 | Laughter: the best medicine and tool for communication
December 2008 --
from MESPA President Richard Oscarson
“Principals as leaders of their school are most often looked to by staff, parents, and students as the person who can make the best out of a difficult situation.”
I don’t know about you, but I glad to see that the elections are done for another two years. The negative campaigning and put-downs along with the economic news is enough to bring down even an eternal optimist. I have found one of the unwritten jobs of a principal is to make lemonade out of lemons. Think about it… principals as leaders of their school are most often looked to by staff, parents, and students as the person who can make the best out of a difficult situation. To be that eternal optimist for our schools, we have to be in the right frame of mind.
To get in that frame of mind I often use humor. A few years ago I came across an article on the effectiveness of using humor to connect with people. The writer was writing to the business community, but I see it applying to school leaders also.
Laughter makes us healthier, the author noted. Did you know children laugh 300 times a day, while adults are so stressed they only laugh 15 times a day? Laughter decreases the number of detrimental stress hormones. Laughter boosts our immune system. It’s also great exercise -- 100 laughs equals 10-minute of aerobic exercise. Studies have shown laughter and humor can add years to your life by delaying the onset of cancer, stroke, and Parkinson’s. Human resource directors report that employees with a sense of humor are more creative and much more fun to be around.
Plan ahead when using humor with a large group. The author suggested that you ask yourself if what you are going to tell is really humorous. Try it out with a few trusted people ahead of time. Does it make a good point? Does it blend with your message? Will it offend anyone? And will you be able to deliver it? In other words, practice before telling the humorous story.
I personally have difficulty telling a canned joke or humorous story to a large group. I sometimes seem to mess up the punch line. I’m better at ad-libbing and thinking on my feet. But I do love a good joke, a funny movie, and a good laugh. They always seem to get me in the right frame of mind to make lemons out of lemonade.
Institute is around the corner. Before I close I want to remind you to put the annual MESPA Institute on your calendar. This year it is February 4-6, 2009. At the September Leadership Conference, I saw a sneak preview of the scheduled general sessions and concurrent sessions. In fact the opening general session on Wednesday will be a entertainment by Wavelength, presenting “A Funny Thing Happened Leaving No Child Behind.” It looks like the Educational Advisory Committee, chaired by Mary Hanson, has something for everyone. Look for the registration materials in a few weeks. I hope to see you there.
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