How do you use humor to overcome career failures?

As a kid, I didn't have the best experiences in middle or high school. I learned to retreat into my sense of humor to make the best of a negative situation. That talent (I considered it a talent) carried into my adulthood and I found myself able to default to this way of thinking when things were going wrong. Consider how much time has passed by since your last big “failure”. Does it still hurt the same way? Did you regain your confidence during that time period? In retrospect - was it as bad as you thought it was when it was happening? I think about these questions and that’s where I find the humor - by realizing how worked up I was over something that didn’t deserve that much energy from me.

They say laughter is the best medicine. In some cases, it can also be the best career strategy. Picture this: You’ve just bombed a big presentation. Instead of dwelling on it, imagine it as a scene in a comedy movie. Suddenly, it’s not so bad. Laughing at yourself not only eases the sting but also opens up a new perspective. Stress melts away, and you find yourself thinking more creatively. Plus, sharing a funny story about your mishap can connect you with colleagues who’ve been there too. Embracing humor means embracing the ups and downs with a lighter heart, making it easier to pick yourself up and try again.

Absolutely! The only way to survive embarrassing situations is to laugh at them and yourself. As a young journalist in my first job as a trainee English news anchor, I was asked to cover for a Hindi news anchor who hadn't made it for the 6am bulletin. Unprepared, I was on air 2 mins later. Imagine my horror when I realized the intro wasn't on the teleprompter as the anchor knew it by heart. I didn't. Formal news language in Hindi differs from everyday Hindi. I skipped every unfamiliar word. Finally, the embarrassed producer told me to take an intermission. I said, "Ab time hai chhote break ka, lagay rahiye", "Time for a short break, keep going." The producer just groaned. And I learned that being able to say "No" is a very important skill!

Self-deprecating humour doesn’t mean undermining your worth; it’s about acknowledging imperfections with kindness. As a mom, I’ve had my fair share of parenting mishaps. When I missed an important work call because my toddler would not stop crying over his broken toy, I could have felt embarrassed. Instead, I laughed at the situation's absurdity and shared it with colleagues. It became a memorable story rather than a failure.

Agreed. Besides saving you from the inevitable embarrassment, humour can also help you bond with colleagues. For instance, I shared two of my most embarrassing moments at work to make colleagues a little comfortable around me. It helped for real.

Sharing your humorous take on a failure can build connections with others. Everyone has experienced failures, and finding common ground through humor can create bonds and foster support. Telling a funny story about a mishap at work can turn an awkward moment into a shared laugh and a learning experience.

I think we've all had a moment in time where we've started the joke about ourselves to avoid feeling embarrassed or humiliated. When I use humor to overcome career failures, I just tell it how it is. That way, the failure is relatable - even if I incorporate self-deprecating anecdotes. These anecdotes are used to highlight common setbacks and incorporate lessons learned. Timing and delivery are of course important for maximum impact, but I'm mindful not to overuse my humor to avoid offending someone. I always edit my story (which does NOT mean lying, merely finding mutual ground) to the audience I'm talking to. Sharing my experiences in a humorous & respectful manner inspires others to handle their setbacks with grace and resilience.

Humour is a great ingredient when it comes to storytelling. It is essential for releasing endorphins - which add to your audiences engagement and connection to you. Do use it, but use it in a way that is natural to you and with timing that is appropriate.

When I faced rejection letters from publishers early in my writing career, I coped by writing satirical rejection letters to myself. It lightened the emotional load and reminded me that rejection was part of the process.

Humor makes others feel safe. It portrays that we allow ourselves to be ourselves. And it's entirely okay to make some mistakes and play for a little. It diffuses tension and promotes creative thinking.

When in doubt, leave it out. Humor, especially in a professional setting, should be accessible for everyone. Keep it light, politically correct, and even though self-deprecating humor can be a great tool, you want to ensure it doesn't make others uncomfortable.

Laughter can be a secret weapon in acknowledging and learning from those inevitable moments of failure. Imagine your little one's first attempt at tying their shoelaces results in a knot that would make a sailor proud! Instead of scolding or denying their effort, we can chuckle and turn it into a playful learning experience. This way, humour becomes a tool for showing them that mistakes are part of the improvement journey. However, it's crucial to remember that we mustn't let humor become an escape from addressing serious issues. For instance, if our child misbehaves, we can use humor to diffuse the tension, but it should never be a substitute for teaching them responsibility or addressing the behavior seriously.

