Humor As a Tool For Communication – Using the SHINE System of Communication

People have been laughing at me all my life. Only NOW it’s a GOOD thing. I believe that EVERY person is hysterically funny-they just haven’t realized it yet. The S.H.I.N.E. System of Communication taps into this innate humor that we all have. And then cultivate, shape, and promote it as a way to improve our everyday interactions. My System is powerful in that its humorous focus overcomes the inhuman interactions that characterize our technological age. The S.H.I.N.E. System brings a human quality and entertainment value to our messages.

The main benefit of using HUMOR is that it allows us to be more approachable. This is especially important for women, who sometimes think we need to act seriously in order to be taken seriously. But the opposite is true: when we take ourselves too seriously, we expect perfection from ourselves and others. This makes for a tense environment, and people are waiting for us to slip up. We can each be a shining example of using humor to accept our humanness, our mistakes, and be more approachable. This fosters a sense of safety that lets creativity and productivity thrive.

Humor can be dangerous, though, and there are certain things we must avoid in order to prevent miscommunication. Although humor in itself is neither good nor bad, it is more or less useful in particular situations, and with particular people. In my programs, I describe four types of humor. The magic is that we can learn to use all four types to better communicate with people. In essence, to talk to them in their own humor language.

The emphasis isn’t on getting laughs-our focus should be on CONNECTING with people-whether with an audience or a single other person. With the S.H.I.N.E. System, we’re creating a humorous ENVIRONMENT. This environment makes people feel at ease, so they feel freer to share their ideas and concerns. If they also laugh at something you say or do, that’s a bonus. And everyone can contribute to the humor by adding their own. They can do this because they will feel safe in such an environment.

Remember that every person is hysterically funny-some of them just haven’t realized it yet. If you’re not yet laughing at yourself, there are people who are laughing at you. Don’t be offended by that: Join them! I help people to bring out that humor nature that already exists, and show them how to be a role model to others. That way we can create a chain reaction that will culminate in the humorous environment. Then, people can feel more relaxed, and thereby also unleash their creativity and ideas and promote that sense of interconnectedness. That feeds into the loop of allowing for more humor, as others feel safe to contribute their insights-whether funny or not.