structure of the | | | | offended that they will shut down (or shut |
| | | | your training down) and make learning |
| jokes they tell. In this way, you can | | | | |
| analyze the joke formulas without being | | | | difficult if not impossible. In addition, |
| | | | blue material should be avoided at all costs. |
| distracted by the delivery. Once you know | | | | |
| the basic structures they use, focus on | | | | |
| | | | Risqué lines often obtain their laughs |
| their delivery techniques. Soon you will | | | | from the unease and discomfort of the |
| begin to notice the cadences they use, the | | | | |
| | | | audience. In a nightclub setting, that may |
| pauses they take and the little ticks and | | | | be appropriate. But in a learning |
| quirks they have that bring their humor to | | | | |
| | | | environment, where comfort is directly tied |
| life.Tip 4. Read books about being funny. | | | | to positive results, creating discomfort |
| | | | |
| Many comedians are more than willing to | | | | for a cheap laugh is worse than insulting, |
| share their secrets. By simply searching | | | | it's stupid.Caution 4. Never say you are |
| | | | going to tell a joke. |
| through a book store web site, you can | | | | |
| discover that being comedic is a simple | | | | The best way to insure that your joke won't |
| | | | work is to telegraph it in advance. |
| combination of state of mind and solid | | | | |
| technique.Tip 5. Join "Joke-of-the-Day" | | | | Remember, in previous months we discovered |
| lists. | | | | that much of the laughter results |
| | | | |
| Joke-of-the-day lists are a part of my | | | | from learner surprise that you have told a |
| strategy for finding funny stuff. Although I | | | | joke. The very act of announcing your |
| | | | |
| switch lists from time to time, I'm | | | | intentions in advance almost guarantees a |
| currently on two. I am not suggesting that | | | | failure of the joke.So, you are funny. You |
| you | | | | just didn't know it. Take the actions steps |
| | | | listed above and |
| "lift" the jokes you read there. That would | | | | |
| be, well, stealing. I am however | | | | you too can find your funny.Visit Lenn on |
| | | | line at |
| suggesting that you can use those jokes to | | | | |
| learn how jokes are constructed and to | | | | Lenn Millbower, BM, MA, the |
| | | | Learnertainment(R) Trainer is an expert in |
| place yourself in a humorous frame of mind. | | | | applying |
| Once you become adept at spotting the | | | | |
| | | | show biz techniques to learning. He is the |
| joke telling formulas, you can use the jokes | | | | author of the ASTD Info-Line, Music as a |
| you read at these sites to write your | | | | |
| | | | Training Tool, focused on the practical |
| own jokes.Tip 6. Build a collection of | | | | application of music to learning; Show Biz |
| all-purpose funnies. | | | | |
| | | | Training, the definitive book on the |
| Start a funny file and whenever you read, | | | | application of entertainment industry |
| hear or see something you consider funny, | | | | |
| | | | techniques to training; Cartoons for |
| print it out or write it down and file it. | | | | Trainers, a popular collection of 75 cartoons |
| Soon, you will have built a collection of | | | | for |
| jokes | | | | |
| | | | learning; Game Show Themes for Trainers, a |
| and cartoons you can refer to whenever you | | | | best-selling CD of original learning |
| need to create a line. The material you | | | | |
| | | | game music; and Training with a Beat: The |
| have collected will help you brainstorm | | | | Teaching Power of Music, the foremost |
| creating your own.Tip 7. Develop some | | | | |
| standard lines you can use over and over. | | | | book on the application of music to |
| | | | learning. Lenn is an in-demand speaker, with |
| Steve Allen once commented as | | | | |
| follows."Comics with this ability (to ad-lib) | | | | successful presentations at ASTD 1999-2005 |
| are extremely rare. There may be fewer than | | | | and SHRM 2006; a creative and |
| fifty | | | | |
| | | | dynamic instructional designer and |
| professional comedians on the planet that | | | | facilitator formally with the Disney |
| are skilled at doing it. (Most) comedians | | | | University |
| | | | |
| are indeed working without a script, but | | | | and Disney Institute; an accomplished |
| there is the crucial distinction that what | | | | arranger-composer skilled in the |
| | | | |
| they are doing is recalling jokes that | | | | psychological application of music to |
| already exist, which they apply to the | | | | learning; a popular comedian, magician and |
| situation | | | | |
| | | | musician; and the president of Offbeat |
| of the moment. This is no small feat either, | | | | Training(R), infusing entertainment-based |
| since one has to think rapidly and also | | | | |
| | | | techniques into learning to keep 'em awake! |