Image credit: AndreyPopov
“I have some exciting news about our new AI implementation!”
Cue the sound of a room full of sphincters simultaneously clenching.
If you’ve ever watched a room full of professionals transform into statues the moment you mention “change,” you know exactly what I’m talking about. Eyes glaze over. Shoulders tense. That one person in the back starts updating their resume on their phone (yes, we all see you, Harry).
Here’s the thing: Your team isn’t broken. They’re human.
And humans are wired to treat change like a saber-toothed tiger - something to survive, not embrace.
But what if I told you there’s a way to flip that script in under five minutes? A way to transform deer-in-headlights panic into genuine excitement?
It involves the most underutilized leadership tool in your arsenal:
Laughter.
The Night I Learned to Stop Pretending Everything’s Fine
Early days of my improv group. Small theater, 40 seats. Opening night of a show we’d rehearsed for weeks.
Guess how many people showed up?
Three.
One group of three girls sitting in a sea of empty chairs.
We huddled backstage, devastated. “Should we cancel?”
We had two choices:
- Pretend everything was normal and perform to three people and 37 ghosts.
- Acknowledge the spectacular awkwardness with humor.
We chose option two.
I walked out and said: “Wow, either you three are REALLY early or everyone else is REALLY late. Want to move closer so we don’t have to shout?”
They laughed. We joked about their “VIP experience” and our “sold-out show.” Then we completely scrapped our planned opening and gave them the most personalized, interactive show of their lives.
They left raving. And here’s the kicker - they told friends about our next show.
That’s when I learned the lesson that would transform how I help leaders navigate change: Don’t pretend the elephant isn’t in the room. Make friends with it.
Why Your Team’s Defenses Go Up (And Logic Won’t Bring Them Down)
Fast forward to corporate America. Different stage, same elephants.
Let’s talk about what’s really happening when you announce that new AI system, core values rollout, or (gulp) return-to-office mandate.
Your team’s brains are doing rapid-fire calculations:
- “Will I still have a job?”
- “Can I actually learn this?”
- “Is my comfortable routine about to explode?”
They’re not hearing your carefully crafted benefits. They’re hearing “Your life is about to get harder, and you have no control over it.”
And here’s where most leaders mess up: They double down on logic.
More PowerPoints. More data. More “burning platform” speeches about why this change is critical for competitive advantage.
Meanwhile, your team is having an emotional response, and you’re throwing spreadsheets at it. It’s like trying to comfort a crying child by reading them the tax code. Sure, it’s information, but it’s not what they need.
You’re doing the corporate equivalent of performing to empty chairs while pretending the house is packed.
The Neuroscience of “Yes”
Here’s what happens in your brain when you laugh:
Cortisol drops. That’s the stress hormone making everyone defensive and unable to think clearly.
Dopamine surges. Hello, motivation and openness to new ideas.
Oxytocin increases. The bonding chemical that creates trust and connection.
The prefrontal cortex reactivates. Your creative problem-solving center comes back online.
In other words, laughter doesn’t just feel good - it literally rewires your brain from “threat mode” to “opportunity mode.”
The Laughter Advantage: From Surviving to Thriving
When I work with organizations rolling out major changes, I too often see the same, traditional approach pattern:
- 2-hour PowerPoint presentation
- Q&A that feels like an interrogation
- Team leaves feeling worse than when they arrived
- Resistance multiplies underground
But here’s what they could have with a laughter-integrated approach:
- Opening with strategic humor
- Genuine connection and vulnerability
- Team leaves energized and curious
- Resistance transforms into collaboration
The difference? One approach fights human nature. The other works with it.
Your Playbook: Strategic Humor for Real Change
1. Acknowledge the Elephant (With Humor)
Next time you’re announcing a change, try this:
"Show of hands - who's worried AI is going to take your job? Great. Who's worried AI already does your job better and is just being polite about it? Now, who’s worried we’re heading to a Terminator situation and just waiting for Arnold to walk through the door?"
If you’re feeling particularly saucy, you could even bust out the ol’ Arnie voice.
Watch what happens: Nervous laughter, then real laughter, then actual conversation.
You’ve just done what we did with those three audience members - acknowledged reality instead of pretending it doesn’t exist.
2. Lead with Vulnerability (The Funny Kind)
“Before we dive in, I need to confess something. When I first heard about this AI implementation, my immediate thought was ‘Great, now I’ll have to ask my 12-year-old nephew to teach me something else.’ Anyone else feel like technology is advancing faster than our ability to pretend we understand it?”
Suddenly, you’re not the all-knowing leader forcing change. You’re human, just like them.
3. The “Worst Idea” Breakthrough
Instead of asking “How can we make this work?” try:
“Let’s spend 5 minutes coming up with the absolute WORST ways to implement this new system. I’m talking ideas so bad they’d get us featured in a business school case study titled ‘What Not to Do.’ Go!”
The ideas flow:
- “Make all passwords 47 characters long!”
- “Training videos only in interpretive dance!”
