Nov. 8, 2025

🌴313. Humour Engineering feat. Andrew Tarvin (Weekend Rewind)

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Show Notes

I loved this conversation with Andrew Tarvin—the world’s first “humor engineer.” Andrew trained as a computer science engineer, worked at Procter & Gamble as an IT project manager, and then discovered a powerful truth: you can’t be efficient with humans; you have to be effective. He started sneaking tiny moments of humor into meetings and emails and watched engagement, memory, and relationships skyrocket. Today he runs Humor That Works, helping teams use humor deliberately to get better results at work.

In this episode, Andrew breaks down how to start (even if you’re not “the funny one”), why humor is a learnable skill, and a practical framework—MAP (Medium, Audience, Purpose)—to choose the right kind of humor for your context. We talk subject-line puns, image-rich slides, “shepherding” humor when you’re not ready to create your own, how improv reps make facilitation easier, and why sustained, light-touch humor changes behavior over time (people actually look forward to your meetings!).

What we cover

Efficient vs effective: why humor saves time in the long run
The Humor MAP: Medium, Audience, Purpose—pick your humor on purpose
Easy starters: open with an interesting question; hide a playful image “Easter egg” in slides; end emails with a themed pun
Online delivery: use visuals + association to keep attention and boost recall
Building the habit: keep a humor notebook, apply the “Rule of 90,” and test ideas in low-stakes ways (tweets, friends, stand-up, improv)
Facilitator edge: improv as the best practice for thinking on your feet

Takeaways

Tiny, consistent humor shifts expectations and attendance: people opt in because your sessions feel human and enjoyable.
You don’t have to be a comedian—be a shepherd of humor: curate images, stories, or clips that fit your message and audience.

Quotes

“You can’t be efficient with humans—you have to be effective.”
“Humor is a skill. That means it can be learned.”

Resources mentioned

Andrew Tarvin / Humor That Works (training + newsletter)
TEDx talks by Andrew Tarvin (Ohio State; Texas A&M)
Podcasts for studying comedic craft: WTF with Marc Maron, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast
Book: Humor That Works (500+ ways to use humor at work)

Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

P.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help: