Dr Vanessa Marcie

Humour, a Leader Superpower

Today, interpersonal skills are essential to our personal and professional success. In the workplace, we are increasingly encouraged to improve our ability to manage relationships wisely and with empathy.

Organisational humour is an underestimated and underused asset that can have a huge impact on transforming organisational culture and on how employees can work better together.

Key takeaways:

• How to be 12% more productive through to humour.
• What science has discovered about different types of humour.
• 5 essential skills to lead with humour.

This can be delivered both as a keynote and workshop.

Innovate with Humour

Innovation rarely thrives in overly serious environments. Today in business we are increasingly required to promote innovation and creatively solve problems. But to express their creativity, employees must have the freedom and psychological security to share their ideas.

For an organisation to be innovative, there must be a culture that supports innovation and divergent thinking. Humour empowers those processes.

Key takeaways:

• Why humour is a natural stimulus for innovation.
• Design Thinking through humour.
• 4 keys to support an innovative culture.

The Benefits of Laughter

Laughter has immense healing power. It is a personal development tool that can profoundly change both body and mind. In this session, you will discover the 5 secrets to laughing for no reason.

Key takeaways:

• Understand the benefits of laughter yoga.
• Learn how to laugh even if you don’t feel like it.
• Practice Basic Laughter yoga exercises.

Building Resilience through Humour

Research has shown that resilience is a learned ability that you can build, like humour. When you find yourself facing unwelcome change, having someone tell you to look for the humour in your situation may be the last thing you want to hear, but it may be just what you need to hear.

Learn how humour gives you the ability to avoid feeling of negativity and helplessness so you’re better able to see what need to be done to move forward.

Key takeaways:

• Discover why we need humour more than ever.
• Understand how resilience is built through humour.
• Learn the top strategies to start building resilience.

The Science of Fun: Creating a Culture No One Wants to Leave

In the talent war, fun is the new competitive weapon. Data support the notion that all companies should strive to make work more fun for employees. And the benefits to companies are substantial. In this session, we focus on how to create a fun work environment.

Key takeaways:

• Discover why we need more fun at work.
• Learn how to build a fun work culture.
• Understand the science of having fun at work.

But it's just a joke! Inclusion/Exclusion through humor

Do you want your company to achieve greater productivity, profit and staff morale while tackling diversity issues? Today, the key to personal and professional success lies in our interpersonal skills and our capacity to handle relationships judiciously and empathetically.

In this session, we focus on how humour is a powerful leadership tool for diversity and give solutions to improve inclusion and positive interactions in the workplace.

Key takeaways:

• Discover how Gender, Diversity and Humour are linked.
• Rethink (in)equality in the workplace.
• Harness the power of humour to become a better and more inclusive leader.

Humour, the key to positive feedback

Giving feedback can be a tricky process. On the one hand, it is important to be honest and direct so that your interlocutor can learn and progress. On the other hand, you don’t want to come across as overly critical or harsh. One way to lighten the mood and make the feedback process more enjoyable for both parties is to use humour.

In this session, we’ll explore how to effectively use humour to give better feedback.

Key takeaways:

• Understand the benefits and risks of using humour in feedback.
• Develop skills in the effective use of humour in feedback situations.
• Learn how to give and receive feedback in a positive and engaging way.

This can be delivered both as a keynote and workshop.

The Rise of Eco-Humour

Environmental issues are among the most significant challenges of the 21 st century. However, communicating this message does not always require a serious tone. Initiating a conversation about the environment can induce anxiety, and the message often struggles to resonate. Humour can capture attention. It is increasingly recognised as an innovative and out-of-the box approach to foster a space of shared understanding and possibility. While many forces in the world polarise and divide us, one thing can unite us: laughter.

Key takeaways:

• Why humour is a secret weapon in the fight against environmental issues.
• The impact of humour in promoting new ways of thinking and acting.
• Enhancing your eco-communication strategies with humour.

This can be delivered both as a keynote and workshop.

Managing conflicts with humour

Conflicts are an inevitable part of any kind of relationship. Managing conflicts by approaching them with humour not only allows for resolving disagreements but also strengthens relationships. When conflict arises, humour can immediately reduce tension and anger by reframing the issue and putting the situation into perspective.

In this session, we focus on how humour can be an effective tool in conflict management.

Key takeaways:

• Discover the humour’s functions in conflicts.
• Understand how and when to use humour in conflicts.
• Learn the best strategies to ease conflicts with humour.

This can be delivered both as a keynote and workshop.

Humour, Your Meetings’ Secret Weapon (virtual or not)

The first thing that comes to mind when we think of meetings is boredom. Many would agree that meetings are stressful and a waste of time; But this is not an obligation. What if you could add just one element to your meetings that would stimulate learning, attention, confidence, energy, adaptability, memory, collaboration and optimism; reduce fear, stress and resistance to change; and help create safer and more inclusive teams even remotely?

Key takeaways:

• Discover the benefits of using humour in meetings.
• Understand how to use humour successfully in virtual / face-to-face meetings.
• Learn the top strategies to run engaging meetings.

Stand out from the crowd, network with humour

People who learn to network successfully are prized in the job market. Networking is not only about building relationships but leaving every interaction with the other person thinking ‘What an interesting person!’. Your sense of humour can make you memorable. But is it working at its best for social situations where you need to interact with guests you don’t know? Fortunately, we can learn how to use humour to build real connections in a networking context.

Key takeaways:

• Understand how to feel comfortable “working a room”.
• Discover how to interact with guests who have nothing in common with you.
• Learn the top strategies to create meaningful connections.