The Tribune

By IAN FERGUSON

Music is said to be the universal language. Somehow bars, notes, chords, rhythms and beats have the ability to transport us into another world and emotional state of being. It influences the way we communicate, and most understand its immense power in causing people the world over to pay attention, receiving messages encrypted in each note and bar.

Church communities, family gatherings, political rallies and fund-raising events have all been blessed with music and singing, but little discussion is had about music as an aid to industry and business. In fact, popular thought places music and singing high on the list of distractions in productive work environments. Our dialogue today counters that prevailing thought, and presents the benefits and advantages of music at work.

From the days of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, workers have been humming tunes as they go about their laborious tasks. Little has changed today as hotel housekeepers, waiters, construction workers and employees from many professions all seem to have a melody in their heart, rendering those lines to all who will hear.

Most workplaces seem to have personal employee radios stashed in bags and underneath desks, where staff steal away to catch the latest jams. Some workplaces celebrate boldly, and proudly, their appreciation for music at work by sharing playlists through company-operated speaker systems for guests and employees to enjoy.

Whether deliberate or concealed, music has a useful place in our corporate environment. Here is a short list of the benefits:

1. Sacred scripture bears the truth, indicating that music has the ability to make a merry heart and drive away evil spirits and thoughts. Those singing and humming around the workplace are usually the happy and content employees, who want to remain in a pleasant frame of mind.
   

2. Music and singing somehow have the ability to make the workload seem lighter, and the day go by more quickly. Even domestic engineers singing the songs as they wash dishes and complete their daily chores find this statement to be true.

3. Music has the ability to alter the mood in both a positive and negative direction. The right music creates a relaxed workplace atmosphere where productivity can thrive, and employees feel comfortable to work efficiently.

4. Activities at work involving music and singing provide an outlet for employees to display their talents and abilities. These social outlets allow the employees to be viewed in a different light, and enable them to feel as if they have something to offer, if only in social settings.

5. Many employees find that music gives them something else to think about and avoids boredom. It provides a diversion, and prevents workers from engaging in other distracting behaviours.

In this way, music is a strategy to manage internal interruptions, such as day dreams or other thoughts that could lead to a loss of workflow. This, in turn, could lead to the employee starting to do something else (fiddling with papers, browsing the Internet, finding a colleague to chat to, send some e-mails and so on).

Music has many positive functions at work, and these can counteract common stress triggers. Viewed from this perspective, managers should conceptualise music at work as more than simply a leisure activity. Instead, listening to music at work can ultimately help organisations with their bottom-line results.

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.