Stephanie Davies

No one likes a laugh in the office more than Stephanie. After all, she understands how laughter and humour in the workplace connects, engages and motivates people.  

But we also understand that in today’s world, using banter can be like juggling a grenade with the pin pulled out, particularly in large organisations with a cross-section of ethnicities, genders and faiths.

So, the question is: When does playful banter cross into bullying?

At what point do workplace humour and banter cause anxiety, stress, and isolation? How can it impact wellbeing?

This workshop explores what’s funny and what’s not and looks at how we can use humour in an inclusive way. It equips teams with ways to use humour constructively while they promote a safe, engaging workplace culture.  You see, society is evolving at a head-spinning pace. The need for inclusivity, mutual respect, and kindness is paramount. One person’s funny is another person’s insult.

Thankfully, insensitivity, stereotypes and offensive victim-led humour have no place in progressive, forward-looking, inclusive workplaces. Yet some can still cross the line, and this can constitute harassment, breaking workplace policies and potentially the law.   But it’s a minefield out there, full of banter-bombs ready to blow up in your face, which is why Stephanie has cleared a path for you with ‘It’s Only Banter’ workshop/ keynote – What to Expect:

• Equip your team at every level with practical knowledge to create a safe and enjoyable work environment – develop clear guidelines that maintain the fun while ensuring everyone feels respected and included, reducing turnover and improving productivity.
• Gain the skills to address banter that crosses the line and help everyone to know how to challenge – you’ll gain confidence in addressing inappropriate behaviour early, using proven techniques to have difficult conversations that lead to positive change.
• Discuss the boundaries and the nuances of workplace banter and bullying so you can protect your team – helping you build a truly inclusive culture that celebrates diversity.
• Learn ways to use humour to support a fun and creative culture

Stephanie Davies knows a thing or two about creating spaces where people feel happy, connected, and ready to thrive. After all, a positive culture doesn’t just happen – it’s cultivated.

But in today’s changing work landscape, where hybrid, virtual, and in-person dynamics collide, how do we ensure workplaces become hubs of connection and belonging, not just functional spaces?

This workshop explores the essential role of happiness in building trust, inclusion, and engagement. It delves into how joy, fun, and connection go beyond transactional relationships to create teams that feel valued and psychologically safe. After all, happiness isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s a must-have for productivity, retention, and wellbeing.

What to Expect:

• Understand the science of connection: Learn how laughter, shared experiences, and psychological safety improve team dynamics and performance.
• Reimagine workplace culture: Discover practical ways to foster a sense of belonging, whether virtual or in-person, to create environments people want to be in.
• Explore tools for inclusivity and trust: Gain actionable strategies for building a culture where every individual feels heard, valued, and connected.
• Cultivate happy habits: Develop day-to-day behaviours and hacks that integrate joy into ways of working, strengthening team relationships.

In this fast-paced, evolving world, workplace culture is no longer about where you work – it’s about how you connect. With Culture Club: Making Work Your Happy Place, Stephanie Davies gives you the tools to bring people together, boost productivity, and create a culture that everyone wants to be part of.

Laughter isn’t just for amusement, honest. It’s actually a strategic tool for learning and behaviour change. Don’t believe us? Well, those sciencey types in lab coats have proven that laughter triggers the release of happy hormones like endorphins and dopamine, lighting up the brain’s reward centre.

And it’s this neurological magic that turns learning moments into memorable, ‘sticky’ experiences.

After all, who wouldn’t want the learning process to feel like sharing a good joke rather than memorising facts? We know we do. And that’s lucky because it’s our Laughology promise: to make knowledge stick with the joy of laughter, embedding it in your brain like neural post-it notes.

By fusing humour and L&D through innovative activities and hacks, meaningful learning happens and people feel motivated to take action, because it feels good. And with that comes lasting change.  Workshop Outcomes:

• Unlock science-backed techniques: we’re not just about the laughter; we’re kinda geeky about the science, too. You’ll learn how to make behaviour change last with strategies rooted in neuroscience.
• Overcome learning barriers: discover how playfulness can break down the obstacles to learning, making room for growth and real behaviour change.
•  Incorporate ‘sticky learning’ into daily routines: gain insights into integrating effective, memorable learning practices into your everyday L&D efforts – glue sticks not required.

It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine, and this rings particularly true when you need to think fast and get stuff done. Studies, including those by prominent institutions like Gallup and Harvard, have shown that humour plays a significant role in enhancing creativity, problem-solving abilities, building relationships and resilience.

Now, don’t run and hide in the book cupboard; we’re not asking you to tell knock-knock jokes. Humour (GSOH) isn’t just about making people laugh; it’s about seeing the world differently. And when we can do that, incredible change can—and does—happen.

At Laughology, we understand the science of happiness, humour and laughter more than most, because we’ve spent over two decades studying them and designing ways to make lives better using them. Our science-backed approach uses data from neuroscientists, psychologists and our own research to underpin everything we deliver and the way in which we deliver it.

In this workshop/keynote, Stephanie will explore:

• Ways to think differently when faced with challenges—you’ll be able to change how you think about these situations once and for all—and, dare we say it, actually embrace them!
• Techniques for even better creative thinking and problem-solving skills—workplaces need people who can think on their feet and be solution focused.These techniques can help everyone flip their thinking, owning the challenge and taking action.
• Building resilience with laughter and humour with the FLIP-it Thinking toolkit—when Janet from HR organises yet another meeting that could have been an email, you often need resilience by the bucket load. And that’s where our FLIP-it toolkit comes in – it gives you a whole host of strategies to pull out when you need them.

Stephanie Davies, Laughology’s Head of Happiness, knows what it’s like to grow up feeling different. As a child, she believed she was “stupid” because she couldn’t learn the same way others did. That was until she discovered her dyslexia wasn’t a weakness – it was her superpower.

In a world that often focuses on what people can’t do, Stephanie celebrates what they can do. This workshop is an inspiring exploration of how neurodiversity, creativity, and resilience can transform challenges into strengths.  Stephanie shares her personal experience and how the very thing that she thought made her stupid is what has helped her create one of the most talked about Culture and change consultancies in the UK.  Working with global brands such as  Starbucks, HSBC, Nando’s and many more, stephanie uses her creative and quirky way of seeing the world to find solutions that help support engagement and behaviour change.  So to the teacher that told her joking and clowning around is not a career option and she won’t amount to much, who’s laughing now!

What to Expect:

• Challenge perceptions of neurodiversity: Explore the strengths that come with neurodivergent thinking, such as creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.
• Harness the power of storytelling: Stephanie shares her journey of turning struggle into success, helping others reframe their own challenges.
• Build inclusive, supportive environments: Discover practical strategies to empower neurodiverse individuals in teams and workplaces.
• Unlock hidden superpowers: Learn how diverse ways of thinking can drive innovation, resilience, and growth across organisations.

This workshop isn’t just about dyslexia – it’s about seeing difference as a strength and creating a culture where everyone can thrive. Stephanie’s humour, honesty, and insight will leave participants feeling inspired, equipped, and ready to unlock their own superpowers.