Leaders want employees to innovate, but innovation is risky.  Second City’s view is that you have to teach people that the level of risk you can take depends on the context, and that humor is a tool to foster a culture of innovation.

One practice that Second City has seen work well is when companies have playful events such as annual awards ceremonies that give prizes to the biggest failures of the year. Libera says celebrating those failures take the edge off, because of course there will be some failures:

Another powerful mindset shift that comes from comedy: Give up the need to be right.  Leonard says doing so creates an orientation toward joy and allows people up and down the hierarchy to see obstacles as gifts.  If something goes wrong, it becomes a chance to play, and exciting things can emerge from that.

Lastly, Leonard says don’t set up a culture of forced frivolity.

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