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Summary.
A common piece of advice for presentations and winning over audiences is to be funny. After all, research shows that leaders who use humor are able to increase their employees’ performance and job satisfaction. And hearing something funny or being amused can reduce stress, improve social relations, generate a positive mood, and increase motivation. But new research shows that these outcomes may only apply to men. After watching videotaped presentations by both male and female actors, the man was given higher ratings when he used humor, while the woman who did was given lower ratings. One participant noted that the humorous woman showed “poor judgment in jokes” and another noted that she tried “to cover up her lack of real business acumen by making little jokes.” In contrast, participants who saw the humorous male presentation commented that “he is witty and likes to use humor to not seem like a stern speaker” and another said that “he adds a touch of humor to break up the monotony of his presentation.” These findings don’t mean that women should stop being funny, however; it does mean that organizations and managers should instead increase awareness of this prejudice.Most people want to know how they can effectively present ideas and be persuasive at work. A common piece of advice for presentations and winning over audiences is to be funny. For example, bestselling author of Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds and communications coach Carmine Gallo says, “Humor lowers defenses, making your audience more receptive to your message. It also makes you seem more likable, and people are more willing to do business with or support someone they like.” This advice has been echoed by a number of other authors.