I tend to go away from controversial humors. And I choose not to dwell with those in the grey zone too. You would just need 1 person in the room to misinterpret your message to ruin the session.

We’re not alone in our struggles. Many successful people have faced setbacks before achieving greatness. Research comedians like Tina Fey, who turned her failures into hilarious anecdotes. Her book “Bossypants” is filled with witty reflections on her journey. Connecting with others through shared experiences helps us realise that failure is universal—and often quite funny.

Humor can be one of the best ways to connect with someone, and when used correctly, can help establish trust and likeability - immediately. However, it is important to understand your audience quickly, because if humor is used incorrectly, it could hurt your credibility and possibly even lose a sale and/or a customer.

To learn about humor, I love watching stand up comedians- especially on how they time their punchline, work with their pauses and structure their story. And most importantly, allowing themselves to laugh at their own story despite practising for a million times!

Humour will not always land and we all have a preferred style humour. It's important be yourself first and foremost, don't force a style on yourself which isn't natural for you. Also, don't expect 100% of the audience to find it funny.

Practice is key! I work in corporate by day and do comedy by night. Even as a someone who's been paid to be funny, I still try stuff that bombs. You need to workshop your material to know what works and what doesn't. Practice your humor with trusted friends, close colleagues, and in small settings, before elevating it to a big presentation or sales pitch.

As a child development consultant, I encourage to introduce the magic of humour to little ones during challenging times. When they stumble, help them turn their mistakes into funny stories. Let laughter be their go-to remedy for stress and sibling conflicts. Teach them that a good laugh can be a soothing balm for anger, sadness, or fear. With humour, show them how to see problems not as roadblocks but as exciting adventures, where creative and unexpected solutions await, turning everyday challenges into playful opportunities for growth.

We have to remember that at the end of the day, our time on Earth is finite. What we see as major setbacks at work are often minor blips in life. Reflecting on the day's events can show us the lighter side of many situations and also people. I've had many embarrassing moments at work, especially as a newbie, but sharing and laughing about them with others has been enlightening. Perhaps it's a coping mechanism for embarrassment, but we always learn something from our uncomfortable work situations or career failures. So let's not be afraid to try, to make mistakes, and learn to laugh about them too. Life is too short; humour is everything!

As a child development consultant and a mom, I believe nurturing a child's sense of humour in the face of failure is essential. Encouraging them to reward themselves with something that makes them laugh, like watching a silly comedy, reading a funny book, or sharing a playful moment with friends, not only helps them cope with disappointments but also promotes emotional resilience and growth. It's all about teaching our little ones to find joy and humour in life's ups and downs because it's okay to stumble as long as we can get back up with a smile.

Focus on the audience. I realized the key to have fun with humor is doing it for the audience. Put your focus to them. Put your focus to enlighten them. Instead of presenting merely what you've prepared, be present and embrace the moment.

Interviewer: "Can you explain this gap in your resume?" Me: "Yes that's when I didn't have a job." (@Shen_The_Bird) Humor breaks the tension that can arise from that awkward interview question, or during a meeting. When you're in a gap period, it's always for the best. You are becoming someone different, working on yourself. There is no need to hide it or be ashamed of it. My advice is to answer with humor and a big smile. "I'm taking time off to enjoy my life now instead of waiting until I'm in my 70's" is another great answer I've heard. Take it easy and smile, and the world smiles with you.

Just remember that all communication is an opportunity storytelling. The moment you view it through that lens you can really open yourself up to enhancing the impacts you can have every day through your life. Storytelling is not just for that big moment.... it is for the every moment. Stories. Change. Lives.

When using humor in a professional setting, it's best to use it strategically. A touch of humor can be great to land a point or nail a transition, but you also do not want your work presentations to feel like an SNL audition. Sprinkle it in to help engage your audience and keep the energy light, without doing so much that you seem so silly you can't be taken seriously. Fewer, better jokes make you memorable!