Incorporating Humor and Human Touch in Your Professional Emails: A Guide
Stanford University's Graduate School of Business professors Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas offer a unique course titled “Humor: Serious Business”. This intriguing curriculum has helped many business professionals infuse their work life with joy.
Can't be at Stanford to attend? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Jennifer and Naomi penned the book Humor, Seriously where they share insights on the power of humor, gathered from comedians, behavioral scientists, and business leaders, and how it can enhance your work and life. This piece offers their insights on how you can add some fun to your work emails.
The idea of employing humor in your professional life might seem daunting or awkward. If the thought of cracking a joke in front of your boss or colleagues sends you into a mild panic, we recommend easing into it.
The aim is not necessarily to be a stand-up comedian at work, but to foster more human connections during mundane moments, and in the process, become more productive, effective, and less bored.
The average worker spends nearly 30 percent of their working hours on email, receiving around 120 messages a day. Research by Slack revealed that 62 percent of their users devote over three hours of their workday on their platform, and another study found that 91 percent of businesses use more than one messaging app simultaneously.
However, digital communication doesn't have to be a chore. Consider it as a series of opportunities to establish genuine connections with your colleagues and partners. Even a hint of humor can ignite a domino effect, shifting the work dynamic.
Here are some practical strategies to add some lightness to your emails:
#1: Leverage Callbacks
A callback is a reference to a shared experience between you and the email recipient, converting a single interaction into an inside joke. Callbacks encourage the recipient to reciprocate the humor.
For instance, Daria, one of the interviewees, left work early one day for a haircut. She and her boss, Saagar, had a humorous conversation about her not-so-perfect client deliverable but her soon-to-be perfect hair. Later, she used this shared laughter as a callback in her email:
Saagar responded in kind:
This interaction showcases how a callback can reinforce a shared moment of humor, creating a new light-hearted moment, and encouraging the other party to continue the humor.
#2: The Magic of a PS
Studies on direct mail response have found that 90 percent of people read the postscript before the body of the letter. Your email's PS could be the first impression you make. It provides a great opportunity to inject a bit of humor into an otherwise formal email. Here's an example:
This light-hearted PS is the email equivalent of a playful wink. It signals a personal touch and invites reciprocation from the recipient.
#3: Bid Adieu with Warmth
Parting ways can be difficult, whether it's leaving a party, acknowledging the end of a relationship, or exiting a job. The manner in which you say goodbye leaves a lasting impression.
A principle known as the "peak-end rule" states that the moments people recall most from an experience are the most emotionally charged one and the final one. This means that when you move on from a job, people will likely remember the key project you worked on and your farewell.
Most parting messages follow a standard pattern:
Sounds familiar, right?
If you've been part of the team for a while, you likely have more personalized sentiments to share with your colleagues than just "I hope our paths will cross again." You've spent countless hours on conference calls, brainstorming sessions, and impromptu conversations - a perfect repository for a humorous callback or a witty reference to your company's unique culture.
A farewell message can be heartfelt and sincere while also bringing a smile to faces, like in this amusing goodbye email from an intern at a large book publishing company:
Thanks for sharing your quirky passwords, inviting me to your meetings, and making me feel like part of the team. And yes, thanks for the donuts. I appreciate it all, and each one of you. In an hour, I'll be turning in my badge and heading home to pack. But do stop by my cubicle after I'm gone – I've left some goodies there for everyone. Some of it is edible.
