What do Mozart, Aphex Twin, Rob Zombie and David Guetta have in common? Well, apart from some similarities in chord changes, it’s the way they could help improve your work day. We know beyond any question that great music can help us run one more mile, or make us get up and dance, despite ourselves (thank you Billie Jean!) At work, it’s usually concentration, problem solving and repetitive tasks that challenge us. For a lot of us, our day-to-day is spent in open plan offices, benefitting from social contact with our co-workers. But this isn’t always helpful when you just need to get things done. Music can help with a lot of different tasks and situations, but some supervisors don’t allow it in the workplace. Their loss! Here’s how to convince your manager that listening to music at work is not just about fun, but also about productivity. You won’t even be lying, it’s absolutely true, and we have the studies to prove it. Read on to learn how to pitch it to your boss.
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Because happy workers are productive workers
Though there’s no need to dance through the office with headphones on, you may need some pepping up during the working day. Around 3pm could be a good time to plug into some music that you know and love. Studies show that familiar music can help boost your mood and manage stress, helping employees to make better decisions. A 2012 study showed that 87% of managers saw music as being good for morale. In the same study a whopping 91% of managers felt that music creates a happier workplace. British legends Queen seem to be the band of choice for mood boosting and achieving at work, with Don’t Stop Me Now and Bohemian Rhapsody helping UK office workers power through the 3pm slump. Even if your office policy is resolutely not pro-headphones, just 15 minutes of music before starting work can have a positive effect – another reason to walk to work to the sound of Curtis Mayfield’s Move on Up, as if you needed any!
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Because the right music means better results
Sometimes we can lack focus and concentration, due to tiredness, routine, or just because the guy across the desk is telling that gross story again. Not cool. Once again, music could provide the answer. Evidence from a study carried out for music licensers PRS for Music and PPL suggested that different genres of music are useful for different tasks. Dance music and classical music came out top for tasks like doing math and problem solving, helping participants to focus on complex work, or concentrate during meetings or teamwork. That has wide application, from researchers in an academic facility to poker players at important tournaments. Poker pros can often be seen wearing headphones when playing, and, judging by the diversity of genres in PokerStars’ professionals playlists, tend to choose the music they like anyway. Concentration and mathematical skill is important in such tournaments and it’s obvious that music helps here. Some of the other results of the 2014 survey were unexpected, like the 58% reduction in spell-checking and data entry errors thanks to pop music – hear that, boss? Unfortunately, since pop is a pretty broad church, the study didn’t specify whether Backstreet Boys trump Beach House, so we’ll leave that to your discretion.
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Because the secret could lie in your leisure time
The secret weapon in the world of music at work is something that a lot of music lovers may not be aware of. Gamers have already figured this one out though – it’s video game music. It’s designed specifically to be unobtrusive, yet help you focus on a mix of problem solving and repetitive actions. Perfect. And it’s not just creative workers who benefit from this kind of musical intervention. Many studies that actually go as far back as 1972 and perhaps earlier, tell us that people who carry out repetitive tasks at work benefit hugely from listening to music and show that this kind of work can leave room for creativity. Ambient music in the background, either on a low volume in earbuds or playing in the room, can help with the flow. Think about how much you got done in an evening building in SimCity, and you’ll understand why this soundtrack in particular is so popular.
Because high achievers use music outside the office
If you study part-time, Johns Hopkins University has some suggestions for the use of music that could segue nicely into The Other Thing you Do, be it office admin or bicycle courier work. Listening to Baroque music at a slow tempo help with the length of time you can focus on one task effectively, which is handy for updating spreadsheets at work as well compiling references for an essay. Anything by Bach at this speed is good, like his French Suites. Reflective music is there for you when you want to plan a report or brainstorm before a big meeting – try Ludovico Einaudi’s solo piano, or some smooth Bossa Nova played by Gilberto Gil and Stan Getz. Remember how you made up little songs to memorise facts during exam periods? It’s all about rhythm! Or maybe that was just me…
So, if your manager would like you to be a high achieving, relaxed yet upbeat, focused employee, let them know it may be time for her or him to turn it up. This is the new frontier in workplace health, and a way to rehabilitate the wearer of headphones from grumpy teenager to uber-administrator. The future is in their hands, and in your ears. Just be careful what you listen to, especially if anyone asks – according to Spotify, 10% of participants in a survey said they made a judgment about a co-worker based on the music they listen to. Although some cheesy music can work wonders on the brain waves – whatever gets you through the day.
If you forward one article today, this is it. Go ahead, your boss needs to know.
Garon Cockrell is the Founder and Editor of Pop Culture Beast and host of The Pop Culture Beast Show. He founded the site over seven years ago to have a place on the internet to write about the things he loved. Since then, Garon has become a best-selling author (Demonic and Other Tales), an award winning screenwriter (Best Screenplay 2013 Motor City Nightmares Film Festival), and a cast member on the top rated podcast, Never Not Funny.