Music in the office can be a real hit—or a total miss. At our office, the speakers are always playing tunes, and, while some people love the background beat, others wish they could press “pause.” So, does music help or hurt productivity? Let’s break it down:
Boosting the Beat: For some, music helps them focus, boosts their mood, and makes the workday feel less like work. Studies show that the right tunes can reduce stress and even enhance cognitive performance. Classical music, for example, can help with deep thinking.
The Sound of Silence: On the other hand, not everyone wants a concert while trying to crank out emails or are on calls/zooms. For teams that thrive on collaboration, music might be more of a barrier than a bridge.
The Headphone Compromise: The best solution? Headphones! Headphones let people enjoy their personal music choices without disrupting others, and noise-cancelling mode drowns out background noise for quiet contemplation. Common spaces can have a shared soundtrack that isn’t too overpowering. A well-balanced office should hit all the right notes at the right volume! Our team has the best noise-canceling headphones on the market, so when we are on a call, our overhead music in the office is not a distraction. —Gregg Kafka, principal at The Coppola-Cheney Group, a team within Lee & Associates (www.coppolacheney.com; c2brokerage.com/c2voice), which helps business find an office space that works for everyone
Gregg Kafka is a principal at The Coppola-Cheney Group, a team within Lee & Associates, which helps business find an office space that works for everyone.
