Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas: Why great leaders take humor seriously | TED

翻译人员: Tiantian Yang 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

娜奥米·巴格多纳斯 （Naomi Bagdonas）：

Naomi Bagdonas: Alright, so, how often do you laugh at work?

好的，你们在工作中 笑的频率有多高？

I mean really laugh.

我是说开怀大笑的那种。

We asked some of you this question, and here's what we heard.

我问过你们中的一些人这个问题， 这是我们听到的答案。

"Rarely."

“一般不笑。”

"Seldomly."

“很少笑。”

And then our personal favorite ...

接下来是我们最喜欢的..……

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"I study climate change. Why would I laugh?"

“我是研究气候变化的， 干嘛要笑?”

The two of us teach a class at Stanford Business School

我们两个在斯坦福大学 商学院教一门课，

about the power of humor in leadership.

关于幽默在领导力中的作用。

Jennifer Aaker: Turns out that humor is a teachable skill,

珍妮弗·阿克尔（Jennifer Aaker）： 幽默是一项可以教会的技能，

and one of the most underappreciated assets at work.

以及在工作中 最不被重视的资产之一。

For the record,

郑重声明，

our class on humor gets the same academic credit

我们的幽默课的学分跟其它

as financial accounting,

像财务会计这样的课程是一样的。

NB: ... which is not a joke.

娜奥米：不是开玩笑骗人的哦。

JA: Here is the problem, though.

珍妮弗：然而问题是

We've all fallen off a humor cliff.

我们都跌下了幽默的“悬崖”。

In a global study,

在一个全球性研究中，

over a million people were asked a simple question:

有超过一百万人被问了 同一个简单的问题：

"Did you smile or laugh a lot, yesterday?"

“你昨天微笑或者 大笑的时候多吗？”

When we are kids, the answer is "yes."

当我们是孩子时，答案是“是的”

Then, right when we enter the workforce,

然后当我们进入社会成为社畜时，

the answer becomes "no."

答案就变成了“不。”

The good news is things look up again

好消息是这种情况又在

大概在 80 岁的时候变好了。

around 80.

(Laughter)

（笑声）

The bad news is the average life expectancy is 78.

但是坏消息是现在的 平均预期寿命是 78 岁。

So ...

所以...

(Laughter)

（笑声）

JA: It's not good NB: It's not great.

珍妮弗：这样不好啊。 娜奥米：这样不行啊。

JA: I’m a behavioral scientist

珍妮弗：我是一个行为科学家，

who spent my career studying what actually creates happiness in life

我的整个职业生涯都在研究 哪些东西能够真正为生命增加幸福感，

versus what we think.

相比于我们自己认为的而言。

NB: And I'm a corporate strategist

娜奥米：而我是一个企业策略师，

who spent my career straddling the worlds of business and improv comedy.

我的职业生涯横跨 商业世界和即兴喜剧表演。

Which was a wide straddle.

这是非常大的跨界。

The two of us are on a mission to bring humor back.

我们俩正在执行一个 任务——把幽默带回来。

Over the last decade, we have gathered data,

过去十年，我们收集了数据、

partnered with comedians

跟喜剧演员搭档、

and talked to leaders about humor.

跟领导者讨论幽默。

One of them was our friend Connor Diemand-Yauman.

其中一个是我们的朋友

卡农·戴曼德-耀文 （Connor Diemand-Yauman）。

Connor is the co-CEO of a large nonprofit,

他是一家大型 公益组织的首席执行官。

and in early 2020, just weeks after the world went into quarantine,

在 2020 年初，也就是 整个世界进入隔离期的几个星期后，

he's leading his first virtual offsite with his entire organization.

他带领整个团队 进行了·第一次远程会议。

People are exhausted and scared, it's tense.

大家都很疲惫焦虑，气氛紧张。

So Connor shares a few slides

所以卡农就先放了一些幻灯片，

before passing to another teammate to speak.

然后才到另外一个与会者发言。

But when he does, he intentionally leaves his screen-share on,

但是他故意让他的屏幕 还处于共享状态，

so his entire organization watches, thinking that this is a terrible mistake.

