In another Food for Thought I have told you that a study of more than 600 companies reveal that innovative companies differentiate themselves from stagnating companies mainly on 2 things; The clearly dominating factor is risk-taking/uncertainty-handling ability and that is easy to understand. The second most important factor though is humor, and that is truly a relief to understand. Humor and fun is undoubtedly something that has tremendous positive effects on company culture – we have all experienced that. Hence – here are 7 quotes on humor and play plus my thoughts around them.

1. ”It’s no accident that AHA and HAHA are spelled almost the same way.” –Mitch Ditkoff.
   It is almost that it goes in three steps; 1. Ah! 2. Aha! 3. Haha! Meaning that first you discover something strange and unexpected, then you understand why it has occurred and finally you feel relieved because you notice that the thing discovered is not a threat to you but can be used in a fruitful and fun way.
   
   
2. ”Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain.” –Edward de Bono.
   This guy became famous for his “Six thinking hats” in the 1970’s, a method still used for group evaluations. He is also considered the father of lateral thinking. When he means that humor is so important – there just must be some truth in it.
   
   
3. ”Humor has bailed me out of more tight situations than I can think of. If you go with your instincts and keep your humor, creativity follows. With luck, success comes, too.” –Jimmy Buffett.
   When you deal with innovation it means that quite often something goes wrong or you fail when you try out the route to success. The best way to take the edge out of that failure is to be able to laugh at it.
   
   
4. ”Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation.” –Michael Schrage.
   I must say that the word oxymoron belongs to my favourites. It means that there is an inherent contradiction in an expression – but just like in the invention methodology TRIZ, contradictions usually brings our thinking forward. Serious play is one of these expressions. I interpret it as we do things with a serious cause, but we reach it easier if we free our minds with humor and play, not by external pressure.
   
   
5. ”If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.” –John Cleese.
   In our daily situation we are usually fully occupied with urgent items, and we fulfil them to be efficient, but in order to be effective you sometimes must stop and think about if what we are doing really is leading us where we want to go. Then, to set aside time for serious play, is a prerequisite to accomplish what we want.
   
   
6. ”To stimulate creativity, one must develop childlike inclination for play and the childlike desire for recognition.” –Albert Einstein.
   Good old Albert of course has a say in this too. On top of that importance to play, lustfully, like children we must also recognize the importance of recognition. We are all like kids in our craving for acceptance and recognition for what we have achieved. A good start is to reward yourself intrinsically, thereby motivating yourself to continue. But an appreciating word to a colleague makes more effect than you could imagine
   
   
7. “I’ve got a great sense of humor.” –Anthony Hopkins.
   We are all different and although you think that a colleague with the “stiffest upper lip” you have ever seen (just like Anthony Hopkins) must be totally relieved from all sense of humor….please look deeper, and I am sure you will find that humor exist there as well. Doing this you will create a useful bridge between the two of you. Humor is a fantastic networking tool.

Ensure to have fun! Always look at the bright sides of Life …because that is contagious...

Bengt Järrehult