So I work for a fairly staid, conservative company. We are undergoing a culture change, which I like, but… what’s happening today might be a little too far, too fast. Not sure.
So I’m in a two-day meeting with external customers who represent companies from around the world. Like they literally traveled from their home countries to be here. The point is really that it’s a culturally diverse group. I’ve been participating and occasionally presenting at these meetings for a few years, so I’m comfortable with how they’re run. Business casual but best manners, that kind of thing.
This one is being run by another group in my company. During the breaks they’re playing music. Nice! But, wait… is that…? Ozzy Osbourne? Black Sabbath? Judas Preist? Nine Inch Nails? :eek:
I can’t tell if our customers like it or if they’re just politely ignoring it.
Just in case someone comments that just because I don’t like it, yada yada… 80’s and 70’s American hard rock is totally my thing. I’m loving it. Just not used to hearing this stuff at work, in the presence of our external customers.
I’d be really surprised to be hearing those artists at work also. I don’t mind the genre but that doesn’t seem like the right environment for it, it’s especially interesting because of your situation with the cultural diversity. I’d be interested to know why the choice was made.
At most training sessions I’ve attended the speaker has music on their phone or laptop and just asks a different participant each break what they want to hear. I’ve never paid much attention to what gets played; neither to the people around me.
So a manager finally told the sound person to change the music. It turns out that our marketing department hired a bunch of young people and they apparently haven’t taught them workplace norms. LOL!
Not to hijack, but that makes me feel so old. I mean, how young were they that they didn’t say, “hey, maybe we should bring it down a notch!” Now my mind is blown .
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