By lightening up your communication, you can build serious connections.

Humor in communication isn’t all fun and games. According to Alison Wood Brooks and Naomi Bagdonas, levity is one of the most serious tools we have in building successful connections.

Wood Brooks and Bagdonas, both teachers, authors, and experts in the field of communication, recognize how crucial levity is to our professional and personal interactions. “It’s easy to think of [humor] as this extra bonus thing,” says Wood Brooks. “What we find is it’s incredibly core to how people are relating to each other.” Bagdonas agrees: “When there's the presence of laughter in team meetings, those teams are more successful and more creative. Leaders with a sense of humor—not even a good sense of humor—are seen as more motivating, more admired, [and] their teams report being more engaged.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Wood Brooks and Bagdonas join host Matt Abrahams to explore levity as a mindset, or as Bagdonas puts it, “Navigating life on the precipice of a smile.” Together, they share how lightness and humor can break barriers, bridge connections, and unlock the door to better communication.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.

Episode Reference Links:

Connect:

Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction
(03:33) - Talk Tour Insights
(04:53) - Top Advice on Asking Questions
(07:03) - Guiding Principles for Leaders
(09:37) - Importance of Levity
(11:37) - Why Humor Matters
(13:26) - Letting Go of Comfort
(16:44) - Overthinking Levity
(18:50) - Creating Space for Levity
(22:22) - Conclusion

*****
This Episode is sponsored by Stanford. Stay Informed on Stanford's world changing research by signing up for the Stanford Report

Support Think Fast Talk Smart by joining TFTS Premium.

Philp K. Dick Book Club: Episode 46.1, The World Jones Made (1)