Humor can be a powerful tool to engage your audience, enhance your message, and make your technical information more memorable. But how can you use humor effectively in your technical presentations without compromising your credibility, clarity, or professionalism? Here are some tips and examples to help you add some humor to your technical communication.
Before you decide to use humor in your technical presentation, you need to know your audience and their expectations, preferences, and backgrounds. What kind of humor do they appreciate? What kind of humor might offend, confuse, or bore them? How familiar are they with your topic and terminology? You want to use humor that is relevant, appropriate, and respectful to your audience, not humor that alienates, distracts, or insults them.
The first thing that comes to mind is, People are not going to react the same. I have had a few people say good thing this other person wasn't around. Careful who you say that too.
I made a joke recently about the name of a sprint. The letter was "S" and the scrum master named the sprint "Schopenhauer". I pointed out that naming a sprint after a pessimist was dark humor, like someone naming a development tool "Kafka". Since Kafka is a real tool and I was speaking to a bunch of developers, who were fairly literate, I got a few laughs. In another audience (who didn't know philosophy or literature) that would have sailed over a number of heads.
Not all humor is suitable for technical presentations. You want to avoid humor that is too complex, obscure, or controversial, as it might require too much explanation, lose your audience's attention, or trigger negative reactions. You also want to avoid humor that is too self-deprecating, sarcastic, or cynical, as it might undermine your authority, credibility, or confidence. Instead, you want to use humor that is simple, clear, and positive, such as anecdotes, analogies, metaphors, puns, or jokes that illustrate your points, connect with your audience, or lighten the mood.
Wit is not something everyone has. That is usually the best form of humor. However a memory is something we can't live without.
Humor doesn't have to be complicated. Wordplay and puns can be an easy laugh. Humor is important, because if you provoke an emotion, you make a memory. Having people remember the information in a presentation is always a good thing.
Humor should not overshadow or contradict your technical content, but rather complement and reinforce it. You want to use humor sparingly and strategically, not excessively or randomly. You want to use humor at the right moments, such as at the beginning or end of your presentation, or to break the ice, transition, or summarize. You want to use humor that supports your main message, not humor that distracts, confuses, or undermines it.
One day at work, I was saying hello to an associate in the distance. As I usually stand tall, I raised my right hand straight up. As I do this I notice I have not wave but I do look as if I am Hailing. I take a large step forward then look around. Three people saw. We all laughed. I was then told. see first suggestion.
When you are giving a presentation, especially if you are delivering training, you are not doing stand-up. Humor is best as punctuation or when you start to hear the glazing of eyeballs. Keep the content flowing and keep the audience engaged. You want giggles, not murmurs.
Humor is not only about what you say, but also how you say it. You want to practice your humor delivery to make sure it sounds natural, confident, and authentic, not forced, awkward, or scripted. You want to use your voice, body language, and facial expressions to convey your humor, not rely on slides, props, or media. You want to adapt your humor to the situation, not stick to a rigid script. You want to monitor your audience's response, not ignore their feedback.
Using humour to deliver technical knowledge improves retention and engagement. To make technical details more memorable, carefully use humour that fits the material and audience. To do this, practise delivering humour such it improves rather than distracts from technical information. Use related tales, analogies or witty wordplay to simplify the topic. However, excessive or inappropriate humour might undercut the message's professionalism, therefore balance is key. Assess the audience's reaction and alter your approach, keeping in mind the context and technical aspects. Your audience will learn more and enjoy it more if you use well-timed and relevant humour.
Humor in Tech Talks? Not always a happy couple. But we all acknowledge the power of Humor and so the question- HOW? In my experience, TIMING is the key! Got a glitch while slide transition - crack a joke, Came across a typo - Crack a joke, and those awkward silences after you ask a question...well crack a joke! This way you don't compromise on the intensity of the session while avoiding loud snores 15mins into your presentation!
One of the best ways to learn how to use humor in your technical presentations is to watch and analyze how others do it. You can find examples of speakers who use humor effectively in TED talks, podcasts, webinars, or online courses on various technical topics. You can also ask for feedback from your colleagues, mentors, or peers who have experience or expertise in using humor in technical communication. You can learn from their successes and mistakes, and improve your own humor skills.
You could call this "Cultural Sensitivity", but that really doesn't cover it. A lot of humor is topical and related to current events. Find what triggers recognition. Where is everyone's head at? It could be something small, but if it's easily recognized it can and should be used. The goal is to make a memory and a laugh, or even a giggle or groan, is a memory. Dumb jokes or "Dad Jokes" work as well.
Humans are narrative creatures. Our brains are primed to memorize experiences and situations which teached us something (e.g. walking thoughtlessly into a cave may be a bad idea because a sabortooth could call it home ????♂?), and less acting as a database for random numbers and facts. This is also the reason why mnemonic rhymes are so effective. Thus, it makes sense to embed a fact in a funny story or personal anecdote. This gives the number some narrative context which increases the likelyhood that your audience will remember what you told them.
C'est,avec un gout prononcé pour la plaisanterie, et surtout en médecine,que l'observation faite d'humour, justifie cette remarque. Le steppage a la marche renvoie à des problèmes du nerf sciatique. Les doigts en baguette de tambour renvoient aux troubles cardiaques. La voix stridente renvoie à des problèmes pulmonaires et le regard tragique se rapporte à des troubles de la thyro?de. Le bruit de glou glou traduit des troubles de l'?sophage. Une voix grave chez les adolescents exprimait la puberté et les ongles en dos de cuiller parlent encore pour le c?ur. Je me souviens de l'expression : Il pleut qui disait eloquemment qu'un profane était parmi le clan des initiés en franc ma?onnerie,moquerie qui ne faisait pas toujours plaisir.