If you recognized that line you are either really old or a student of really old stand-up comedy. Henny Youngman (1906-1998) was a musician and comedian famous for his one-liners.
“My grandmother is over eighty and she still doesn’t need glasses. She drinks straight from the bottle!”
In April of 2004 I arrived in Manila, Philippines, to open an office for Coastal Training. What I discovered was a treasure trove of hard-working, intelligent men and women who had many outstanding attributes, including one that truly excited me. None of them had ever heard of Henny Youngman.
” I told my doctor, it hurts when I do this. Doc said ‘Then don’t do that!’”
I had volumes of material to use with the Team. Meetings were a breeze. It might shock you to know I like attention.
“I’ve got all the money I’ll ever need. If I die by 4:00 PM.”
It’s fine to be known as a great leader, manager or motivator, but what we really want is to be funny. I think hard work and the ability to laugh, combine to keep us sane and focused. In the thousands of interviews I did staffing the office over the years, I often used a Henny line to see how the applicant would react. If they understood the humor it was a good sign they could connect with their American clients.
“When I read about the dangers of drinking, I gave up reading”
As we grew from 20 employees to almost 300 the technique worked well in building a compatible team. Of course this was only one of many criteria for hiring, but laughing at my jokes never hurt anyone’s chances for advancement.
“For her birthday, my wife asked me to take her somewhere she’s never been before, so I took her to the kitchen.”