Matthew Gates http://notetoservices.com 3m 736 #listentomusic
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
The Music I’m Listening To Is For Your Own Protection, Not Mine
I’m listening to music right now, at work, and I’m doing this for your own protection, not mine. I’m talking to all of you, my co-workers, and my bosses. This is not a threat and I’m not telling you that I’m a violent individual at all. I have no intentions of hurting any of you. However, the music keeps me calm and at peace with my workday, where I have to be for eight hours a day, just like you.
Nine if you count the fact that I am required to take an unpaid lunch or dinner break where I am technically not at work, but I am not really home, either. I work a steady desk job that can seem easy at times, but can be extremely stressful at other times, with set deadlines, demands, and expectations, so I need this music to concentrate on what I am doing. Don’t bother me. I’m keeping these headphones on for your protection and for your safety. Don’t worry, if you need me, we will still be able to communicate.
Yes, I am lucky enough to be able to slip on some mostly-noise cancelling headphones on at work and focus on my job, which does require a great amount of attention to detail, as there are not allowed to be any mistakes within the work I send out, so please, leave me alone, and let me listen to my music in peace.
Bothering me only distracts me away from my work and prevents me from paying attention to the explicit details of my work. If you need to talk to me, send me an instant message, an email, a chat message, or walk over to my desk, and tap me on the shoulder. I am definitely available to communicate with you, but as far as background noise, the only noise I want to hear is my music.
I do not wish to hear the background noise of office chatter; of the hundred cubicles in the office with sales pitches; of upselling going on; of packages being sold; of you laughing with other co-workers or clients or making jokes or watching YouTube videos or chatting with your family; or anything else.
I really don’t care. I don’t want to hear any of it. I’m just here to do my job. Anything that is directed to me can be sent in an email, which I can see the notification on the bottom right hand corner of my computer screen. If it is urgent, you can walk the few desks over and communicate with me directly.
It may be true that any employer has the right to take away my headphones at any time from me, because I am on company time, but the truth is that, I need those headphones to focus, to reduce stress, to concentrate, to block out everyone else’s world that is not my own, so that I can concentrate on my own job and complete the tasks assigned to me for my company.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to avoid you personally or not talk to you any of you. When you happen to catch me with my headphones off at my desk or when we are at the water cooler or walking by each other or even at an office party or in the break room, feel free to talk to me!
I will happily converse about our day, about a tough job or an uneasy client, or some problem going on in your life. I’m actually somewhat interested in your life, so feel free to share that information with me once in a while, I really don’t mind chatting with you!
But please, when my headphones are on at my desk, respect those headphones, respect the music, respect me, for I am here, to help you and me, to help our company, to protect you and me, to make both of us money, so that both of us can pay our rent, and get through the damn workday for yet another week. If you really need to talk to me, then make sure it is important. I suggest you do the same and get some headphones and learn to love and appreciate the music in your own world! After all, we’re both here for longer than we want to be.
(
