Here's a Reminder: Laughter Makes Meetings Better Group rapport and camaraderie translates to innovation, creativity and new solutions.

By Nina Zipkin

Were you the class clown in school? We're guessing it got you banished to the back of the class. But according to a recent study, cracking jokes in the office with your co-workers could help you get ahead in the office, as humor can actually make the workplace more productive.

The researchers behind the study, Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock, a professor of psychology at VU University Amsterdam and Joseph A. Allen, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska, took a look at several German companies. They recorded 54 "regular organizational team meetings" and then tracked them to find the patterns of jokes and laughter.

Related: 7 Personality Types That Can Make or Break Your Meeting

With those observations, along with performance reviews from the employee's managers after the meetings (as well as a later time), the professors found that "humor patterns triggered positive socioemotional communication, procedural structure, and new solutions." Meaning that what you thought was just kidding around and simple camaraderie could actually lead to more creativity and innovation in everyone's work. This improved team performance, both in the present time and two years later.

However, the researchers found that there were a couple of caveats. It wasn't just jokes or laughter that contributed to the positive reviews, but rather a group rapport that led to the humor patterns: joke, laughter, another joke. Additionally, when job security wasn't an issue, Lehmann-Willenbrock and Allen found that "humor patterns were positively related to performance but during times of higher job insecurity, humor played less of a role in in the team performance."

Related: 10 Ways to Engage Your Audience During an Important Meeting

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

This Couple Started a Side Hustle to Improve a 'Terribly Made' Bathroom Essential. Now the Business Earns More Than $3 Million a Year.

Michael Fine and Lisa Schulner-Fine launched lifestyle brand Quiet Town in 2016 and have been growing it ever since.

Leadership

Lead From the Top: 5 Core Responsibilities of a CEO

Knowing exactly what the chief executive's role entails is critical for steering a company to success.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

Your Clients Are Using AI to Replace You — Do These 3 Things Before They Do

Harness these three steps to audit, evolve and future-proof your offer before AI replaces you.

Business News

What's Open on Easter Sunday? Costco and Target Will Close, But One Major Retailer Will Be Open. Here's What To Know.

The stock market was closed for Good Friday on April 18. Here's what's closed for Easter Sunday, April 20.

Productivity

6 Habits That Help Successful People Maximize Their Time

There aren't enough hours in the day, but these tips will make them feel slightly more productive.