Wrapped with a Prompt

Last week, Spotify unveiled their 2022 Wrapped list for their subscribers. My social feeds were full of people sharing their most frequently listened to songs and artists of the past year. I admit, I too am curious when that day comes to see what songs have been blaring through my car speakers and wireless headphones with the most frequency over the last several months.

My 2022 list of most played songs were from artists that any 1980’s high school graduate would recognize…Def Leppard, Eddie Money, The J. Geils Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Journey. I was a bit surprised a song by Fleetwood Mac, ZZ Top or the Eagles didn’t make the top five but I’m sure their play time was significant too.

My top played song was “Pour Some Sugar on Me” by Def Leppard (it is positioned in multiple play lists!). That was the most recently released song on my top 5 and it was first released in 1987. That’s 35 years ago!

I thought about this list quite a bit over the last week. Admittedly, probably way too much. But I couldn’t shake the fact that I was so drawn to music I grew up listening to in high school that I have probably ignored many outstanding songs and talented artists over the last three decades that are truly remarkable and enjoyable. I think I might be missing out on some great experiences and underappreciating some amazing talent.

Unfortunately, I think sometimes my approach to work, employee engagement and new technologies fall into the same tired pattern. I become so comfortable in my zone of experience that I miss out on the uniqueness of new models of work and emerging ideas. My approach works often, but its highly likely others will as well, and perhaps sometimes even better than the path I typically follow.

The Spotify tracking algorithms will soon start tracking my music habits for Wrapped 2023. Left to my natural inclinations, it’s highly likely the same bands, or artists from the same era, will show up in next year’s top 5. I’m okay with that outcome if it occurs but I am going to commit to finding new artists to sprinkle into my play lists to diversity my listening habits. I might just find a song that I really like that makes it into my top 5. I’ll report back on that next year.

Similarly, I am resolving to do the same in my professional and volunteer space. I’m missing out by not embracing the unique rhythms and talents of today’s emerging workers. That is far more important than my Spotify list, and I hope you will hold me accountable for reporting back to you on that effort too.