Why Serious People Are Ruining Everything

We all know them. The Serious People™.

They speak in that “business voice” – the one that makes everything sound like it was written by a legal bot with attitude. Sadly they’re convinced that anything less will make them look like a candidate for Love Island. They have to look uber professional and are under the impression this will make them look impressive. It doesn’t. It makes them forgettable. It makes them exhausting.

Why too much Seriousness Fails

1. Seriousness creates distance.
That “voice of authority” doesn’t invite people in – it pushes them away. It turns communication into a lecture. And the moment people feel spoken at rather than with, they switch off. Or quietly reach for TikTok or Candy Crush.

2. Seriousness is forgettable.
Do you remember the last presentation you saw, packed with bullet points, delivered in monotone? No? That sort of proves my point. People remember what makes them feel something – surprise, connection, curiosity… or a laugh.

3. Seriousness kills engagement – even the CIA agrees.
In their actual sabotage manual, the CIA recommends weaponising corporate seriousness to destroy enemy organisations from the inside. Their double agents are trained to drag out meetings. Argue over trivial points. Suck the energy from the room. Sound familiar?

The science backs it up.
A Harvard Business Review study found that laughter relieves stress, boosts engagement, encourages collaboration – and makes teams more productive.

But this isn’t about turning your workplace into a comedy club. It’s about sounding human.

Because in a world where we’re bombarded with emails, pings, DMs and endless “key takeaways”, the most radical thing you can do is be real.

So next time you're tempted to go full corporate-serious… pause. Ask yourself: will this make someone lean in... or log out?

And if this struck a chord, feel free to drop me a message. Always happy to talk shop - and or a little bit of silliness.