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Is Humor in Business Negotiation Ever Appropriate?

Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks explains that humor, when used strategically, can shift emotional tone, build trust, and improve negotiation outcomes. Research shows jokes that elicit genuine laughter signal confidence, competence, and higher status, while also fostering creativity and team performance. However, inappropriate or poorly timed humor can damage credibility and erode trust, especially in culturally sensitive or high‑stakes contexts. Brooks advises using humor to ease tension, deflect difficult questions, and enhance subjective satisfaction, but only after establishing rapport and reading the room.