Love music? Share it with your team

I have a dock in my office for my iPad and iPhone. Most of the time it is quietly charging my “must-have” devices. However, one morning I decided to listen to some music. So I launched the Pandora app, chose “Journey Radio” and turned up the volume just a little.

That’s when it happened.

“I know that song!” said one of my team members.

“Can’t go wrong with Journey,” said another.

The next several hours contained moments of people coming by my office doing everything from playing air guitar to lip syncing with the songs Pandora chose. One coworker hid outside my office just to jump in for some “air drums” right at the perfect moment of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.”

Another, with whom I share a common wall, would instant message me the lyrics of the song being played, just before they were sung.

Our newest team member at the time (here less than 90 days) kept peering into my office, with an almost shocked look on her face. As I would look up, she would smile. “Yes, I am a human,” I thought.

People throughout the office smiled as they went about their duties, all making a trip down the office by my doorway. 

I even felt more productive. I was able to work ahead, and even write this blog. The impromptu experiment help prove the power of not only music, but culture. Simply put — people who are having fun are more productive. And fun is contagious.

While we cannot “blast the music” all day everyday, we can be intentional about creating a culture that not only accepts fun, but encourages and fosters it. You spend more time with the people at work than just about any group. Having a little fun isn’t so bad.

So, let the music play. You may be surprised at the results you get.