Does Music Boost Productivity?

There have been many studies done as of late about whether or not listening to music while working on any task would boost productivity. I know that I, a college student, have been listening to music while doing homework, projects, or any tasks assigned to me ever since elementary school. I feel that in silence I can get distracted far too easily, and music helps to activate the part of my brain that wanders and keeps it occupied; for as long as I like the song that is.

There was a trial done a few years ago where 75 out of 256 workers in a large retail company were given a Walkman to listen to while working, and were pleased to notice that there was a 10% increase in productivity. Another study done by the University of Illinois found a 6.3% increase when compared to the people who don't listen to music. It has also been proven that while listening to music with an upbeat rhythm can reduce stress hormones levels by a whopping 41%!

I was personally amused to learn that the two best genres of music that would help you work were baroque and rock music. I listen to neither, much preferring to listen to the awesome music that is Lady Gaga, Gorillaz, and Michael Jackson while working. Intrigued by this, I decided to look up some popular groups that people have said inspired them to get their work done better and faster, and the top grounds I found were Queen, Eminem [odd, because he's rarely uplifting], Bon Jovi, Chumba Wumba, and Europe. Quite a mishmash!

I'm not saying that you should be jamming out to some hard core rap while trying to draw diagrams, but perhaps having one earbud in your ear with some softly playing classical or classic rock wouldn't hurt. I know I certainly enjoy it!

Sarah Mathews
Data Quality Specialist

PCMA Convening Leaders 2011

Certain events in a person’s life irrevocably change the sequence of events that follow. PCMA in January was such an event for me this year. It’s taken me a couple of weeks to really understand, comprehend, and appreciate all that has happened in the weeks that followed. My hope is that I successfully convey every INCREDIBLE moment to those who read this blog entry.

Tony Hsieh, of Zappos.com fame, gave the PCMA Keynote speech this year. When the session broke, you could almost feel the tendrils of energy and excitement flowing back and forth among the attendees. ‘Wow’ was a word that seemed to be a chorus as attendees moved to their next session, but it was hard to tell whether they were talking about the WOW service at Zappos.com, or that Tony himself wowed them.

Jmîchaeĺe Keller, our President and CEO attended PCMA and moderated a Student Panel discussion (which is another blog in and of itself). More importantly, he heard Tony Hsieh’s keynote and it resonated deeply within him

The keynote and Jmîchaeĺe’s reaction to it set off a chain of events within MeetingMatrix that are still occurring.

Jmîchaeĺe has always been a visionary and has brought concepts to our Company that many would consider unconventional. One such concept is T.I.M.E. (Task Inspired Management Environment) which gives everyone in MeetingMatrix freedom to craft their work schedules (hours, days off, vacations, etc.) in a way that meets each individual’s personal goals, as well as company goals.

As a result of the PCMA Keynote and Jmîchae?e we at MeetingMatrix are now on a quest to adapt and mold a version of the Zappos.com Culture to our own.

This may sound like a simple undertaking…. just make some changes to how you hire and fire, right? Not so fast.

Jmîchaeĺe purchased Amazon Kindle readers for every MeetingMatrix Associate plus two books: Tony Hsieh’s “Delivering Happiness” and “Tribal Leadership”. These became the foundation for what we call our Cultural Re=Evolution. Everyone has read both books and become immersed in reinventing our company.

A Cultural Re=Evolution Team was formed to give a focus and facilitate integration of all associates within the company in driving this change. Our annual company meeting which we affectionately refer to as “staff”, will take on a completely different format this year. Changes will take place in areas including seating style, our team building event, and our ‘fun’ night.

To join in our Re=Evolution visit Culture Studio™, the cure for the common workplace.

Lydia Montgomery
Assistant Director of Sales