Whether you’re talking in a formal setting, or you’re chatting with your colleagues at a charity event, here are two quick ways to offend your listeners.
The First Way to Offend Others: Telling jokes. Yes, jokes can be funny and your listeners might laugh. Or not. Jokes are defined as a narrative with a funny punch line. The issue is the punch line. Some group gets punched – such as a political party, a gender, a religion, an ethnicity, or even a college. Your listeners comprise all of the above! Jokes can and do alienate the punched entity. Why take this chance?
The Second Way to Offend Others: Using funny stuff you have seen online. If you have read it online, so have 50,000 of your best buddies. You offend the originator (this is the other person’s intellectual property aka copyright infringement), and you bore your listeners.
I love to make my listeners laugh. Humor is a great way to make your message stick. When well-crafted humor can ease tension, add levity and create good will. Read our last blog on the secret to effective humor.
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© Karen Cortell Reisman, M.S., author of 3 books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with decision makers on how to speak with gravitas. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Karen also speaks about her cousin, Albert Einstein, in a message about hope, resilience and brassieres.
Read more at www.SpeakForYourself.com/blog
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Karen Cortell Reisman, MS, Executive Communication Author & Speaker
I wish I had 50,000 followers. Then I could be an Influencer, like you.
I try to stay away from humor when interacting with other people. LOL
Always fun to hear from you! Michael – you make us laugh without being offensive. Kudos to you.