因此整个团队成员都能看到， 他们都以为这是一个可怕的错误。

As Connor closes his PowerPoint,

然后卡农关掉了PPT，

opens up a Google search, and types in ... this.

打开了谷歌搜索， 输入了……之类的去搜索。

[Things inspirational CEOs say during hard times]

[首席执行官们在困难 时期的鼓励之辞]

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"Things inspirational CEOs say during hard times."

“首席执行官们在困难时期 的鼓励之辞”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Everyone laughs.

大家都笑了。

It's this beautiful moment of levity,

这是一个轻浮行为中的美好一刻，

and it has real upside for Connor and for his organization,

这对卡农和他的团队 都有着积极的作用，

because we know from the research

因为我们从研究中得知，

that leaders with a good sense of humor are seen as 27 percent more motivating.

有良好幽默感的领导对员工的 激励比没有的要高 27% 。

Their teams are more bonded and creative.

他们的团队也更团结和有创造力。

JA: Also, humor sells.

珍妮弗：同时，幽默也能促进销售。

Studies show that adding a lighthearted line into a sales pitch,

研究表明在销售话语中 加入一些轻松快乐的说辞，

like "My final offer is x ...

比如“我最终要给你这个价格……

And I'll throw in my pet frog,"

附赠我的宠物青蛙。”

makes people willing to pay nearly 20 percent more.

能让人们愿意多支付将近 20% 的金额。

Really let it sink in,

真的值得仔细领会一下，

just how bad that joke is.

这个笑话真的太烂了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

NB: "I'll throw in my pet frog."

娜奥米：“附赠我的宠物青蛙。”

JA: The bar is so low. NB: It's extreme.

珍妮弗：这个门槛太低了。 娜奥米：超低的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

NB: Very low. JA: Could not be lower.

娜奥米：非常低。 珍妮弗：低到不能再低。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

JA: Laughter shortens the path to connection as well.

珍妮弗：笑声也 缩短了联系的距离。

So when strangers share a laugh before a conversation,

陌生人如果在交谈 之前先来个笑话，

they end up disclosing more personal information,

他们最后会透露更多的个人信息，

so they feel closer.

他们会觉得彼此之间更亲近了。

You really laughed hard at that "pet frog" line.

我在说“宠物青蛙”时， 你真的笑疯了。

I already feel close to you.

我已经感觉离你更近了。

Don’t we feel close?

我们难道不是感觉更亲近了嘛？

JA: Yeah, we feel close.

珍妮弗：是的，我们更亲近了。

NB: There's a lot there.

娜奥米：近了不少。

NB: OK, so what's happening is when we laugh,

娜奥米：好了，那么 在我们笑的时候发生了什么呢？

our brains release a cocktail of hormones.

我们的大脑释放了一种混合的激素。

So we release endorphins,

我们的身体会释放内啡肽，

giving us a similar feeling to a runner’s high;

带给我们一种类似跑步者的快感；

we lower our cortisol, making us feel calmer;

我们体内的皮质醇会降低， 使我们感到更加沉着；

and we release dopamine, the same hormone released during sex,

我们体内还释放出多巴胺， 这种做爱的时候也会释放的激素，

making us feel more bonded.

使我们感觉更加的亲密无间。

So in essence,

所以从本质上来说，

as far as our brains are concerned,

在我们的大脑看来，

laughing is like exercising, meditating and having sex at the same time.

笑是一种集运动、冥想 以及做爱于一体的感受。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But logistically easier.

但是从逻辑上来说更容易。

JA: Also, efficient. NB: Yes.

珍妮弗：而且，更有效。 娜奥米：是的。

NB: There's a lot to it.

娜奥米：它还有更多意义。

Alright, so humor works.

好吧，就是说幽默很管用。

And the really good news that we want to talk about today

而今天我们要谈论的一个好消息

is that this humor cliff is actually easy to fix.

是幽默的悬崖实际上很容易修复。

[GLOBAL HUMOR CLIFF]

[全球幽默悬崖]

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Isn’t that better? 10 years, but we got there.

