According to the many medical studies carried out, the value of laughter is intrinsically linked to our health, well being and happiness, all of these are vital to obtain learning and innovation in companies.
As you surely know, theory X infers that work is something sacrifying and undesirable. People therefore only make the effort to earn money with the least exertion, leaving management to sort out problems. The employee is restricted in the doing the job for which s/he had been hired in an efficient manner over the signed off labour day. In contrast, theory Y infers that work can be stimulating and gratifying
and that personal fullfilment and growth are the real motivators of people. Employees actively seek experience, growth and personal accountability.
Renewal has witnessed how many companies still create a “strait jacketed culture” based upon an unlimited number of “shoulds”, “it will be necessary that …”, “I cannot…”, “it cannot be done…”, “you must”, “ you have got to” that moves the employee to dramatize his/hers life and take away her/his power to act and experiment efficiently and effectively on problems and challenging situations. Making a “mistake”
becomes the tyrant of our interior growth instead of being no more that a way to correcting the set course. A great deal of unnecessary anxiety is being created.
“Rather than wanting, preferring or wishing to change things and relations, we tend to demand, insisting that we must have them done “our way” at any cost. With this kind of “must-ness” we transform and inflict a tremendous defeat on ourselves.”(1)
Once again, the scientist insist that children are born with an enormous potential that atrophies with some unnecessary social ruling, family and personal conditioning that turns ineffective. From lack of practice and age our potential to learn and laugh goes unused everyday. Even less in inadequate labour context. Do not expect a greater performance and passion from your workforce if there is not first an adequate environment for learning.
Renewal works with the definition of Dr. Ellen Langer of Harvard (2)- on mindful learning- as the use of our creative potential to grow and explore by consciously abandoning the comfort zone created by our negative conditioning and that keeps us entrapped.
Everyone without exception, and that also includes you, can recuperate the power that you had during childhood. The good news is that comes back with practice and it is as easy as riding a bicycle. Once you learn it you never forget it.
“We have not given up playing because we had grown older but we grow older because we stop playing.”
Anonymous.
“Amusement is the key, flow is the experience and freedom the result. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi.”
The flow: Psychology of Optimal Experience.
Laughter is an organic experience where all muscular, nervous, cardiac, cerebral and digestive systems participate. The organic effect that laughter has on anxiety is the stimulation and relaxation of the health by means of a deep exercising and relaxation of the aforementioned systems. Laughter frees two chemical neuropeptides -endorfines and encefalines- both pain suppressors. Likewise, it generates the provision of adrenalin and noradrenalin and frees the catecolamines responsible for the boost of blood flow, reduction of inflammations, acceleration of the healing process and the facilitation of global body awakening (3).
Laughter can ease the natural activity of toxic anxiety and revert the destructive process of the cells (4). The stimulation of humour reinforces the immunity system in people, decreasing the high levels of lost productivity and labour absenteeism (5).
Physical and mental relaxation is a core practice in successful businesses and no longer a “luxury” nor an exotic fashion for elite athletes or “new age” followers.Turning our backs to the toxic anxiety problem and its enormous effects on productivity losses is a folly act. It would be more convenient to consider the value of techniques of visualization, affirmations and meditation as means to transform
toxic anxiety into creative energy and facilitate satisfying achievements in surroundings of uncertainty and vertiginous change.
Applying the smiling gesture in the workplace can be in fact a challenge in the present environment and at the same time tremendously comforting. To laugh at someone is considered a defensive attitude, divisive and in some instances aggressive
whilst to laugh with somebody helps us break the ice, connect and unite people with whom we dispute. Healthy persons with a high level of proactivity tend to laugh with whereas the reactive person tends to laugh at someone or something.
Laughter is a technique in negotiation that is oftenly used in processes of high tension and complicated conciliation acts and encourages an attitude of greater tolerance of opponent parties. Laughter is a social language that cement relationships and serves to celebrate processes of growth, achievement and conquest.
The four principles of business excellence proposed by Renewal® are the following:
1. Creativity, invention, vision, communication, effort and determination are the
pivotal assets in any corporation.
2. To foster a growing environment is essential for self-discovery and personal
growth of the innate capabilities for leadership of your workforce.
3. We can elect to make work a form of profitable play rather than a profitable
punishment.
4. The people who enjoy their work obtain better results in their balance sheets
than those who are bitter.
An adequate labour context, improves the workforce motivation, the levels of performance, the transformation of toxic anxiety into positive energy , and a strong team spirit where effective communication between lines of responsibility is found.
1. Dr. Alber Ellis; “Fun as Psychotherapy”; American Pychology Convention 1976.
2. Langer, J.Ellen. The power of mindful learning, © 1997,Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
3. Dr.Robert Holden is the founder of the Happy Project in the UK y teh clinics on stress and laughter
4. Dr. Berk; “Eutress of Mirthful Laughter Modifies Natural Killer Cell Activity”; Clinical Research 1988.
5. Dr. Labott; “The Physiology and Psychological Effects of the Expression and Inhibition of Emotion”;
Journal of Behavioural Medicine (Winter 1990).
Marcos Cajina
President
Marcos has a compelling blend of intelligence, insight, humor, and experience that supports clients bridge the difference between understanding and doing.
He brings conceptual rigour and efficient support to the learning engagement. The focus of his work is to help leaders improve performance and well-being.
A provocateur and a challenger, clients, have multiplied their effectiveness in many different ways.