0:00:12.125,0:00:14.626
Have you ever been in a class

0:00:14.626,0:00:18.905
that was so boring that you fell asleep

0:00:18.906,0:00:22.176
and started to dream[br]about happiness and milkshakes?

0:00:22.177,0:00:23.397
(Laughter)

0:00:23.398,0:00:28.000
Only to be woken up by a professor[br]reading slides to you?

0:00:28.987,0:00:32.103
I'm here to tell you that when you[br]enter the corporate world,

0:00:32.104,0:00:33.729
it doesn't get any better.

0:00:33.730,0:00:35.092
(Laughter)

0:00:35.093,0:00:37.612
But the good news is that it can.

0:00:37.613,0:00:39.887
The problem with people[br]in the corporate world

0:00:39.888,0:00:42.297
is sometimes they're so focused[br]on the bottom line

0:00:42.298,0:00:45.242
that they just focus in on efficiency.

0:00:45.243,0:00:48.994
And I love efficiency, I'm an engineer,[br]I'm obsessed with it.

0:00:48.995,0:00:51.186
In fact, I was even born three weeks early

0:00:51.187,0:00:53.857
because apparently, even in the womb,

0:00:53.858,0:00:56.554
I said: "I'm ready to go right now!"

0:00:56.555,0:00:57.778
(Laughter)

0:00:57.779,0:01:00.691
But the problem is that just because[br]something is efficient,

0:01:00.692,0:01:02.716
it doesn't mean that it's effective.

0:01:02.717,0:01:04.425
Just because something saves time,

0:01:04.426,0:01:06.823
it doesn't mean that it[br]actually gets results.

0:01:07.313,0:01:10.836
And if you're thinking: "Why should I[br]believe you, skinny Hugh Jackman?"

0:01:10.837,0:01:13.146
(Laughter)

0:01:15.172,0:01:18.494
First of all, you don't have[br]to remind me that I'm skinny.

0:01:18.495,0:01:21.787
I've been skinny my entire life,[br]I was born 8.3 pounds

0:01:21.788,0:01:24.075
and then stayed that way[br]till I was 15 years old.

0:01:24.076,0:01:25.835
(Laughter)

0:01:25.836,0:01:28.690
But second, it's because[br]I've actually been there.

0:01:28.691,0:01:31.321
The summer between my junior[br]and senior year of college,

0:01:31.322,0:01:33.979
I interned at Procter & Gamble[br]in Cincinnati.

0:01:34.509,0:01:37.907
At the end of the summer, I had to give[br]a presentation to a review board

0:01:37.908,0:01:39.245
that would ultimately decide

0:01:39.246,0:01:42.176
whether or not I could get hired[br]full-time at the company.

0:01:42.646,0:01:46.632
I slaved over a presentation[br]that I ended up thinking was killer.

0:01:47.282,0:01:50.271
Killer because it was going[br]to bore them to death.

0:01:51.221,0:01:52.803
The night before my presentation,

0:01:52.804,0:01:55.889
I decided that I needed[br]to change everything.

0:01:55.890,0:01:59.317
And so the single most important[br]presentation I'd ever given in my life

0:01:59.318,0:02:01.093
started with this slide.

0:02:01.773,0:02:04.528
(Laughter)

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I can tell you from personal experience

0:02:08.366,0:02:14.017
that creating an entire presentation[br]in Microsoft Paint is not very efficient.

0:02:14.018,0:02:15.697
(Laughter)

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But it does get people to pay attention.

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My presentation ended with what I think[br]was my greatest masterpiece

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(Laughter)

0:02:25.667,0:02:31.034
an 'M.C. Escher meets Keith Haring'-style[br]drawing of the review board that day.

0:02:31.035,0:02:34.707
And yes, those are visually[br]accurate stick figures

0:02:34.708,0:02:35.737
(Laughter)

0:02:35.738,0:02:39.450
of each one of the senior leaders[br]that was going to decide my fate.

0:02:40.270,0:02:43.504
After I delivered my presentation,[br]I talked with each of the people,

0:02:43.505,0:02:45.896
and one of the associate[br]directors pulled me aside:

0:02:45.896,0:02:48.022
"You know, you're[br]pretty good at PowerPoint."

0:02:48.023,0:02:49.164
(Laughter)

0:02:49.165,0:02:51.649
I said: "I'd like to think[br]that I excel at it."

0:02:51.650,0:02:54.166
(Laughter)

0:02:54.167,0:02:56.709
He was like: "Was that[br]a Microsoft Office pun?"

0:02:56.719,0:02:57.751
(Laughter)

0:02:57.752,0:02:58.835
I replied: "Word."

