Reprinted from:

San Francisco — Humor can boost workplace productivity, no kidding! That was a key serious point made by humorist Dr. Bob Ross, the luncheon speaker at the 71^st annual meeting of the Alliance of American Insurers here on May 4.

Dr. Ross set the stage for his main idea with 15 minutes worth of a tongue-in-cheek speech on the insurance industry’s role in urban area revitalization. Dr. Ross had more than one onlooker furrowing an eyebrow over his deadpan humor involving insurance coverage affordability and availability in inner city communities.

"It’s time to embrace change and develop plans that are acceptable to you [the Alliance]," said Dr. Ross. "It’s time to reorganize the insurance industry. There is some resentment in this room, and I understand that."

Without cracking a smile, Dr. Ross offered a coverage plan that he claimed was "endorsed by one of your own, Robert Hunter." [Actually, Mr. Hunter is a consumer group leader and California Department of Insurance expert witness at Prop. 103 hearings.]

Dr. Ross introduced his game plan for the insurance industry. "The first thing is . . . get on with the Prop. 103 rebates." That comment drew a bit of derisive laughter from onlookers. But there was more to Mr. Ross’ plan.

He indicated that there should be uniform coverages, no more policy cancellations, lower rates, and so forth. As part of his put-on, Dr. Ross urged insurance companies to cut executives’ salaries (no laughter from the audience, more like shock.)

Dr. Ross called on Alliance members to support the no-fault, pay at the pump auto insurance reform plan masterminded by writer Andrew Tobias. Mr. Tobias wasn’t the only auto insurance reform proponent mentioned in Mr. Ross’ talk.

Dr. Ross, he’s such a kidder, mentioned that California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi turned down the job of heading up the Resolution Trust Corp. "to continue on as Commissioner" and run for governor.

Eventually, Dr. Ross turned serious and focused on the importance of workplace humor as a productivity tool. Dr. Ross said that company meetings could be made more effective, with the help of humor. "Humor relieves stress," he asserted.

A company meeting can be excruciatingly dull, a fact that might have prompted Dr. Ross to quote a fellow humorist, newspaper columnist Dave Barry. Dave Barry said something to the effect that meetings and funerals are alike in the sense that you wear uncomfortable clothes and would prefer being someplace else.

Dr. Ross made several recommendations aimed at enhancing a company meeting’s effectiveness, such as starting off with a joke or slipping a cartoon in a stack of papers for colleagues to see. Such efforts would help "get the attention" of an employee and/or make people more willing to pay attention, he pointed out.

Some executives know how to conduct productive meetings, and Dr. Ross recalled the example set by Lee Iacocca, who years ago masterminded Chrysler’s turnaround. "When Iacocca took over Chrysler, he rolled up his sleeves and got some cookies and lemonade and met with frontline managers. He later said that that’s where he got about 80 percent of his turnaround ideas."

"Make the workplace more pleasurable and enjoyable," Dr. Ross said, concluding that "people are going to do a better job" with workplace humor.