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Course Description

Effectively using humor to win or gain influence can make you a more effective leader. In this course, you will identify situations and environments where utilizing humor may help you gain influence, and you will identify situations where you should avoid attempting humor. You will develop skills in constructing jokes that suit specific scenarios or audiences and deciding which medium is most effective for the joke. This course also provides strategies to course-correct when a joke doesn't land well so you can safely defuse any incidental tension a joke might cause if the delivery was inappropriate or ineffective. You will review examples and stories translated from ancient Roman philosophy on using humor for influence, and you will be guided to draw parallels between ancient and modern scenarios where humor can be applied.

You will be required to purchase a copy of "How to Tell a Joke: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Humor" by course author Mike Fontaine.

Faculty Author

Michael Fontaine

Benefits to the Learner

  • Identify when telling a joke would be beneficial
  • Construct a joke to match/suit a specific scenario
  • Decide what medium would be appropriate for a joke (Zoom vs. public vs. email, etc.)
  • Course-correct for a joke gone wrong

Target Audience

  • Individual contributors
  • Managers
  • Executives
  • Communications professionals
  • Entrepreneurs

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

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Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences
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