A little laughter goes a long way in virtual meetings

One of the best things about being around others — whether in an office setting or elsewhere — is laughing together.

Laughter is healthyalleviate stress, increase focus and inspire innovation.

, and it doesn’t need to be the type of laughter that lasts for minutes on end. Even small giggles and chuckles are beneficial. And laughter at work helps

Unfortunately, it’s harder to laugh when we’re not around others, which is largely the case these days due to social distancing guidelines that are in place to combat COVID-19. As the article below notes, we’re “30 times more likely to laugh with others than to laugh alone.”

This makes it critically important to inject some fun and humor into virtual meetings. Business leaders should be deliberate about setting a light tone with their teams when possible and appropriate. This doesn’t mean managers need to become comedians — but it does mean they should allow time and space for laughter to make its way into meetings.

I previously wrote about some other tips for boosting the performance of virtual teams, which I think can work hand in hand with a focus on laughter.