I found the "type" of joke made all the difference. "A man walks into a bar..." or "Three engineers went to a party..." type of jokes often shut down the natural flow of conversation and focused attention on an individual.

But, when someone tells a "funny story" like "Last night one of my kids did..." or "Did anyone else notice that crazy thing the other day?" then everyone is involved and easily invited to adding to the conversation even if what they say is not a joke or funny.

Or even a spontaneous but appropriate response that was funny and shows wit in both the telling and comprehension making all parties feel good. There is risk, with all spontaneous social acts, I might add, but you may reap dividends in trust and camaraderie.