Monday Motivation: Laughter Is Ten Times More Powerful Than Screaming

0
56

Share on LinkedIn

monstercomedyIn my house we are definitely in the Disney era. Every time we introduce a new movie, we watch it many, many times in a very short timespan. In the Peter Pan era we had a little Captain Hook running around our house. In The Incredibles phase I fielded endless questions beginning with “Is Mr Incredible stronger than…” and “Is Dash faster than…” In the Monsters Inc era every door was a warp zone to the monster world and we had several makeshift door shredders in our house.

I’m amazed at the way in which Disney fills their movies with funny and often relevant messages for all ages. No message is more relevant than that of Monsters Inc when Sully and Mike come to the realization that laughter is ten times more powerful than screaming.

I’m going to confess something here today and I’m asking you not to judge me. As a father I have yelled at my kids and as a customer service professional, I have yelled at customers. Cue the dramatic music. In the moment, yelling can offer instant gratification and relief from frustration. It seems as if that is the only way to restore order and get the upper hand and yet I have found that more times than not, it only serves to exacerbate the problem.

This simple message from a Disney movie rings so true. While it may be difficult to make the jump in a difficult situation from anger and frustration to smiles and laughter, I am reminded of the habit from The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People of seeking first to understand before being understood. When entering into a situation with a customer or a loved one that is potentially contentious, remember the importance of seeking to understand and that screaming rarely accomplishes anything positive.

My new and improved self has been working really hard to be slow to be offended and maintain a cool head in all situations. Rather than yelling I have found that reason and understanding work so much better. As we enter a new week, may you err on the side of understanding, patience and even laughter and see if it truly does give you that extra push and energy that screaming and impatience do not.

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Jeremy Watkin
Jeremy Watkin is the Director of Customer Support and CX at NumberBarn. He has more than 20 years of experience as a contact center professional leading highly engaged customer service teams. Jeremy is frequently recognized as a thought leader for his writing and speaking on a variety of topics including quality management, outsourcing, customer experience, contact center technology, and more. When not working he's spending quality time with his wife Alicia and their three boys, running with his dog, or dreaming of native trout rising for a size 16 elk hair caddis.

ADD YOUR COMMENT

Please use comments to add value to the discussion. Maximum one link to an educational blog post or article. We will NOT PUBLISH brief comments like "good post," comments that mainly promote links, or comments with links to companies, products, or services.

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here