3 Joke Minefields You Should Avoid at Work

Here's a common myth that plagues pretty much every office I've ever been to: Everybody appreciates a good joke. While we may desperately want this to be true, it's just not the case. While it may be a genuinely funny joke, it just might not fly in an office environment. Even if you think it's the funniest joke since the "I'm Rick James" era (which, by the way, is OVER), you should definitely consider saving it for after work during the following three situations:

Client Meetings

I can't emphasize this point enough, and I think I make it in every article I write about client interactions: You need to be extremely conscious of the image you present. Everything you say or do will be scrutinized by your clients, even if it's just subconsciously. Jokes can be a deal breaker when it comes to this image. Even if the client is cracking joke after joke, I would still be careful with your choice of funny anecdotes. It's ok to joke around a bit (if you have that kind of relationship with your client), but I would keep it "work safe", a.k.a something you would feel comfortable saying in front of your boss, the most sensitive person in the office, and your little sister.

The Water Cooler

This ranks up there as a dangerous place for two reasons: You're exposed to tons of people and because it's probably the one place in your office where you feel the most informal. A dangerous cocktail, this can lead to loose tongues and big trouble. I've mentioned it before, but you can never be sure who is listening to your conversations. I can also guarantee that not everyone will appreciate your joke about the sketchy sailor and his many misadventures. You don't want the next time you hear that joke to be in your boss's office as they ream you out.

Conference Calls

The mute button is always your friend. However, sometimes you forget to press it after your done talking, or maybe somebody else on the call with you took it off to speak when you left the room. Either way, dropping a joke during a conference call can have many unexpected consequences, such as everybody hearing it. If it's not appropriate for everybody on the call (which I can guarantee it never is), don't say it. Wait until you hear the click of freedom as your speaker phone disconnects from the call until you become Dave Chappelle.

Are these the only times you should have your joke filter on? Of course not. However, they are three of the places that I've seen the most problems occur for some of my co-workers, so you should definitely keep them in mind.

At Workplace Life, I specialize in making the life of the everyday business professional easier. For free tutorials on common Microsoft Office applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel, career management advice, office life advice, funny office stories, and professional email tips visit http://www.workplacelife.com.