After having worked for software companies for over 25 years, I’ve seen it all.  In that time I’ve also come across some hilariously funny videos that allow us to take a few minutes away from the pressures of our day and laugh at ourselves and the situations we often encounter.  Here are my top 5:

1. The Expert

I’ll start with my all time favorite.  As a solution engineer we are often brought in to “be the expert”.  We are the one person who can help the customer see how we can help solve their current challenges and the sales team is relying on us… but every once in a while, the conversation can get a little awkward like it did for this expert:

2. A Conference Call in Real Life

Everyone’s experienced the joys of a conference call.  This parody taps into every annoyance that we all experience, many of us every day.  This sketch was developed by the comedy team Tripp & Tyler and highlights a number of hilarious ways in which traditional conference calls can let us down:

More laughter-inducing sketches from the “in Real Life” series are available here.

3.  My Blackberry Is Not Working

If you are in any type of technology career, you probably have parents or family members who come to you for help in sorting out their computer issues.  Here is a bit by the classic BBC legends: Ronnie Corbett and Harry Enfield.  Ronnie visits the local grocer for help with his Blackberry.  This hilarious sketch does a great job of highlighting all the ordinary words that have taken on new meaning in our modern world.  See how many you can count:

4. Stuff Business People Say

Business jargon is everywhere.  Here is another Tripp & Tyler video which contains an entertaining look at common phrases that we hear in the office everyday… so here’s the 30,000 ft view; this value-added video may leave you in stitches and don’t forget to loop in your friends:

5.  It’s Not About The Nail

Okay… so my last video is not strictly a work video, but I wanted to include it because so much of life and work is about relationships and communication and this video hits the nail on the head.  Just watch (and “listen”), and you’ll know what I mean:

Conclusion

Sometimes it’s just good to take a break, sit back and have a good laugh… and we certainly like to do that at SAP.  Charlie Chaplin said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”   I agree.  Don’t keep your favorite funny videos to yourself.  Share them with your friends because laughter releases ‘feel good’ hormones that promote social bonding… and besides…  life’s too short to be stressed.

Bert & John Jacobs, co-founders of Life is Good, have figured that out.  If you’d like a video that provides some real inspiration, listen to what these two had to say at Sapphire this year.

Feel free to submit your suggestions for your favorite videos in the comments below.

Have a great week!

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