Listening to music at work? A very good idea!

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Who doesn't love music? Everyone recognizes its beneficial effects no matter where you listen to it. However, integrating music in a work environment is far from obvious and can even cause serious headaches!

Advantages

Music increases the productivity of people who listen while working. Several studies have shown that the quality of work and the pace at which it is completed are greater in the presence of background music. Participants studied felt positive mood changes, and greater concentration. Curiosity was also increased, which is particularly beneficial in creative work.

Challenges

• "I don't like this kind of music": There is nothing worse than having to listen all day long to music you don't like.
• "The music is too loud": Some people like to listen to soft music, while others prefer it loud. However, you are more likely to bother a colleague with loud than soft music.
• "Music is distracting": Not all types of music are suited for everyone. In addition, if you work in an open space, the risk of distraction is much higher with unconventional music.
• "This style of music is offensive": Certain types of music may contain disturbing language or address topics that are not to everyone's liking. This is also true of radio, especially in the case of political discussions that may cause friction in the workplace.

Some solutions

• Allow headphones: Encouraging the use of headphones can solve the problem, especially if your work area is an open space. However, headphones limit interactions between people.
• Control volume: Impose a relatively low volume for optimal group effect.
• Create playlists: Creating a common playlist is another good way to incorporate music into your workplace.
• Hours of music: You can determine a specific period of time to listen to music at work and not necessarily all day.
• Exercise tolerance: Who wants to work with a colleague who cannot tolerate other people's music? One person can derail the efforts of a whole team. A spirit of comprise by each person is required to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all.

As music helps to achieve better productivity at work, it is certainly worth trying. And given the low cost of such an initiative, imagine the value of the return on investment!