0:02:58.872,0:03:00.407
(Laughter)

0:03:02.017,0:03:04.626
Two days later, I found out I got the job.

0:03:06.444,0:03:09.688
I'd never really realized[br]that most people think

0:03:09.689,0:03:13.489
that humor and work are[br]at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

0:03:13.501,0:03:15.524
To reference Animaniacs,

0:03:15.525,0:03:19.444
people think that humor is Pinky[br]and work is the Brain.

0:03:19.445,0:03:21.891
In reality, you need to bring[br]both of them together

0:03:21.892,0:03:24.290
in order to actually try[br]to take over the world.

0:03:24.291,0:03:26.019
Because people who use humor at work

0:03:26.020,0:03:30.204
are more productive, less stressed,[br]paid more and happier,

0:03:30.205,0:03:33.906
which is something that I never learned[br]in any one of my college classes.

0:03:33.907,0:03:36.974
Because our classes teach us[br]the skills we need to do a job,

0:03:36.975,0:03:41.691
but no one really teaches you the skills[br]that you need to enjoy that job.

0:03:41.692,0:03:45.054
And it turns out, as Americans,[br]we are not very good at it.

0:03:45.055,0:03:48.847
83% of Americans[br]feel stressed out at work.

0:03:49.457,0:03:53.666
55% of Americans are[br]unsatisfied with their jobs,

0:03:53.667,0:03:57.192
and 47% of Americans[br]struggle to stay happy.

0:03:57.193,0:03:59.271
Of course, it's even worse in Disney world

0:03:59.272,0:04:02.331
where statistically,[br]only 1 out of 7 dwarfs are happy.

0:04:02.332,0:04:04.066
(Laughter)

0:04:06.156,0:04:10.568
But still, 1 out of 2 people[br]was still pretty scary.

0:04:11.308,0:04:13.080
A few years after my internship,

0:04:13.081,0:04:16.240
I was working at Procter & Gamble[br]in New York City.

0:04:16.241,0:04:18.880
I was promoted from analyst[br]to project manager,

0:04:18.882,0:04:21.969
and I still used humor in the workplace.

0:04:21.970,0:04:25.280
I was a project manager, I got to name[br]my projects whatever I wanted.

0:04:25.281,0:04:27.744
So instead of the standard[br]"Retail Sales 2.0",

0:04:27.751,0:04:30.572
I named them things like[br]"Project Awesomization".

0:04:30.573,0:04:31.573
(Laughter)

0:04:31.427,0:04:33.792
I also taught improv[br]to all of my team members

0:04:33.793,0:04:36.540
so that they can improve[br]their leadership skills

0:04:36.541,0:04:39.669
and start to brainstorm[br]and think faster on their feet.

0:04:39.670,0:04:41.935
Whenever someone new would join my team,

0:04:41.936,0:04:45.334
I'd have them fill out a personality[br]assessment like Myers-Briggs

0:04:45.335,0:04:48.199
or more importantly,[br]"Which Star Wars character are you?"

0:04:48.200,0:04:49.825
(Laughter)

0:04:49.834,0:04:53.154
If you're wondering, I'm an INTJ R2-D2

0:04:53.155,0:04:54.239
(Laughter)

0:04:54.240,0:04:55.907
a shock to none of you.

0:04:55.908,0:04:57.443
(Laughter)

0:04:57.444,0:05:00.169
But after one[br]of my weekly status meetings,

0:05:00.170,0:05:04.085
one of my co-workers came up to me[br]- it was Sarah, a.k.a. Ewok -

0:05:04.086,0:05:06.443
(Laughter)

0:05:06.444,0:05:09.366
and Sarah was like,[br]"Drew, I just want to thank you."

0:05:09.367,0:05:13.721
I had no idea what she was talking about,[br]so, of course, I said, "It's about time."

0:05:13.722,0:05:14.936
(Laughter)

0:05:14.937,0:05:16.643
"Why are you thanking me?"

0:05:16.644,0:05:19.821
She said, "That is because[br]of this project, it's been fun."

0:05:19.822,0:05:23.115
I was, "Finally! Someone else[br]who appreciates the joy

0:05:23.125,0:05:26.250
of Bayesian probability[br]and predictive analytics."

0:05:26.832,0:05:29.472
She was like, "What are you[br]talking about? (Laughter)

0:05:29.473,0:05:33.095
No, not the project itself,[br]but they way that you managed it.

0:05:33.096,0:05:35.034
Before I joined Project Awesomization,

0:05:35.035,0:05:37.908
I was thinking about quitting[br]because I was so stressed out.

0:05:37.909,0:05:42.414
But then I joined your team,[br]and it was different because we had fun.

