Let’s face it: we need humor to get through our working day. Whether you’re holding down a regular 9-5 schedule or working remotely, a good chuckle can make a world of difference in taking your mind off of work for a split second before you zone back in. That’s where memes enter the chat! In the digital age, memes are everywhere. Many of us communicate our daily emotions and feelings through memes because they’re so easily relatable and everyone can understand them, even if there’s a language barrier. And although it seems unprofessional to use memes during work, they’re actually very useful in breaking the ice and even getting important messages across.
So, shall we bask in the awesomeness that are meeting memes? Let’s talk about what they are, where some of the more famous ones come from, and how you can integrate them into your meetings and work chats.
What Are Meeting Memes?
If the name isn’t a dead giveaway already, meeting memes are a special breed of memes that are made specifically for the workplace. They can be witty, sarcastic, and downright hilarious. Most important of all, anyone who’s working in a corporate environment can “get” meeting memes, making them an excellent (and underrated) communication tool.
You’ve probably seen a few of these work meeting memes before, like the “That’d be great” meme or the “Board suggestion” meme that always ends with one guy getting thrown out the window. They come in different formats, from GIFs to photos with captions, and short videos.
Where Do Meeting Memes Come From?
Meeting memes come from the same place that all other memes come from: the internet and our global consciousness! They’ve become so popular, it’s hard to imagine life without them. It’s gotten to a point that people who unknowingly became memes (like Bad Luck Brian and Overly Attached Girlfriend) actually turned into celebrities and gained fans all around the world. So, it was only natural for memes to enter the corporate world at some point. And once they did, they began to dominate! When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and everyone went virtual, meeting memes became the bread and butter of the online workplace. Let’s take a look at three of these meeting memes and see where they come from:
The “If You Could…That’d Be Great” Meme
This is easily one of the most recognizable work meeting memes out there. It’s a still from a movie called “Office Space” (yes, ironic!) featuring actor Bill Lumbergh with a rather cynical expression on his face. You’ll usually see a request written on top of the meme, and the phrase “That’d be great” at the bottom. “If you could ask the AI Meeting Assistant to take notes, that’d be great.” You can pair any cynical message with this meme, and it’ll work great! It can get the point across without offending anyone…hopefully!
The “Board Suggestion” Meme
This meme became an instant classic when it first appeared online. It features a comic book style drawing of a board meeting where a C-level asks for suggestions, and the last employee who makes a comment ends up getting thrown out the window. The meme is originally a comic called Outlook Oust that has been memed-out to the max after being released back in 2012. It can fit any scenario in a corporate setting. You can use it to make a point, for example if your idea gets rejected during a meeting. It’ll show how you can accept your rejection with grace instead of being bitter about it!
The “Parkour” Meme
If meeting memes were a TV series, they’d be The Office. That’s where our next meme comes from. It’s an image macro, a GIF, or a short video of actor Steve Carell in the role of Michael Scott as the character screams “Parkour!” after a bout of chaos.
This is the ideal meme to send in your group chat after your team is asked to do something that feels impossible, or after you’re done with a long meeting and are looking at your meeting notes.
These are just some of the most well-known examples of meeting memes. The good thing about memes is that you can adapt them to your specific situation. It doesn’t necessarily have to be work-related, as long as you can make it fit the context. For example, a colleague that had been let go from a company posted a meme in his team’s group chat on his last day: a scene from the Titanic where the musicians were playing as the ship sunk. It had the caption “Gentlemen, it was an honor coding with you.” It was a funny way of saying goodbye to his team.
How Do I Use Meeting Memes at Work?
Using meeting memes at work is an art that you need to master. Here are a few tips from office meme experts:
Send memes at the right place, at the right time:
Timing and context are key when you’re using memes. If you’re in a meeting with a client or a potential partner, it’s best not to push your luck with memes. Try breaking the ice with verbal jokes instead. Save the memes for your internal chat groups. Then again, make sure everyone in the group is on the same wave-length and that the group has the flexibility to handle memes. Nowadays almost every company has a “random” channel on their communication platforms where you can send memes without disrupting the workflow.
Don’t be too obscure:
Use memes that everyone understands, or at least has seen before. If you send memes that are off the beaten track, they might get misunderstood. Remember, the key is in being relatable. Also, make sure your meme is relevant to the conversation. Don’t send technical memes to the marketing chat, for example.
Keep it professional:
Nobody likes that one guy at the office who always makes crass and inappropriate jokes. Remember, it’s still a workplace and you need to be professional. The secret is in finding the perfect balance between corporate and comedy.
Make your own memes:
You don’t necessarily have to use pre-made memes. You can make totally new ones with online tools like ImgFlip. Just grab any meme and add your own text and spin to it. Some employees will go as far as using images of themselves for memes that only their colleagues will understand.
Other Ways of Using Meeting Memes
You can use hilarious funny work memes to add a comedic vibe to your presentations. Let’s say there’s a pitch meeting and you know everyone in the room. You can add some memes in your slides and ease the tension of an otherwise stressful situation. Memes are also great for internal communication between team members and a fun way to troll colleagues without going over the limit. A lot of hilarious situations happen during Zoom meetings that have great potential for becoming memes. Here’s a scenario: there’s an AI note-taking app transcribing your meeting and suddenly one of your colleagues sneezes loudly. The app records their sneeze as the word “actually” in the transcription, and an internal meme is born!
Meeting memes are great ice-breakers that help us blow off steam during work without getting too distracted. Try incorporating them into your work chats and see if your colleagues are up for a challenge.
If humor isn’t enough on its own and you want to get more out of your meetings, use Krisp’s AI Meeting Assistant. Not only will it transcribe your meetings (along with all the jokes that your colleagues make), it also turns those transcriptions into meeting summaries and makes sure no one misses a single detail, including the short discussions over some meeting memes that found their way into your session!