这样不是更好吗？花了整整 10 年，但是我们还是做到了.

Just a little Sharpie.

只是有一点恶搞。

OK, the actual good news is that our lives are full of humor,

好了，真正的好消息是 我们的生活处处充满幽默，

if we know how to look for it.

只要我们善于去发现它。

JA: Here's the secret.

珍妮弗：秘密就是

Don't look for what's funny, just notice what's true.

不要刻意去寻找好笑的东西， 只需要留意那些真实的东西。

We asked some of you what's true in your own lives,

我们询问了你们中的一些人 在个人生活里有什么是真实的，

and here's a few things we heard.

这是我们听到的答案中的一部分。

NB: "Since working from home, I only comb the front part of my hair."

娜奥米：“在家工作后， 我只梳刘海。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

JA: "I only like my own kids ..."

珍妮弗：“我只喜欢自家小孩……”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

“There, I said it.”

“我就是这么说的。”

NB: So this is not about becoming a comedian.

娜奥米：这不是说 要你成为喜剧演员，

This is about looking at the world in a different way.

而是让你用不同的方式 看待这个世界。

There's a psychological principle called the priming effect

有一个心理学原理叫做 启动效应（priming effect），

that says our brains are wired to see what we've been set up to expect.

说的是我们的大脑乐于 去见到我们期望的东西。

In essence, we find what we choose to look for.

本质上就是，我们寻找 自己期待的东西。

So when we live our lives on the precipice of a smile,

所以当我活在微笑悬崖之上时，

we shift how we interact with the world,

我们改变了和世界互动的方式，

and in turn, how it interacts back.

反过来，以及世界反作用的方式。

JA: It's also about being human,

珍妮弗：这跟我们生而为人有关，

which should be easy, because we are human.

简单来说，因为我们是人类。

But at work, it's oftentimes harder than we think.

在工作的时候，困难时刻 比我们想象的要多。

In a recent survey, people were asked "What traits inspire trust in a leader?"

在最近的一项调查中，人们被问及

“什么样的特质可以激发 对上级的信任感？”

One of the top responses: "Speaks like a regular person."

最高票的回答是： “像个正常人一样说话。”

When work gets serious and life gets busy,

当我们在工作和生活中 都疲于奔命的时候，

we become transactional.

社会交往变得充满了互动性。

And yet these small shifts are enough

有些小小的变化就足以

to move us from transactional to human.

让我们从互动性过渡到人性。

As small as a single word,

一言以蔽之，

like how we often sign off our emails: “Best.”

就像我们经常在邮件里面最后写的敬语: “最好的问候（Best）。”

What does "best" even mean?

“最好“到底是什么意思？

Are you the best? Am I the best?

你最好吗？我最好吗？

Why do I need to tell you that?

我为什么要说这个？

We can do better than "best."

我们可以写出比“最好”更好玩的。

Instead, how about ...

反过来，不如..……

NB: When you've been up all night --

娜奥米：你要是 一晚上都嗨嗨的——

"Yours heavily caffeinated."

“你肯定咖啡喝得太猛了。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

JA: When you're talking about financial accounting?

詹妮弗：当你说起财务会计。

"Let's never speak of this again."

会说“咱们以后都别说这个了吧。”

NB: And on rare occasion, "I'm the best."

娜奥米：很少会说“我最棒。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Sometimes, you've just got to let people know.

有时候，你只是得让别人知道。

Now, it's easy to believe

现在我们真的可以确信

that if we take our lives or our mission seriously,

如果我们认真对待生活或者使命，

the presence of humor betrays that mission.

幽默感就会从我们的 使命里油然而生。

That gravity and levity are somehow at odds.

严肃和轻佻就会开始打架。

But our research tells a different story.

我们的研究成果 得出的是不一样的结论。

JA: We met with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright,

詹妮弗：我们见过国务卿 玛德琳·奥布莱特（Madeleine Albright），

who told us of the time when the Russian government

她说起有一次俄罗斯政府

had bugged the US State Department,

对美国国务院进行窃听，

a serious breach in international diplomacy.