0:05:42.415,0:05:46.012
And somewhere along the way, I realized[br]that no one told you to use humor,

0:05:46.013,0:05:48.738
you just decided to, so thank you."

0:05:49.498,0:05:51.241
And I was touched.

0:05:51.242,0:05:52.875
Because Ewok was right.

0:05:52.876,0:05:53.793
(Laughter)

0:05:53.794,0:05:58.073
No one ever told me to use humor,[br]but no one ever stopped me either.

0:05:58.673,0:06:03.632
Sarah, like so many other people,[br]never thought she could use humor at work.

0:06:03.633,0:06:05.934
I'd always assumed that I could.

0:06:06.534,0:06:08.385
It was at that moment that I decided

0:06:08.386,0:06:11.958
that I no longer wanted to be[br]just a computer science engineer.

0:06:11.959,0:06:14.216
I wanted to be a humor engineer.

0:06:14.217,0:06:17.571
And if you've never heard of it before,[br]it's because I've made it up.

0:06:18.221,0:06:20.252
But just as a computer science engineer

0:06:20.253,0:06:23.628
helps people be more efficient,[br]more effective using technology,

0:06:23.629,0:06:27.387
a humor engineer helps people[br]be more efficient effective using humor.

0:06:28.153,0:06:32.321
Because the average person sends[br]and receives 112 e-mails per day,

0:06:32.322,0:06:35.767
and spends 80% of their time[br]in some form of communication.

0:06:35.768,0:06:37.768
Humor helps your message[br]actually stick out

0:06:37.769,0:06:40.516
and gets people to stop and pay attention.

0:06:40.517,0:06:41.987
(Laughter)

0:06:41.988,0:06:44.868
Humor also makes your message[br]more memorable.

0:06:44.869,0:06:47.337
Simple things like mnemonics[br]help us remember things

0:06:47.338,0:06:49.062
long after we actually learned them.

0:06:49.063,0:06:51.018
I haven't played an instrument in years,

0:06:51.019,0:06:53.867
but I still remember[br]that Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge.

0:06:53.868,0:06:55.488
(Laughter)

0:06:55.489,0:06:58.846
But even more humor[br]helps us to solve problems

0:06:58.847,0:07:01.091
because it gets the brain[br]going and warms us up.

0:07:01.092,0:07:02.775
In fact, I can help you all warm up

0:07:02.776,0:07:05.918
a few neurons right now[br]with this simple joke.

0:07:06.848,0:07:09.158
How would Sherlock respond[br]if Watson asked:

0:07:09.159,0:07:11.619
"What's the grade before middle school?"

0:07:12.159,0:07:15.654
Naturally he'd say,[br]"It's elementary, my dear Watson."

0:07:15.655,0:07:17.231
(Laughter)

0:07:18.241,0:07:21.719
Just by making a simple joke,[br]our brain starts making connections,

0:07:21.720,0:07:24.135
and in the process releases[br]a chemical, serotonin,

0:07:24.136,0:07:27.820
which not only increases our focus[br]but also improves our own brain power.

0:07:27.821,0:07:30.386
And if you laughed at that joke,[br]then congratulations,

0:07:30.387,0:07:32.334
you just burned half of a calorie.

0:07:32.343,0:07:33.828
(Laughter)

0:07:33.829,0:07:37.759
Which is really only 15%[br]of a single M&M, but still.

0:07:37.760,0:07:39.661
If you laugh for 10 to 15 minutes,

0:07:39.662,0:07:43.485
then you burn as many calories[br]as in 5 minutes of aerobic exercise,

0:07:43.486,0:07:45.160
10 minutes of dancing,

0:07:45.161,0:07:47.346
and 15 minutes of milking a cow.

0:07:47.347,0:07:49.198
(Laughter)

0:07:49.199,0:07:53.125
So if you've been out sneaking[br]into farms to exercise, stop!

0:07:53.126,0:07:54.156
(Laughter)

0:07:54.157,0:07:56.197
Just laugh for 10 minutes instead,

0:07:56.198,0:07:58.894
and you do that for a year,[br]you'll lose up to 4 pounds;

0:07:58.895,0:08:02.146
you do that for a lifetime,[br]and you'll increase resiliency,

0:08:02.147,0:08:05.150
reduce tension, and relax your muscles.

0:08:05.920,0:08:07.215
But not only that.

0:08:07.815,0:08:10.077
Once you're more productive[br]and less stressed,

0:08:10.078,0:08:11.469
you actually make more money.

0:08:11.470,0:08:14.414
In fact, in a study put on[br]by the Harvard Business Review,

0:08:14.415,0:08:19.241
it was found that executives who use humor[br]are paid more and promoted faster.

