---
title: Consider bringing a little humor into employee training
description: Steve Cody, the co-founder of Peppercom, a public relations firm in New York, began doing stand up comedy five years ago after hearing about it at a business dinner.
---

[IES Blog | NB 24](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24)

# [Consider bringing a little humor into employee training](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/consider-bringing-a-little-humor-into-employee-training)

 Written by [Innovative Employee Solutions](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/author/innovativeemployeesolutions) | Feb 12, 2013 9:23:54 AM

Steve Cody, the co-founder of Peppercom, a public relations firm in New York, began doing stand up comedy five years ago after hearing about it at a business dinner.

After noticing how his newfound hobby improved his communication skills and his relationships with his colleagues, Cody decided to bring a little humor to his company's training programs.

[In an interview](http://www.workforce.com/article/20130116/NEWS01/130119963/no-joke-stand-up-comedy-training-for-employees-can-improve-workplace) with Workforce magazine, Cody said the Comedy Experience Program is "a workshop intended to be a management training and development program and a cultural change agent."

The initiative can help organizations dealing with employee morale issues or inter-departmental collaboration problems and those attempting to reconcile two company cultures after a merger or acquisition, he said.

The workshops are either half-day or full-day and occur two or three times a month. Each session is split into three parts. During the first, employees learn about the value of humor in the workplace. The second consists of participants performing a short stand up routines that is taped and the third is a one-on-one performance review with each attendee.

Cody says the sessions make people better story tellers and improves their presentation skills.

One psychologist [told](http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/02/21/funny-people-more-successful-in-business-humor-workplace/) Forbes people who are funny are more likely to be well perceived by others, which can make them good leaders.

[View full post](https://blog.innovativeemployeesolutions.com/ies-blog-nb-24/blog/consider-bringing-a-little-humor-into-employee-training)

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