Are you hitting the right note?
This is a hot topic as it opens up room for debate. Having music in the workplace could be a great idea, however can also be counter-productive. In this blog we will look at the positive and negative impacts of music in the office.
Positive impacts:
Music can have such a powerful influence on people’s productivity and well-being at work. It also has the ability to lighten your mood and motivate you to do more. Music has been played for years, going right back to when it was used to help soldiers cope with issues brought on by the war. This demonstrates that although music has changed over the years, the message and positive impact music brings has remained the same.
Therefore, music can contribute to relaxation and it can reduce stress levels/negative emotions. It gives you an active mental break to stay productive and motivated, which can happen subconsciously without you realising. Background music is common at work because it’s at a level where it’s not too distracting and it’s not focused on. Radio music is also common because it’s a mix of discussions and music, which some may find helpful.
Most importantly, it’s about matching the music to the task. If you’re doing something that requires focus such as an important email, you can create an overload by listening to music that has heavy vocals.
Top tip: create a playlist which best suits your workplace and co-workers or play a relaxing playlist on Spotify, it keeps everyone at work happy and focused without being distracted.
Negative impacts:
Deciding whether to play or not to play music can be a tricky decision, especially if there are mixed opinions in the office. No matter what your opinion is, you will likely never come across an office where everyone likes listening to the same type of music. Everyone has different tastes in music and preferences on when it should be played and when it shouldn’t. However, a high statistic of research by Dr David Lewis looking at the power of music has revealed that 9 out of 10 workers perform better when listening to music.
There are of course times and environments when having music on is unsuitable. For example, if you’re on the phone to a client or customer, music playing in the background will become distracting and can also come across as unprofessional.
Music as mentioned above, does have mixed opinions, which causes some disagreements on what should be played in the office. There will be people wanting to change the song or the genre of music being played completely.
Music can be a great addition to a busy, productive and friendly office environment. It will likely bring a positive approach when you may be overloaded with work and it’s there in the background to lift your mood. However, make sure it’s suited and everyone is happy in the office for it to be played.