0:08:19.242,0:08:22.646
And money may not buy happiness,[br]but relationships might.

0:08:23.186,0:08:25.257
Because people[br]with 3 close friends at work,

0:08:25.258,0:08:28.879
are 96% more likely to be[br]satisfied with their lives.

0:08:28.880,0:08:32.301
Not just satisfied with their work[br]but satisfied with their lives.

0:08:32.909,0:08:34.869
And how do you get close friends?

0:08:35.198,0:08:36.225
Money.

0:08:36.226,0:08:38.724
(Laughter)

0:08:38.725,0:08:41.524
I'm just kidding. You use humor.

0:08:41.525,0:08:43.482
Because humor connects people.

0:08:43.501,0:08:45.127
It builds trust, diffuses tension,

0:08:45.128,0:08:48.851
and creates positive shared experiences[br]that bring people closer together.

0:08:48.852,0:08:51.053
You start to realize[br]that the people around you

0:08:51.054,0:08:54.001
aren't just co-workers,[br]students, or professors,

0:08:54.002,0:08:58.943
but they're actual human beings[br]with human lives and human emotions.

0:08:59.953,0:09:01.344
That is the power of humor;

0:09:01.345,0:09:03.966
it not only helps you[br]but the people around you.

0:09:03.967,0:09:06.874
A few years after my conversation[br]with Sarah the Ewok,

0:09:06.875,0:09:10.894
I decided that I was going to leave[br]P&G to start my own company.

0:09:10.895,0:09:14.793
Since then, I've worked with hundreds[br]of organizations across the United States

0:09:14.794,0:09:17.255
on how to be more effective using humor.

0:09:17.256,0:09:20.142
I've also learned[br]that only one third of people

0:09:21.572,0:09:23.285
use humor at work regularly.

0:09:23.286,0:09:24.614
I wanted to understand why,

0:09:24.615,0:09:28.219
so I run a study through my website,[br]and nearly 400 people responded.

0:09:28.220,0:09:30.096
The first reason people don't use humor

0:09:30.097,0:09:33.322
is because they don't think their boss[br]or co-workers would approve.

0:09:33.323,0:09:35.459
When humor isn't part[br]of your normal workday,

0:09:35.460,0:09:37.485
you start to assume that it's not welcome.

0:09:37.486,0:09:38.766
But 81% of employees say

0:09:38.767,0:09:41.334
that a fun workplace[br]would make them more productive,

0:09:41.335,0:09:45.158
and 98% of CEOs prefer job candidates[br]with the sense of humor.

0:09:45.159,0:09:47.263
The second reason[br]why people don't use humor

0:09:47.264,0:09:48.848
is that they don't know how.

0:09:48.849,0:09:51.236
When you think about humor,[br]that it means laughter,

0:09:51.237,0:09:52.597
it can seem intimidating.

0:09:52.598,0:09:54.773
But humor is different than comedy.

0:09:54.774,0:09:59.238
Humor is defined as comic, absurd,[br]or incongruous quality causing amusement.

0:09:59.239,0:10:02.408
So while laughter is great,[br]a smile is also good.

0:10:02.409,0:10:06.190
It's not about making work funny,[br]but making work fun.

0:10:06.191,0:10:09.220
If you think fun, if you think positive[br]and you think inclusive,

0:10:09.221,0:10:12.083
you're on your way to being[br]a corporate rock star.

0:10:12.563,0:10:15.703
The final reason is that people say[br]they don't have time.

0:10:16.133,0:10:18.214
They don't have time.

0:10:19.364,0:10:22.661
There are 168 hours in a week.

0:10:23.241,0:10:27.898
If you average 7 hours of sleep per night,[br]you spend 49 of them sleeping.

0:10:27.899,0:10:32.262
That leaves 119 hours per week[br]that you're awake.

0:10:32.263,0:10:35.627
If you work an average[br]of 40 hours per week,

0:10:35.628,0:10:40.669
that is 33.6% of your[br]adult life spent at work.

0:10:41.359,0:10:46.612
You don't have time to make one third[br]of your adult waking life more enjoyable?

0:10:46.613,0:10:48.399
The truth is that every single day

0:10:48.400,0:10:51.983
you choose if you're going to be[br]more productive and less stressed.

0:10:51.984,0:10:55.512
You choose if you're going to do[br]the things that will get you paid more.

0:10:55.513,0:10:58.165
And you choose[br]if you're going to be happy.

0:10:58.166,0:11:01.902
With one third of your life on a line,[br]why not use humor at work?

0:11:01.903,0:11:03.326
Thank you.

0:11:03.327,0:11:04.935
(Applause)