Laughter - at work

I thought I knew my colleague pretty well but on a recent business trip we both learned a lot more about each other and it came about through laughter.

When I ended up travelling with him earlier this week, we used some of the travel time to plan for our meeting and get organized around key areas where we needed to obtain greater clarity from our client. The meeting we attended went smoothly through the agenda and there was an easy exchange of information and ideas so we left feeling pretty good about our accomplishments.

The day was young and with time on our hands we stopped at a local store to make a large, cumbersome purchase which needed to be strapped to the top of the car. So after hoisting it aloft and using ropes and bungy cords, the item was fastened down and we set off. In short order it became apparent that our 'secure' cargo was about to be airlifted. So after pullig off the road and with the aid of additional cords I 'hung on' while my colleague drove. The honks, tooting and waves from passing cars set us grinning. In no time we were laughing hard, and I had tears running down my cheeks. Here we were, creating a public spectacle and minding it not in the slightest. The two professional and dignified people in business suits, who had recently been sitting in serious discussion with the client, were now acting as if we had stepped from the set of the Beverly Hill billies.

In that moment I saw my colleague in a new light and he viewed me differently too as we both realised there's a lot to be gained from forgetting the 'professional, business' image and letting your spontaneous fun-loving side burst free. It was one of the best times we have had together - I can hardly wait for our next 'business' trip!