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Humor to the Rescue

Humor is a wonderful tool. When you are skilled at using humor, it can rescue you from dire situations and turn negatives into positives. John Kinde, veteran Toastmaster, describes how humor saved him in his article, “Humor to the Rescue,” in the March 2006 Toastmaster magazine.

Kinde has survived all kinds of mistakes, such as forgetting clients’ names in important business meetings. He learned not to become defensive or come up with excuses. And he didn’t try to ignore a mistake. He readily admitted the error and had some fun with it. He discovered that laughter, in these cases, can truly be the best medicine.

For example, what does an e-zine editor do when it’s discovered that a glaring blunder has just been sent out to people in 60 countries – who all received blank magazines? That happened to Kinde, and his article describes that the best way out was humor. This humor expert turned his technical glitch into a “Blank Book Title” contest – a very successful moment of inspiration. Everyone loved the idea, and he received 350 submissions. Some of his favorites include:

  • The Greatest Story Never Told
  • Much Ado About Nothing
  • The Sequel to The Last Word
  • Gifts Greater Than Life

Be alert for humor opportunities and use them to further your career, safeguard you from mishaps, and make you a stronger leader and speaker. Sometimes, a joke is a genius’ stroke.

From an article in the Toastmaster magazine by John Kinde, DTM, AS