How to Be Funny at the Office

"29 Skills Every Founder Needs to Master" is the theme of the November 2013 Inc magazine issue. Topics such as "How to Do More of What You're Good at and Less of What You're Bad At," "How to Take a Fresh Approach to a Staid Old Business," and "How to Really Connect with Customers," are typical. I scanned over a few to see what the entrepreneurial business owners had to say about their experiences that they considered most to be useful. Then, I arrived at the last one, Tip No.29: How to Be Funny at the Office. This I had to read.

Something just didn't seem right, though, as I progressed through the story. Take this passage from a Q&A session: Manager: "I worry about making a joke that might offend somebody. How can I be both hysterical and politically correct?" Advice Giver: "It's perfectly acceptable to tell offensive jokes at work, as long as you add to the end of each one, 'Ha ha! It's OK, because I dated one in college,' or 'Ha ha! It's OK, because I tried it once at summer camp.' That covers most bases." My spider senses started tingling. I will admit that I was half-way through the piece before it occurred to me that it might be more than coincidence that the Pointy-Haired Boss from Dilbert appeared at the bottom of the page. A quick search for the author confirmed my suspicion; there was Scott Adams' name.

Posted October 30, 2013

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