Laughing Matters

Careful With Those Wisecracks

Last weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner still garners attention on-line and off. Who was funnier, Conan Obrien or President Obama? (My opinion? The President won hands down!) And what was the best laugh line? The President saying he’s no longer a “young, Muslim socialist” OR his suggestion that First Lady Michelle Obama would readily have taken the $100 million Sheldon Adelson spent to defeat the President.

Nearly all of Saturday night’s jokes came off well—something that hasn’t always happened at the annual D.C. event. Some past emcees have fallen flat, while others have openly embarrassed the guest of honor. The dinners have become proof positive that anyone—including interns, summer associates, and new hires—need to be very careful when making jokes. At this stage in your career, getting along is far more important than zinging laugh lines.

The Etiquette of Jokes at Work

Before you make or react to a zinger at work, consider the following:

If you’ve said something that’s obviously offended another person, apologize immediately. Indicate that giving offense was not intended, express your sorrow that offense was taken, and then move on. No need to dwell on the subject matter or your thought processes.

If you hear someone make a joking remark that you find offensive, show a little discretion. If it’s a one-off, a comment that’s not typical for the speaker, you may want to simply disregard it as a brief error in judgment. However, if it’s part of a pattern of behavior, you may want to interject and say, “I wish you hadn’t said that, but let’s move on,” or “You know, I don’t think that’s appropriate office talk.”

Should you forward a joke that you’ve received via email at work? I’d hesitate to do so. 99% of the time it won’t matter. But it’s the 1% of the time that’ll catch you. Any email that you forward could become a permanent part of your record, so watch it. If you’re determined to forward a joke on-line, instead of office email, use a personal email or Twitter account.

And especially with regards to at-work communications, forget using those silly emoticons. If you’re uncertain whether a recipient will “get” the intended humor of your email or text, don’t send it.   

What Do You Need to Know?

Before you share a joke at work, make sure everyone will find it funny. If even one person might be offended, save the zinger for some place else.

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