- “Replace all error messages with haikus!”
Here’s the magic: Those ridiculous ideas often spark brilliant ones. The interpretive dance joke might lead to “What if we made training more interactive?” The haiku idea might inspire “Why not make error messages more human and helpful?”
4. The Two-Word Story Revolution
This improv exercise teaches adaptation better than any change management seminar:
Partner people up. They create a story together, alternating two words at a time:
Person A: “Yesterday our…”Person B: “computer exploded…”Person A: “into confetti…”Person B: “shaped like…”
In three minutes, they’ve learned that letting go of control and adapting to unexpected input creates something better than either could plan alone.
The metaphor lands without you having to explain it.
(By the way, I have an Improv Game Guide where I not only describe nine improv games - including this one - but also include instructions on how to play, lead, and debrief them. If you want a free copy, comment or DM me the word “guide” and I’ll send it to you!)
5. Make the Resistance Visible (And Funny)
“Everyone grab a sticky note. Write down your honest reaction to this change. But here’s the twist - write it like a bad movie review. One star reviews only!”
Watch what happens:
- “Zero stars. Would rather watch paint dry in a windowless room.”
- “Made me long for the excitement of dental surgery.”
- “My enthusiasm died in the first five minutes. It’s still dead.”
Now everyone’s laughing about their shared concerns. The elephant in the room is now wearing a party hat.
6. Find Your Team’s Humor Superpower
Every team has a unique culture. Tap into it:
Tech team? “This change is basically like switching from Python to JavaScript. Technically the same thing, practically a different universe.”
Sales team? “Think of this as upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone. Sure, the Star Tac made you feel like you were in Star Trek, but imagine actually having GPS to your prospects.”
The 30-Second Transformation
Here’s your homework for tomorrow’s meeting:
Start with this: “Quick poll - who here has ever tried to teach their parents to use a new phone? Show of hands. Okay, now keep your hand up if you’d rather fill out a giant stack of TPS reports.” (fill in with an onerous task from your team’s culture)
Then: “Well, I have good news and bad news about our new system. Bad news: We’re all going to feel like those parents for about a week. Good news: Unlike my dad, you won’t accidentally sign up for “virus protection” from a scammer…”
Boom. In 30 seconds, you’ve:
- Acknowledged the learning curve
- Made it relatable
- Reduced anxiety through humor
- Created psychological safety
When Skeptics Say “This Isn’t Appropriate”
You’ll encounter the “fun police” - those who believe serious business requires serious faces.
Here’s your response:
“You’re absolutely right that this is serious. That’s exactly why we need to approach it in a way that actually works. Stress shuts down the learning centers of our brain. Laughter opens them up. So we can be serious and stressed, or serious and effective. Which would you prefer?”
Then prove it. Start small. Use humor for just five minutes and watch the energy shift.
The ROI of Laughter
Still need to convince the numbers people? Here’s your ammunition:
- Research from Stanford professor Jennifer Aaker and speaker / comedian Naomi Bagdonas shows that humor improves performance, leadership, and resilience.
- Humor can increase short-term recall and memory.
- Gallup reports that “teams who laugh together are 23% more likely to be engaged at work.”
But here’s the real ROI: Your best people stop leaving. Your resistant employees become champions. Your change actually sticks.
Your Next Move
You have two choices:
- Keep doing what everyone else does. Watch your team treat change like a dental appointment - painful but necessary. Keep pretending the theater is full while performing to empty chairs.
- Take five minutes to inject strategic humor. Watch resistance melt into curiosity and fear transform into excitement. Make friends with the elephant.
Your competition is choosing option two.
What about you?
Tomorrow, when you walk into that meeting about AI implementation, core values, or whatever change is on deck, remember: Your team doesn’t need more logic. They need permission to be human.
Give them that permission. Start with a laugh.
Watch what happens next.
Remember those three girls in our nearly empty theater? They didn’t just come back - they became our biggest advocates, because we didn’t pretend everything was fine. We acknowledged the truth, found the humor in it, and transformed it into something better.
Your team is waiting for you to do the same.
Until next week,Avish
Ready to transform your next change initiative from a root canal into a rally?
I’ve spent 20+ years helping organizations use humor and improv to turn resistance into results. From Fortune 500 companies to startups, the formula is the same: When people laugh together, they change together.
Let’s talk about bringing this transformation to your team. Because your next change doesn’t have to feel like pushing a boulder uphill.
It can feel like surfing a wave - exhilarating, energizing, and yes, even fun.
Book Avish for your next event or change initiative. Because life’s too short for boring meetings and painful transformations.
Set up a time to chat now:
https://bookme.name/avishp/lite/keynote-discussion-with-avish-parashar
P.S. The best time to inject humor into your change process? Before anyone realizes that’s what you’re doing. The second best time? Tomorrow’s meeting. What are you waiting for?
P.P.S. Remember, if you want the “Improv Game Guide,” email me the single word “Guide” and I will send it over!