Dilemma
The large number of headphones and earphones in the average workplace says it all: many people enjoy listening to music while they work. But music you don’t like can disrupt concentration and cause a lot of annoyance. What if your manager has a radio station on all day that you can’t stand, with the same songs over and over again? Should you say something about that?
Start the conversation
Making music, listening or singing along to music has many positive consequences, says Mireille Hulzebos. As a vitalologist at Vitalogic, she advises organizations on the well-being of their employees. “Depending on the type of music – except for new music or music with a lot of lyrics, because then you are too busy listening – it can relax someone, help them concentrate or make them more energetic.”
That’s because music you love activates the network in the brain that invites musing, creativity and… mind wandering, says professor of neuropsychology Erik Scherder. Moreover, your favorite music activates your reward system: “If a nice song is on, you think: ‘Yes, here it comes, that nice moment.’ And then chemicals are released in the brain that make you very happy.”
But listening to music you don’t like activates a completely different area in the back of the brain (the precuneus), says Scherder. “We use the precuneus to experience internal feelings and not to open the brain. You then think very carefully about what you are listening to, what feelings you have about it and whether you do not feel comfortable. That’s clearly not what you want during a working day.”
“It cannot of course be the case that someone is limited in their work by music in the background, or has to wear headphones to avoid disturbing noise,” says HR advisor Ingrid Donders-Adams of Donders HRM. “It sounds simple and general, but the best advice is: start the conversation.” According to Donders-Adams, this is best done using the UBAA method: speaking out, discussing, agreeing and addressing.
“It can be exciting to have this conversation, especially if you feel like you are the only one who does not enjoy listening to the radio, but it is good to express your feelings.” Donders-Adams advises keeping it close to yourself. “Name what you feel and what you find annoying, and what it does to you. Of course, there could also be a number of reasons that your manager does not know, such as sensitive hearing. It takes courage, but it is important to express what you want or need.”
Start the meeting with someone’s favorite song
Donders-Adams would of course prefer to see a manager discuss music etiquette in the workplace in advance. “Then everyone can indicate whether they have a preference for a certain genre, how loud they want the music to be and whether they prefer a radio station or other music.” But if those frameworks are not in place and music is being played, Donders-Adams advises making as concrete agreements as possible with colleagues and the manager.
“There are many solutions to this dilemma,” says Donders-Adams. You can agree how many hours per day the radio is on, what type of music is played at different times of the day, whether there are certain activities or times when employees prefer to work in silence, and so on. There is something to suit every work situation.
“It is important to discuss this as a team and give everyone a say,” says Donders-Adams. Once these agreements have been made jointly, employees can also hold each other to them. It is relevant to recalibrate the agreements every so often, so that, for example, the opinions of new colleagues also count.
And if an employee really turns out to be the only one who does not appreciate the radio station, it is also possible to discuss whether he or she could perhaps sit in a different place for a few moments a week, says Hulzebos. “I don’t mean that someone always has to work from home or in isolation in a quiet place, but perhaps an employee can occasionally join another team where the radio is not on.”
It is also possible to use the conversation about music and music tastes in a positive way, says Hulzebos. “For example, start a meeting with someone’s favorite song. This not only helps you get to know each other better and sparks fun conversations, but it can also activate different areas of the brain. That contributes to creativity.”
So
Music can have many positive effects. But if you are exposed all day to a radio station that you cannot stand, it is especially annoying, with negative consequences for your mood, concentration and productivity. It is therefore important to express your thoughts about music in the workplace to colleagues or your manager, no matter how exciting that can be. Speaking from your own feelings and needs often works best. And who knows, it might lead to a nice conversation and music can then play a role in the workplace to promote creativity and get to know each other better.
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