No Headphones Thursday
January 22nd, 2010
4Fun fact: I moved to Los Angeles from Chicago for a job that I couldn’t tell people about.
As you can imagine, I get asked about my job a lot. Most people are naturally curious. Family members just want to make sure I didn’t run off and join a cult. My tech-savvy friends are especially interested, hoping they get first dibs. No matter the person, I always answer with “I love my job.” And I do!
But I don’t just love the work that I do or the product we’re building. I am a huge fan of the personalities that I share this office with, which is why I love that we’re encouraged to create a fun and collaborative space within each team’s section.
I spend a majority of my time in the marketing wing of the office. We went a little Office Space on our cubicles, but no one guts a fish at their desk. I know you were worried. In an effort to create a more collaborative space, our Director of Marketing initiated No Headphones Thursday (#noheadphonesthursday). This was sparked because she noticed everyone was staring at their computers, back turned to each other, in silence. All day. How fun is that?
At first, we panicked. No headphones?! We have to talk? To each other?! Gah!! But after the initial shock wore off, we chose a Pandora station and enjoyed the day. We don’t share every thought that pops into one of our heads with each other, but I can definitely see a difference in our communication. We laugh more. We share interesting stories, ask silly questions and bounce ideas off one another. It trickles into other days, too. Sometimes I’ll spend half of my day sans music and not even realize it.
Jobs are hard. We spend hours in our chairs in front of our computers fighting with spreadsheets, TPS reports and stubborn formatting issues. It’s important to feel comfortable (keep the pants on please) and know you can lean on your co-workers for support or brainstorming.
So give it a shot, if your office is cool with it. Hop on Twitter and let us know which Pandora station you’re rocking out to with #noheadphonesthursday.
So, in conclusion:
• I love where I work.
• No Headphones Thursday is a good thing.
• Hearing your twenty-something male co-worker sing a Hilary Duff song is priceless.
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Jennifer Beese
Jennifer is the Community Manager. When she’s not blogging or tweeting you can usually find her practicing stand-up comedy in front of her bathroom mirror.
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It was Harlan singing, wasn’t it?
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