Churning out monster hit after monster hit, Pixar Studios has laughed all the way to the bank by making audiences laugh since 1995. From Toy Story to Monsters University, Pixar has an 
enviable, nearly flawless track record of critical and audience acclaim. Yet their success is not by accident.
The creativity and humor expressed through their animated films is driven by a culture infused with humor, play and creativity. (What did you think, they’d be a bunch of grumpy dwarfs slaving away under the watch of an evil queen?) Pixar exemplifies many of the themes we’ve touched upon already. For example, they do a great job at celebrating success, going so far as to give a “Production Babies” credit at the end of their movies where they list any babies born to employees during the making of a movie.
Humor is one of three key traits that Pixar hires for and leaders at Pixar purposefully create a light-hearted work atmosphere that encourages the use of humor to break down power structures, build trust, strengthen social bonds and, especially, spark creativity. The playful tone set by leaders and use of humor – especially during the early stages of idea development – helps ensure that everybody’s voice is heard and that all ideas are given fair treatment.
So if you want your employees to feel more animated about their ideas and create your own version of movie magic, embrace Pixar’s simple-yet-effective equation for creative success, namely:
Ha + Ha = AHA!
But before we get to the power of humor to drive creativity, a few ideas on creativity’s importance in the workplace.
Why Creativity at Work is Such a Great Idea
I don’t want to overstate things, but without ideas you’re dead. Okay, so maybe I’ve overstated things just a tad. But ideas truly are the currency of success. Ideas are the stepping stones to a brighter future. Ideas drive every aspect of your enterprise. Ideas help build an inspiring workplace culture and reflect an inspiring workplace culture.
At an individual level, surveys suggest that leaders are increasingly seeking out people with the ability to not just embrace change, but to generate ideas, think creatively and lead change. I’m not necessarily speaking about blockbuster ideas that will rock your entire universe (although those can come in handy, especially if your company is currently working on making a better – oh, I don’t know, eight-track tape or beta video recorder). As much as it’d be nice to create the Next Big Thing on a regular basis, you also need to foster an environment that champions those
continuous and incremental ideas that make a difference to your employees, customers and, ultimately, your business.
Keep in mind a simple but potent thought: If the pace of change in the world outside your business exceeds the pace of change on the inside, it’s just a matter of time before you’ll become a Kodak moment. Or Polaroid. Or Compaq. Or TWA. Or Woolworth. (Need I go on? This is starting to hurt.)
The pursuit of ideas is also a driving motivator for many employees, who are increasingly seeking out work opportunities that will allow them more creative freedom in lieu of higher salaries. In fact, studies suggest that most people are highly intrinsically motivated to be creative and when external rewards are attached to creative projects they often dampen or extinguish the creative spirit.
Asking for ideas in your workplace is one of the simplest things leaders can do, not just to motivate employees, but to recognize them as well. Think about the messages you send every time you ask for someone’s input. Asking for ideas sends the message that you value that person and that you respect their judgment, wisdom and experience. Asking involves them in the process and involvement is the quickest route to true engagement.
The final reason to intentionally embrace creativity at work is because it’s fun. Part of the reason being creative is so intrinsically motivating is that it’s simply fun to play with ideas. As described in the book Inside Jokes, “There is an undeniable similarity between the joy of humor and the joy of problem solving. When we ‘get’ a joke we feel a sense of discovery rather like the sense of triumph when we solve a problem.”
As you’ll see shortly, there is, in fact, an extremely cozy relationship between humor and creativity. Both are about looking at the world through a different lens, changing perspectives and saying yes when everyone else says no. As much as a playful atmosphere begets more ideas, building an environment conducive to creativity also generates more humor. As with everything we’ve discussed, it requires an intentional effort to build a creative culture.
My own Humor at Work surveys of more than 5,000 people found that the top five places people said they had their biggest light-bulb moments were:
• In the shower;
• Driving;
• Exercising;
• In bed or asleep;
• In the washroom.
Notice anything missing? Such as, perhaps, the office? Evidently work is the place where ideas go to die! (Of course, if you really want to kill ideas you can always form a committee.) Great ideas, even those that seemingly pop into your head during your morning shower, don’t just fall out of the sky. (Alas, even the fabled story of the apple falling on Sir Isaac Newton’s head as a source of inspiration is likely a myth.)
If you want to get more ideas and better ideas and then implement those ideas, you need to work at it. Intentionally. This means adopting a culture-wide perspective.
Excerpted from Michael Kerr’s book, The Humor Advantage: Why Some Businesses Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank. Michael travels the world researching, writing, and speaking about inspiring leaders and inspiring workplaces that drive outrageous results. His latest book is called The Jerk-Free Workplace: How You Can Take the Lead to Create a Happier, More Inspiring Workplace.
