Employee Motivation Program: Developing a Comic Vision®

By Tim Gard

"We cannot always control the little irritations that occur to us and around us every day, but we can control our perception of those irritations if we develop, use, and share our Comic Vision." - Tim Gard

 

Today, almost everyone has heard of or read about how humor can be used positively in the workplace. However, when humor occurs during work time it can have an equally negative effect. Harnessed positively, good humor can be a strategic skill and act as a positive factor in communication, morale, and stress reduction. However, bad humor can become a negative factor in those same areas, as well as become a source of complaints and civil rights violations.

How can we harness the power of laughter and insulate against negative humor? Tim Gard suggests we use and develop our own "Comic Visions." In this workshop, tailored to your group, he will share his proven methods for "Developing a Comic Vision."

Participants can expect to improve their communication skills as they explore the physical and emotional benefits of laughter and humor in this comprehensive Comic Vision class. They will gain humor insights as they define the boundaries between good and bad humor at work and discover ways to avoid stress both at work and home. Having a Comic Vision is choosing to laugh at the things we can, being serious about the things we have to, and actively harnessing humor as a strategic skill. Developing a healthy sense of humor and a Comic Vision can naturally insulate us against stress and burnout.

Laugh, and learn how to effectively use humor as a tool both at work and home with Tim Gard.

Benefits:

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Understand the complexity of using humor in a diverse workplace
• Use laughter and good humor to prevent or cope with stress and change
• Recognize the physical and emotional benefits of laughter
• Discover Comic Vision alternatives to telling jokes at work
• Identify and defuse situational stress
• Use Comic Vision strategies to manage conflict
• Define "good" and "bad" humor
• Design their own Good Humor Plan
• Harness laughter as a positive communication tool
• Laugh and learn as they develop their own Comic Vision with Tim's proven stress buster methods and good humor office toys

Comic Vision Optional Program Modules:

• MODULE ONE
  This module provides an overview to the Comic Vision concept. Participants learn about types of stress and how to deal with common situational stress factors routinely encountered both at work and home. The group learns how to develop their own Comic Vision to choose to laugh at the things they can and be serious about the things they have to. Tim’s favorite props and stories are used to illustrate how and why participants should harness laughter to avoid stress. Participants discover they don’t have to tell jokes to use humor, and that anyone can use their own Comic Vision as a tool to overcome and avoid stress every day. Having a Comic Vision provides us with the ability to perceive the humorous side of some potential irritations and laugh at them rather than getting angry or stressed.
• MODULE TWO
  We cannot avoid all the negative stress factors that occur in our lives. Participants discover how to use their Comic Vision as a balance to stress. They come to understand that it is okay to be serious about their work, but learn that they do not have to be solemn about everything that occurs at work. They also learn to harness laughter to benefit and amuse themselves and others without having to “tell jokes.” The main focus throughout this module is that while we cannot always control the things that happen around us, we can control our perception of those things through our Comic Vision. Also gained is the critical ability to utilize humor as a skill.
• MODULE THREE
  We all enjoy humor and seek laughter because it makes us feel good; however, many of us do not understand exactly how laughter affects us. From ancient times to today’s technology, scholars have researched and appreciated the physical, emotional, and therapeutic value of laughter. This module highlights the recognized scientific, proven benefits of laughter and humor. Not only is laughter fun, its side effects are well researched and documented, and it is actually good for us! A comprehensive reading list is also presented.
• MODULE FOUR
  Participants learn how to apply good humor in the workplace and how to utilize practical, proven techniques in stressful situations. Workplace humor has the potential for either a highly positive or a strongly negative effect. Good humor can be a strategic communication skill and act as a positive factor in productivity, morale, and stress reduction. Bad humor can have the opposite effect, and additionally can result in complaints and civil rights violations. Insights are gained by defining the boundaries between good and bad humor at work, and thus, the ability to develop and implement a Humor Plan is attained.
• MODULE FIVE - Team Building (Not recommended for groups larger than 50)
  In this last module the group learns to juggle together in small groups. Using juggling as a team development device enables participants to rediscover the joy of learning new things and the importance of learning from mistakes. They are reminded of the fun in not taking themselves so seriously, as well as that not everything that looks difficult is beyond reach. Customized for your group of 50 participants or less, this session exemplifies how working together can be both fun and productive. Most of all, the group has fun as they laugh and learn together.

Time Frame: One to six hours, or as a keynote of one hour to 90 minutes.

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