Canadians got it right in a recent poll revealing that a sense of humor in the workplace is an absolute must. Not only do employees need a good sense of humor, but it's also important that managers or supervisors do too!
Mind you, there is a vast difference between having a jovial personality and a clown; as the article points out, an effective manager must be able to strike a balance between maintaining authority and being approachable or in touch through their sense of humor.
However, the result of the poll don't lie – 97% of those interviewed believe a good sense of humor was necessary in the workplace; 88% believed it was necessary for a manager.
It would be interesting to spend more time analyzing those results to see what percentage of people felt they worked in an environment where laughing and occasionally joking around were considered appropriate. From personal experience, it seems that this type of environment isn't necessarily something unique to smaller or newer firms. Indeed, one of the best work environments I've enjoyed was at a large company.
A well-balanced work environment where people feel comfortable joking appropriately with their colleagues does a lot to improve morale. A workplace where one can laugh and have some light-heartened moments is most likely a workplace where one can feel free to speak to other issues or concerns in the workplace.
Besides, most of us need a good sense of humor to put up with the jobs we have and the paycheck we earn!