严重违反国际外交原则。

After learning about the bugging,

当听到了窃听的消息后，

Secretary Albright then went to her next meeting

奥布莱特国务卿 径直去参加了另一个与

with the Russian foreign minister,

俄罗斯外长的会议，

wearing a bug pin.

戴着一个甲虫 （英语与“窃听”同词）胸针。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And enormous bug pin.

很大的一只甲虫胸针哦。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

She shared how the foreign minister couldn't help but smile,

她说外长只好尴尬 而不失礼貌地微笑，

and she also shared how the energy in the room shifted,

以及会议室里的势力 是如何转移的，

and it changed the conversation entirely.

整个对话都因此 出现了完全的改变。

NB: This story illuminates at least two things that are true.

娜奥米：这个故事 至少揭示了两个问题。

First, that humor is a choice,

第一，要不要幽默是一种选择，

one we make in small moments and in big ones, too.

我们可以在小场合 或者大局面中选择。

And second, that the balance of gravity and levity

第二，严肃与轻佻之间的平衡

gives power to both.

为彼此带来力量。

We can do serious things without taking ourselves so seriously,

我们即使不面色凝重 也可以严肃处事，

and in fact, often, we can do them better,

而且事实上，我们常常 都可以处理得更好，

and more fashionably.

更紧跟潮流。

JA: Now we often hear that humor can be so tricky these days,

詹妮弗：有时我们会听说 最近搞幽默很麻烦，

and it's true.

这也确实是真的。

Comedians know this,

喜剧演员都懂，

which is why they can practice hundreds of times

为啥他们要练习一个梗几百次

before a line makes it into one of their sets.

才把它加入段子。

They also get to wear jeans and drink whiskey at work.

他们在工作的时候 还能穿牛仔服喝威士忌。

It's all very unfair.

这确实不公平。

So how can we, as normal, non-comedian people,

那么对于我们这样的， 非喜剧演员的普通人，

practice safe sets?

怎么给自己划个安全区？

Start by recognizing it's not about you.

先从意识到“这不是 我自己的事”开始。

So don't ask "Will this make me sound funny?"

所以别问“我听起来 是不是很好笑？”

Instead, ask: “How will this make other people feel?”

相反，要问： “其他人对此有什么感觉？”

NB: Which also means never punching down,

娜奥米：永远别去打压他人，

that is, making fun of someone of lower status.

也就是说，别去嘲笑 比你社会地位低的人。

And be sure to check your distance.

务必要记得检查你们的距离。

How close are you personally to what you're making light of?

你自身与你打趣的对象有多亲近？

I can make fun of my mother, but not your mother,

我可以开我妈的玩笑， 但是不能笑你的妈妈，

who, by the way, I hear is a saint, a lovely lady.

你妈妈对我来说是 一个圣洁可爱的女士。

JA: An angel.

珍妮弗：一个天使。

NB: Our hope today is that you start climbing back up the humor cliff.

娜奥米：我们现在期待的是 你可以重新开始攀登这座幽默悬崖。

Start with what's true, and start small.

从真实开始，从小事开始。

Choose to live on the precipice of a smile.

在微笑的悬崖边生活。

When we do, we create teams, communities and families

当我们这么做的时候， 我们建立起团队、社区和家庭，

where joy and laughter come more easily.

欢声笑语将会更容易在生活中产生。

JA: Laughing together makes us feel more connected.

詹妮弗：一起笑让我们 彼此更加紧密联系。

It floods our brains

这让我们的大脑

with the same hormones associated with love.

充满了与爱有关的激素。

And who doesn't want to feel more joy and love in our lives?

有谁不喜欢生活中 有更多的欢乐和爱吗？

Where humor exists, love is not far behind.

只要幽默还在， 爱就肯定不会远离。

NB: And if that doesn't sell you on the power of humor,

娜奥米：要是这没 说服相信你幽默的力量，

I will throw in my pet frog.

我可以附赠我的宠物青蛙。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

NB: Thank you. JA: Thank you so much.

娜奥米：谢谢。 珍妮弗：非常感谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）