I cringe every time I hear the “Women aren’t funny” nonsense. Well, they haven’t met me or the many women entrepreneur friends I know.
There are some general truths to this ‘mythology’ based on research, however. Women need to do is start showing up and engaging – jokes are a small part of the full spectrum of funny. Humor is having a sense of levity. So, lighten up, ladies!
Secondly, women do tend to indulge in self-deprecation far more than men. And that can easily be misconstrued. Women do it to connect; yet, if done too much or taken out of context, it can be misinterpreted as a lack of confidence.
Part of the myth here also stems from the fact that women are fairly new to boardrooms and the number of women execs in board rooms across the Fortune 1000 is small. As women are included in the boardroom culture, changes will happen. Women can also usher in those changes with levity, approachability and humor to show their peers they are just as capable.
Click here to read the full article on The Glass Hammer where I was interviewed.
Come on, ladies. Bring it! I know you can!
What’s your experience with humor in the boardroom?
