CCOG for MSD 187 Winter 2025
- Course Number:
- MSD 187
- Course Title:
- Humor in the Workplace
- Credit Hours:
- 1
- Lecture Hours:
- 10
- Lecture/Lab Hours:
- 0
- Lab Hours:
- 0
Course Description
Concentrates on the rediscovery of laughter and humor through situational humor to re-build human connection, improve individual health, kindle creativity, and establish perspective in a work world confused by strategies such as downsizing, reengineering, outsourcing, etc. Participants should be forewarned that sporadic laughter is entirely possible. Audit available.
Intended Outcomes for the course
- Apply humor appropriately in workplace interactions to reduce stress, enhance creativity, dissolve crises, and improve relationships.
- Demonstrate to the management of an organization the bottom line benefits to having a climate that encourages fun; how humor and laughter can aid in the celebration of people and organizational success.
Outcome Assessment Strategies
- Various individual and/or group skill-building activities such as role-plays, case studies, or other exercises geared toward critical analysis of course concepts..
- Written assignments or oral reports designed to integrate course material into personal experience or experiences of others.
- Complete exams comprised of essay and/or objective questions, or an individual and/or team project or paper which requires integration, application, and critical examination of course concepts, issues, and themes.
Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)
COMPETENCIES/SKILLS:
- Reframing perspective to include humor
- Reducing stress using humor
- Laughter
- Creative problem solving
- Oral and written skills
CONCEPTS, THEMES & ISSUES:
General Concepts
- Humor potential in everyday work life
- Appropriate vs. inappropriate workplace humor
- Improving relationships with humor
- Humor can be learned
- Good management incorporates humor
- Humor provides stress relief & improved health
Themes
- Relationship of humor to creativity
- Stress reduction
- Improving relationships
Issues
- Differing perceptions of appropriate use of humor
- Humor can be learned
- Anyone can use humor
- Inappropriate humor can be detrimental