Fall is here and the holidays are over even for those who choose to enjoy them during the first half of September. Most of us have returned to our jobs, with greater or lesser regret. Be that as it may, various studies have shown that music in offices increases productivity by improving mood and instilling energy. One of them was carried out in Canada and revealed that in the weeks in which workers listened to music, they were 20% faster. Another that was carried out in a British bank observed that, when listening to upbeat music, workers' performance was 12.5% higher than when they did not listen to it. According to the study “The effect of music listening on work performance” by researcher Teresa Lesiuk (University of Windsor), which has just been published by the magazine “Psychology of Music” ( PDF ), listening to music at work has a positive impact on workers' performance, if certain conditions are met.
That said, the first thing to keep in mind is that not just any music will achieve this goal and, in fact, any music, in any work environment and in any department, could generate just the opposite effect. For example, it makes no sense to play rock music in the customer service department since it will interfere in the background with calls, making communication difficult or in risky jobs in which the use of hearing is essential.
Age is another important factor. While for younger generations music has a more positive impact, for older generations it must be taken more care of to generate the same effect.
Therefore, it is crucial to define the most appropriate musical setting for each environment. For example, it is very common to have background music in "technical" work environments in which workers are very concentrated on their screens, for example, making plans for a work or graphic design. These are environments where there is usually silence in the atmosphere.
When you return from vacation you tend to need a few days to adapt, not only to the work environment but also to day-to-day routines such as getting up earlier or taking public transportation. And the first musical recommendation before returning from vacation is to listen to music before arriving at work . For example, a good way to combat the stress of public transport at rush hour is to put on full-face helmets and listen to the music we like the most, avoiding, if possible, music that is too fast in pace. In this specific case we do not go into musical genres because each person is different and has their own tastes.
Secondly, we would highlight the type of content that is going to be played
the musical criteria must appeal to general emotions and moods and that is where companies like Grupo Motiva have the ability to correctly define the contents. Because, although ambient music is not practically anyone's favorite in the office, it is capable of generating specific moods (calm, calm, relaxation) regardless of the musical tastes of each individual. That's where the art of creating an effective background music lies.
Additionally, I recommend setting time slots for music. As an example at a very general level, first thing in the morning, calm music (bossa nova or jazz), in the middle of the morning pop and pop rock. In the early afternoon, we keep the pop with touches of electronics since after lunch, the temptation of a nap comes and we have to maintain an appropriate rhythm. And finally, as we approach the end of the work day, more electronic percentage combined with pop or more lively jazz with subgenres like bebop. All of this is a proposal of musical genres by time slots but it is important to emphasize that it will depend a lot on each company and that is why a study of the sector to which it belongs, average age of workers and broadcast areas is so necessary.
Another key recommendation is volume
If before entering your company and to neutralize ambient noise a higher volume is more advisable, once in your position you will have to organize your work with your manager or with your team and therefore, you will have to communicate with colleagues. work and, consequently, a moderate-low volume is more recommended.
Our fourth tip is to have a well-distributed speaker system
so that the sound is distributed evenly throughout the workspace. This will prevent music from being played at an inappropriate level in some areas, whether due to excess or default.
