WASHINGTON — For those looking to raise their status with their boss and co-workers, research shows telling a good joke can do the trick, as long as it’s humor that’s safe for work.
Experiments done by the Wharton School and Harvard Business School found that successfully telling a joke at the office can make you appear smart and confident, boosting your status in the workplace. It may even increase your chances of being chosen as a leader.
But use inappropriate humor and others will likely think you’re confident but less competent, adding up to a lower perceived status.
The research also found that if you tell an appropriate-for-work joke that falls flat, chances are your status won’t be hurt and you’ll still be perceived as confident because you had the guts to try for a laugh.
The study involved eight experiments and results were recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The study’s conclusion reads: “Many individuals may be missing opportunities to project confidence, demonstrate their competence, and increase their status. On the other hand, some individuals may be keenly aware about the risks of making inappropriate jokes — especially at work — and they may be wise to keep their jokes to themselves.”
