A World of Music and Workplace

In my time out from workplace consulting I prepare and present a weekly show on my local community radio station. It got me thinking about the similarities between music and the workplace.

Firstly, I like different music depending on my activity, my mood and the time of day. Music of a higher beats per minute undoubtedly suits me better when I’m on my spin bike or flagging, but I prefer slower-paced instrumentals when I am focussing or writing. Different work-settings are better suited to different activities and mood.

Secondly, I like to listen to music late at night to help me relax and prepare for sleep. In contrast, the wife finds that she cannot sleep if music is playing. It’s quite possible that my extrovert tendencies benefit from music for relaxation, whereas the wife is a self-confessed introvert and music, at the wrong time and in the wrong place, can be overwhelming. Like music, the workplace must accommodate the needs of different personality types and other individual needs.

Thirdly, I consider myself to have good taste in music – I am a fan of progressive rock. Naïvely when I was younger, I considered most other people’s musical preferences to be rubbish and continually insisted mine was better. I’ve mellowed over time and I now accept that my friends prefer a whole array of different genres of music – I even listen to some of it and occasionally discover a new favourite artist. It would be arrogant of me to expect my friends to only like my preferred music. Likewise, it would be arrogant to expect my colleagues to like my ideal workplace. Yet, it is quite common for office design to be heavily influenced by the preferences of the project team.

Finally, music genres come in and out of fashion and I like discovering new music. However, there are particular tracks that I always fall back on, the ones I know and love. Beware of fads in the workplace, there are certain basic tried and tested elements that need to be provided before experimenting with new and whacky ideas.

Offices need to offer choice of a range of work-settings to accommodate the needs of all its occupants. We should embrace our individual preferences rather than design for a minority view.

Any other similarities between the workplace and music?