When Not to Use Humor
I often talk about using humor in situations to break the tension in a business setting. Quite often heated discussions break out and a humorous comment can be made to cool things down and put the discussion into perspective. But, there are times when humor should not be used. If you are the one being targeted with the serious discussion you may not want to reply with a humorous comment so that you don’t sound flippant angering the other person. The best thing to do is to listen and not interrupt. Let that person finish, many times they just need to vent, they feel they need to be heard. Cracking a joke may make things worse. Try to find something to agree about. Repeat part of their statement so that they are aware that you were listening. Avoid negative or defensive responses. Don’t be accusatory. Even though you feel you were verbally attacked, don’t escalate the matter by being accusatory.
When using humor in such situations don’t be sardonic. Use a less sarcastic tone so as not to anger someone. Don’t poke fun at someone or their idea; you don’t want them to take the joke personally. Use more generic humor about the situation; the purpose here is to not be a comedian but to be part of the team.