Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

Hi Ellen, Humor of any kind is tricky in business because people have wildly varying senses of humor. I agree that satire has the greatest chance of being misunderstood, but I have to disagree that satire shuns any aspect of truth. the humor of a great satirist, Swift for example, is deeply rooted in truth. By exaggerating certain ideas, situations, or conditions, the satirist exposes their flaws. I think the problem with the Obama "satire" is that it is not rooted in truth at all. I wouldn't even call it satire. It's just a cheap shot, a low blow, hype to sell magazines. Let's not condemn the fine art of satire because some editors are defending indefensible content in its name.

Hi Ellen,

I think you've raised a very interesting point, but I tend to disagree that satire is all negative.

Satire can be traced back to the time of the Greeks and it had a powerful effect of releasing energy, which could be beneficial as well as harmful.

Imagine the person who takes himself too seriously. Satire can sometimes be used to help him laugh at himself, where all manner of dialogue failed. Shakespeare was a master of this (take Falstaff for example, who was a likable rogue, and seems only to have been responsive when he was the butt of jokes).

Satire can help in organisations too. For example, say you engage a decisionmaker in dialogue on behalf of a group, in order to get some (pointless) policy changed. The person doesn't listen. Satirising the policy can achieve through laughter what failed in dialogue as well as avoiding a worse alternative, such as widespread disillusionment or a strike!

Great blog by the way, love it.

Nick

Hi Brad, As always - a thoughtful comment to help us see deeper than the surface.

I also agree with you that "that satire does not necessarily shun any aspect of truth." Would you agree that isguided Satire does at times though.

Like you -- "I wouldn't even call the mag cover satire."

I have come to see that satire can easily be used in tones of attack but I guess when folks attack others they will not have to reach far for any genre to act as an attack weapon.

Humor of any sort to me is the medium that leaves all laughing, rather than a few laughing at the expence of others. Humor and racism or sexism have had a close alliance for attacks, and humor can also bring people together in amazing relationships. Whatever form of humor creates the latter seems worth pursuing in the workplace:-) What do you think?

Thanks for your kind words and thoughtful insights, Nick. What an interesting look at the beginnings of satire and you are correct that it can be fun. I so agree that it can help us all to take ourselves less seriously. And laughing at oneself is a winning form of humor every time:-)

Loved your example and I could not help thinking that it would take a communicator as articulate as you do so well, to pull it off as intended. Then, it really does work:-)

By the way I love the parallels between your blog, "Talent Talk" http://talent-talk.com/ and the notion of people's multiple intelligences. Your blog helps us to develop a fuller mix in cool ways!

As you say: "Satire can help in organizations too. For example, say you engage a decisionmaker in dialogue on behalf of a group, in order to get some (pointless) policy changed. The person doesn't listen. Satirising the policy can achieve through laughter what failed in dialogue as well as avoiding a worse alternative, such as widespread disillusionment or a strike!"

It seems to me that any kind of humor works well when it comes with skill and with tone, that has people laughing rather than attacked unfairly. Would you agree?

Hi Ellen, and thanks for your kind words (and the plug!)

Yes, humour is so important and its value overlooked. I think the Greek concept was 'catharsis', which you get both in humour and tragedy, which is expressed in laughter in the former!

I recall reading a recent post on Marshall Goldsmith's blog when he was saying that he's now using improv techniques to coach managers. Improv, basically, is an 'it's all cool' approach to drama.

Satire can be cathartic too, it can reset some of the quandaries we get ourselves into so long as it is not malevolent.

You have a great blog by the way - keep up the good work!

Nick

Hi Ellen, and thanks for your kind words (and the plug!)

Yes, humour is so important and its value overlooked. I think the Greek concept was 'catharsis', which you get both in humour and tragedy, which is expressed in laughter in the former!

I recall reading a recent post on Marshall Goldsmith's blog when he was saying that he's now using improv techniques to coach managers. Improv, basically, is an 'it's all cool' approach to drama.

Satire can be cathartic too, it can reset some of the quandaries we get ourselves into so long as it is not malevolent.

You have a great blog by the way - keep up the good work!

Nick

Hi Ellen, I do agree with you that satire is a form of humor very likely to offend, whether because intended or simply misunderstood by the audience. For business humor, I advise against satire for that reason. Do you think the the effect of humor may depend less on the form it takes and more on the attitude of the humorist? Maybe that's it. Mean spirited people are going to use humor offensively, and goodhearted folks will use it to bring people together.

And by the way, back to the "satire" in the "New Yorker", if you have to explain that it's satire, it's bad satire.

Wow Brad, you are onto something here. It's all in the tone used by the humorist. If you cut down - with a mean-spirited mask of humor - and call it satire, you still offend.

As I reflected on your deep insights here - I was making a parallel with disagreeing. It's great to disagree and share opposing views. But if we do so by cutting people down and use anger or superiority rather than genuine conversation - we get nowhere, except offence. Seems the same with humor. Would you agree?

Spoken like a pro Brad!