Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life*

　　上了史丹佛商學院這門課，人人都是幽默大師！
　　幽默不就只是好笑嗎？錯！幽默足以影響你的生活，甚至事業！
 
　　一提到工作，大家似乎都笑不出來了，最明顯的例子是，只要一進了辦公室，我們開懷大笑的次數就會驟降，好像一笑就會顯得自己很不專業似的。
 
　　然而，研究報告顯示，要完成一項嚴肅的工作，幽默才是最大利器。幽默讓我們看起來更有自信、更具競爭力，也有助於打造氣氛良好的工作環境、釋放我們的想像力，讓我們有足夠的彈性面對任何已知與未知的挑戰。此外，我們也不會整天繃著一張臉，讓身邊的工作夥伴備感壓力。
 
　　還有一項針對企業管理階層的調查，可以佐證幽默的好處：百分之九十八的人希望員工帶點幽默感，而百分之八十四的人，相信有幽默感的員工工作能力也比較好。儘管這麼多人知道幽默的重要，卻很少有人知道該如何表現這項特質，結果，我們在無意識中隱藏了幽默感，進而影響了我們的工作表現、人際關係，甚至是身體健康。
 
　　也因此，催生了這門教導幽默的課程，讓工作狂們懂得為工作加點調料。本書以行為科學家、世界級喜劇大師及商業領袖為例，告訴我們幽默的重要，並提出有效運用這項特質的方式。
 
　　幽默的秘密到底是什麼呢？究竟是什麼讓事物變得有趣、讓生活變得精彩？本書不僅揭示幽默的秘密，更不藏私地教導我們如何利用幽默帶給他人良好的第一印象、發表負面的回饋、說服以及激勵他人，並形塑出充滿創意且不那麼嚴肅的文化。當然，還提醒你該如何既幽默又保持分寸，但如果真的冒犯到人了，又該如何挽救。(文/博客來編譯)

　　WALL STREET JOURNAL, LOS ANGELES TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Anyone—even you!—can learn how to harness the power of humor in business (and life), based on the popular class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
 
　　Don’t miss the authors’ TED Talk, “Why great leaders take humor seriously,” online now.

　　“The ultimate guide to using the magical power of funny as a tool for leadership and a force for good.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive

　　We are living through a period of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval in both our personal and professional lives. So it should come as a surprise to exactly no one that trust, human connection, and mental well-being are all on the decline.
 
　　This may seem like no laughing matter. Yet, the research shows that humor and laughter are among the most valuable tools we have at our disposal for strengthening bonds and relationships, diffusing stress and tension, boosting resilience, and performing when the stakes are high. 
 
　　That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds infuse more humor and levity into their work and lives.

　　In Humor, Seriously, they draw on findings by behavioral scientists, world-class comedians, and inspiring business leaders to reveal how humor works and—more important—how you can use more of it, better.

　　Aaker and Bagdonas unpack the theory and application of humor: what makes something funny, how to mine your life for material, and simple ways to identify and leverage your unique humor style. They show how to use humor to rebuild vital connections; appear more confident, competent, and authentic at work; and foster cultures where levity and creativity can thrive.

　　President Dwight David Eisenhower once said, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” If Dwight David Eisenhower, the second least naturally funny president (after Franklin Pierce), thought humor was necessary to win wars, build highways, and warn against the military-industrial complex, then you might consider learning it too.

Jennifer Aaker is a behavioral psychologist, author, and chaired professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Her work has been published in leading journals, and featured in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Forbes, NPR, and Science. Dr. Aaker has been honored with numerous teaching awards including Poets & Quants MBA Professor of the Year. She counts winning a dance-off in the early 1980s among her most impressive achievements, and cooks very poorly. Naomi Bagdonas is a Stanford lecturer with over ten years experience in executive coaching and management consulting, and a professionally-trained comedian at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in L.A. She fosters a sweet pitbull named Panda, who silently judges her.