You are funny, you are in a good mood, you are quick-witted? Really not good if you are a woman. Not good at all! Of course you could think that your joke stands for creativity, your mood pulls the whole team up and that you could use your quick wit in the interests of the company. But that would be a complete misjudgment, because you are actually an impertinence. At least that was a test subject jury in the USA. While giving funny men particularly good grades at presentations, women with humor were quickly considered incompetent.
Humor in presentations … gladly, but only if you are a man
For the study, two groups each received the same resume from a person with the gender-neutral name Sam. Afterwards, some saw funny and serious presentation videos of a female Sam, the others corresponding videos with a male Sam. The question to be assessed was whether humor tends to harm or do the presentation good. In addition, the groups were asked to assess the competence of the respective Sams and to scale their status in the company. Surprise, surprise: Of course, the funny male Sam was viiiiieeeel more competent than the funny female Sam version. He also had a higher position and his jokes gave his presentation the necessary kick. The serious women-Sam, however, was better received than the serious men-Sam. Because she looked much more competent without fun.
Shall we go down to the basement to laugh?
What does that mean for us who are funny and competent? Do we have to go to the underground car park to laugh? Please don't! First, because the study may be wrong. Second: Maybe German test subjects would have decided very differently. And third: do we really only want to have dogged goats in management positions? No? Then let's be pioneers and laugh all the way to the top!