Who Picked That Song? Create Coworker Connections in a Whole New Way

You hear the intro, then the beat kicks in, and you know it had to be your colleague across the hall who selected this particular tune to pump up the team before the big presentation. How? Well, the song was just “so them.” From there, you walk over to his office (while doing a little dance step or two) and connect on how energized you are for the task at hand. This genuine, vibrant connection was brought to the workplace, all because of a simple shared song. 

In the past, written personality tests were circulated through offices with the goal of better understanding what makes an employee ‘tick.’ They’ve also been relied upon during hiring processes to try and calculate how teams will mesh and flow. However, with today’s workforce valuing connected and collaborative workplaces, it’s time to introduce a fun new way to get a glimpse into a colleague's personality. As author and playwright Hans Christian Anderson so eloquently put it, “Where words fail, music speaks.” 

Here’s how shared music experiences create meaningful coworker connections.

Music Shows Who We Are Culturally

Music is as diverse and culturally unique as the people who listen to it. In fact, anthropologists found that music contributes to culture by bringing people from all walks of life together. In studies of small villages and tribes, culture is a means of a group’s survival, and one of the main components found in all cultures around the world is music, dance, and instrument making. With people spending approximately one-third of their lives at work, the workplace becomes somewhat of a village where diverse individuals come together for a common purpose, and with the benefits of today’s technology, customized playlists celebrate diversity and meaningful connections. With that, employees can learn more about their teammates’ backgrounds and create an environment of inclusion and belonging. 

Feeling culturally included is a great way to instill a sense of belonging, thus forming more meaningful connections. In a BetterUp study, a high feeling of belonging in the workplace was linked to a 56 percent increase in job performance, a 50 percent drop in turnover risk, and a 75 percent reduction in sick days. Certainly, inclusivity reverberates benefits throughout the workplace. 

Music Makes Us Feel Good

Listening to music has been linked to the release of dopamine, which is the chemical involved in creating an uplifting mood and behavior. Coupled with the effect of endorphins, music makes us feel good and helps us become more open to connecting with those around us. Research suggests that music encourages a certain effect by binding us into groups. It is a direct tool of social living and provides us with the environment to become more engaged. This is why playing music in the workplace is such an untapped resource for many businesses. Something as simple as setting up a playlist where everyone can contribute gives workers the opportunity to feel good in their work environment and engage more with those around them. 

Music Encourages Conversations

True collaboration and workplace camaraderie mean getting to know teammates for ultimate creativity and success. How is collaboration supposed to happen without an environment that encourages us to have conversations? Enter the ultimate conversation starter – music. When a song begins to play, whether it be one we like or dislike, we instantly become curious—who picked that song? 

Let’s say a new employee, Susan has just arrived in the office for her first day at work. She’s naturally shy and not keen on instigating conversation. Susan’s manager, Lisa, had Susan put together a list of her favorite songs or genre of music so that she could play them in the office as an “introduction to Susan.” It turns out that Susan loves the Beatles and many other selections from the 60s. The song choices become an instant conversation starter. Employees who love the Beatles approach Susan, becoming instantly connected over discussing trivia and albums. Employees who don’t care for The Beatles spark lively, interesting debates, and soon it doesn’t feel like a “first day in the office.” Susan has formed meaningful connections that she will cherish for the entirety of her employment. 

Are you ready to become the workplace culture people want to be a part of? At TouchTunes Unlimited, we take great pride in helping organizations create meaningful connections for their employees through the joy of shared interactive music. With culture being so closely tied to retention rates, it’s not a question of if but when is the time to take that next step to bring a TouchTunes jukebox into your office space.
 

Citations

[1] https://ccs.instructure.com/courses/1428878/pages/lecture-2-how-music-and-culture-work-together

[2] https://grow.betterup.com/resources/the-value-of-belonging-at-work-the-business-case-for-investing-in-workplace-inclusion-event

[3] https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1811878116

[4] https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0033691