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Laughing With You
Studies show that humor facilitates and reinforces learning. In How Laughing Leads To Learning, Zak Stambor observes: “[A] growing body of research suggests that, when used effectively, classroom comedy can improve student performance by reducing anxiety, boosting participation and increasing students’ motivation to focus on the material. Moreover, the benefits might not be limited to students: Research suggests that students rate professors who make learning fun significantly higher than others.” Thus, using humor benefits retreat organizers/facilitators as well as attendees.
And in Humor As An Instructional Defibrillator, Ronald A. Berk, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University confirms that humor improves the connection between teachers and students, enlivens dry or boring material, and reduces stress. He recommends incorporating music, games, and videos into teaching.
The application of these ideas to law firm retreats is obvious. Every retreat presents different goals to be accomplished and calls for unique solutions. But the overwhelming evidence of its efficacy as a teaching device strongly suggests that humor be incorporated into the retreat.
New insights and skills, like the best clients, are portable. But as the old (albeit true) cliche goes: “use it or lose it.” The benefits of using humor as a life skill increase with regular practice. A retreat offers great opportunities for reflection, learning, and growth. In that sense it is a journey that does not end with the “wrap-up and review of goals” session.
Humor as a skill and strategy should be encouraged after the retreat has ended. As Paul McGhee, PhD, of www.LaughterRemedy.com explains in Team Building Humor Strengthens a Team Identity or Spirit: “[W]hen a company realizes that employees who bring a lighter attitude toward their work (1) want to do their jobs well; (2) do not use humor and fun on the job as an excuse for goofing off; (3) generally use good judgment about when any kind of humor or laughter is appropriate; (4) can retain a high level of professionalism and competence while keeping their sense of humor; and (5) become more skilled at sustaining a frame of mind conducive to peak performance and quality service, the resistance to allowing humor and a sense of fun on the job out of the retreat site and into the office generally disappears.”
Mark Solomon is a partner in The Billable Hour Company, the premier online purveyor of humorous gifts and greeting cards for lawyers and legal professionals. The Billable Hour Company offers patented Billable Hour timepieces; CDs featuring songs about the law; games; books; personal and office accessories; and Survival Kit gift baskets.
