Merriment, amusement, hilarity, humor, comedy, joking, playing, teasing, playful, kidding, silly, mirth, elation, glee, drollness, wit, laughter, pleasure, lighthearted, jesting… Whichever term you want to use to describe the lighter side of being, it still doesn’t belong in the workplace….or does it?

Based on some recent visits in corporations in RTP, I would surmise that humor in the workplace has gone the way of the water cooler conversation and the dodo. The tone of a phrase used to make all the difference between a punch line and a threat. Without the actual sound of a person’s voice, who knows if they are teasing you in the context of “you will hear more about THIS later” vs. “YOU will hear more about this later.” Either way, the small ways we connect in person are difficult to convey in writing unless you are accepting of the Emotions taking over the instant messaging scene.

I long for the days when you might overhear a giggle or see a smile in the workplace. So many times people save their comedy for what they catch on TV or during their film viewing and don’t share their values, humor and ability to shrug off the serious with their co-workers.

A funny thing happened to me on the way to the water cooler….

The closest thing to workplace levity is the ubiquitous chain email jokes, which not only are over exposed, full of viruses and obnoxious, but they are truly unoriginal. I don’t know if I can read the funny things five year olds say one more time. I would challenge you if you are a regular forwarder of these emails, to spend five minutes writing your own funny experience and sending that along instead, sharing a bit of your own life with your friends.

When was the last time you told your co-worker a funny story, or shared a humorous gaffe with your manager?

What makes a story funny is the human factor, the universal themes that we share. The scary part of sharing a funny (personal) story in the workplace is we expose our own humanity.

All my funny stories have to do with car breakdowns and personal injury. I think this is because I am least comfortable around cars, car repairs and physical vulnerability. Thus, I use humor to make it more palatable to myself and let others learn a little bit about what I find absurd in the world.

In June, I was telling my friends about my experience running out of gas, losing my cell phone signal, walking 2 miles for help and finally getting a $100 speeding ticket dashing to work. Less than two months later, I am sharing a story of having a ripped radial tire in the boonies of North Carolina, stepping into a pile of fire ants while pulling out the spare and having to sweet talk a cop into changing my flapping (but not flat) tire - only to find out a gas station was less than 100 yards ahead. Without all the minute details, including my acting out of the fire ant dance and the batting of eyelashes for the cop, it is barely humorous. Ah, the personal element.

That is why humor is always going to be best served warm, live and in person. The small details, the dramatic pauses and impersonations all work best when you can see (or at least hear) your audience and judge what is landing well. And I would argue that as the workplace becomes more far-flung and virtual, that the art of telling the funny story will become more difficult to practice or to find.

Do your part to keep comedy from becoming extinct. Share a funny story with your co-worker, peer, manager or customer today and keep the workplace human.