Seriously?!?

Fernando Flores wears many hats and lives the value of FUN

By Fernando Flores, Vice President, Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations 

I recently celebrated my 7^th anniversary as a Vice President, Universal Parks and Resorts Vacations®.  One of the things I love about my job is that I get to play many roles, whether it’s customer service, sales, vacation package marketing or travel operations. I’ve also had the fortune of being surrounded by many colleagues that share a passion for putting a little fun into our work lives. So when it comes to letting lose and having fun, I’ve also had the opportunity to wear many hats, no pun intended. 

Some of you might also remember me as Bullwinkle from the 2013 Youniversal University program, “MacGruber” from the 2017 Sales Kickoff and as the guy dancing Salsa with Alice Norsworthy to the tune of “Moves like Jagger”.  I’ve had my face painted like a Zombie (thank you Deb) and have worn more silly hats than I can ever count (thank you Dan).   

Given my history of dressing in funny costumes on demand, I thought writing a blog article to the tune of not taking ourselves too seriously would be a piece of cake.  I clearly have vast experience in the field of somewhat embarrassing moments and thanks to Google, there’s a ton of literature out there on this very subject. However, as I began to create this post, I came to realize that it’s actually unrealistic to be overly prescriptive with regards to how to not take ourselves so seriously. 

You see, most of us have developed some level of heightened self-awareness over time.   It is not really actionable to ask someone to suddenly become something they are not and forgo all resistance to public shame.   According to modern day psychologists, we’ve all been on a journey of self-awareness since we were about 18 months old.  Our own self-awareness compass allows us to evaluate ourselves in relation to others.  The good news is that to some degree or another, we all have a sense of humor and are capable of letting loose and having fun – especially in an environment where respect, trust and fun are established values.  

Across UPR, I see many talented professionals eager to advance their careers and striving to do the best work they possibly can - so understandably, deliberate silliness in that context may not be an easy thing for everyone to do.  This is why our focus on Culture within Marketing & Sales is so important.   As leaders, peers and colleagues, we should all work together to foster an environment where people feel comfortable enough to let loose and have fun and laugh out loud.  We need to recognize and applaud that behavior when we see it and more importantly participate within it.  Let’s cultivate a trusting environment that allows us to occasionally bring our guard down a little bit and let our sense of humor come to the surface.  

Laughter is universal (pun intended), across all human cultures and the dynamics of humor is something fascinating.  Sharing some fun and laughter with other is a great way to connect. “The necessary stimulus for laughter is not a joke, but another person” wrote Robert R. Provine, laughter expert and professor emeritus at University of Maryland (I hope the title laughter expert made you laugh!).    

So if you’re one of those folks that are overly conscious and concerned about what others will think about you if you let down your guard a little, then think twice. A study by Bell Leadership Institute found that a strong work ethic AND a good sense of humor were identified as the two most desirable traits in leaders.  

To that effect I recently found a quote that has now made its way to my top ten list. "A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done." - Dwight D. Eisenhower. Perhaps not a quote you would expect from someone who was in charge of the invasion of Normandy during WWII but all more the reason for why this is such a great quote. 

Humor is also great for business! Experts believe that humor is crucial to productivity, innovation and creativity.  It helps people play with new ideas, lower their internal critic, and see things from a different perspective.  The premise here is that people are most inspired when they are relaxed. Several companies such as Zappos, Virgin, Google and Southwest Airlines have used humor not only to help brand their businesses but also use it to attract and retain great talent.

Be courageous – but also be outrageous.  Be genuine – but also a wee bit irreverent.  Don’t be a Grinch this holiday season and liberate yourself with some let loose fun – seriously!   

Fernando Flores joined Universal Orlando in 2012 and oversees the Travel Company, which includes UPRV, Travel Industry Sales and the Guest Contact Center. Combined, Consumer Sales is the largest department within all of Marketing & Sales.