Humor can help learning stick—but make sure your attempts resonate.

Is it ever appropriate to use humor in an educational or training setting? Learning Consultant Christina Nilsen says the answer is a resounding “yes” when done correctly. And she showed that research is on her side during “Train Your Funny Bone” on Wednesday.

“What’s appropriate and what’s inappropriate?” Nilsen asked. “High-level humor should be affiliative, not derogatory, and promote a positive environment.”

Humor in the workplace has plenty of benefits. Laughing together floods the human brain with the same hormones that being in love produces. In a professional setting, humor can improve learning through attention and engagement, stimulate higher-order thinking, improve learning outcomes by increasing dopamine, and break down barriers between people.

Nilsen let audience members introduce themselves to each other by telling a joke and told a few of her own. Jokes can be helpful in training, she says, such as when Southwest Airlines flight attendants tell passengers it’s OK to put your fake Gucci purse underneath the seat in front of you because everyone knows if it were real, you’d be flying Delta.

That doesn’t mean, however, that humor always works.

“If you’re a leader, you can’t assume you’re funny just because they’re laughing at your jokes,” Nilsen noted.

Adding humor that doesn’t work with your audience can distract them, weaken the seriousness of your content, undermine your credibility, and reduce your perceived professionalism.

“It’s really about balance,” Nilsen explained. Individuals should strike “the right chord between being engaging and maintaining professionalism.”

Trainers and teachers should also make sure their humor aligns with learning objectives, instead of trying to get a laugh with something completely unrelated.

“The courage to experiment with humor, I think, is really commendable,” Nilsen said. “Despite the risks, despite the fear of failing, I applaud all of you for your willingness to try something new.”