Susan Spero - Harmony at Work: Keys to Tune Up Your Work Relationships

What business leaders are saying about Harmony at Work:

Harmony at Work is an enjoyable read that will improve working relationships between managers and workers at every level. With her charming musical analogies, Susan Spero has risen above bland business jargon to create a unique, comprehensive guide for anyone who longs to build rapport and compatibility in their workplace. Read Harmony at Work and sing a happy tune with your colleagues!

Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The New One Minute Manager and Servant Leadership in Action

Harmony at Work is a valuable toolkit to help people understand and strengthen their relationships in any place of employment. My experiences as a social worker, politician, and author have taught me that technical skills and general knowledge are important but not enough. In order to succeed in our careers, we need to know how to manage the subtleties of interactions with others. The music metaphor is brilliant. It makes the book not only useful but delightful to read! It cant help but promote true harmony at work or elsewhere for anyone who reads it.

Dottie Lamm, MSW, freelance writer, former First Lady of Colorado and Denver Post columnist

Everything good flows out of effective relationshipsfrom sales to marketing to engineering to accounting. Harmony at Work is a fresh perspective on leveraging relationships to create a better organization and a better life. This book is an unexpected and priceless gem!

Steve Vannoy, CEO, New York Times best-selling author, speaker, and Executive Director of the 10 Greatest Gifts Project

Speros inspired metaphor of music harmony provides a unique window into the fine-tuning of our workplace relationships. Even people who are not musically inclined can follow the parallels and apply them to the choir with whom they work. This book addresses the dissonance plaguing the music in many organizations. Her lighthearted touches make for a fun but thought-provoking and practical read. It is a must-read for any young professional, be they new leaders or someone seeking to strengthen an established team.

Patrick J. Moody, Assistant Attorney General, State of Montana

Exceptional relationships dont just happen. They take care and maintenance, and they have seasons. The challenge is to know how to manage the ebb and flow that all interactions experience. Good communication is the thread that weaves and strengthens relationships, be they new or long term. Susan Speros book, Harmony at Work, is a must-have tool for those who know the value of solid connections with others and want to increase their ability to sustain them.

Gina Hensrud, CEO, Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center

Many books on organizational development have lots of theory but very few practical suggestions. Heres one written by a woman who has succeeded in the real world and has helped turn struggling organizations into first-rate performers! Read this book and keep it on your bookshelf to reread throughout your career. It will make you and your team more effective.

Craig O. Schaum, Colonel US Air Force (ret.) and former VP, Northrop Grumman, an aerospace and defense technology company

A gifted songwriter uses rhythm, rhyme, lyrics, and experience to write a song that effortlessly rolls off the tongue and captures the human hearts journey. Susan Spero has placed her words and work on the pages of Harmony at Work. What leaps from these pages are the tools and experience she knows will help you create a workplace that sings like a great song. Memorable and moving.

Kerry Patrick Clark, singer, songwriter, and professional musician

In this engaging and inspiring book, Susan Spero takes us on an optimistic and uplifting journey through the world of interpersonal dynamics. Utilizing the metaphor of music combined with enlightening personal anecdotes, she draws upon years of consulting experience and wisdom to show the reader how to avoid clashing chords in relationships and strengthen the inspiring notes that lead to successful alliances. The result: Harmony at Work is a wonderful book that will help anyone interested in creating enduring music in the relationships that fundamentally influence their lives.

Donald H. Ruggles, architect, AIA; author of Beauty Neuroscience & Architecture; producer, Built Beautiful

Susan Speros Harmony at Work was both a wonderful refresher course and a songbook of new tunes for me in relationship building. She draws on proven techniques and adds her years of experience as an executive coach to meet todays organizational challenges. CEOs and other C-suite executives need to effectively grow and deepen their key relationships. This book helped solidify and deepen the techniques I have learned and practiced with my board of directors, my executive team, our staff, and our business partners. I highly recommend this comprehensive yet accessible book for anyone who is serious about creating valuable, lasting relationships.

Tracey D. Campbell, CEO, BRIDGE Healthcare Partners, LLC

In our school, we bring families from different backgrounds together through the study and performance of music. Our main leadership challenge has been to set goals, earn trust, and support expectations. In the same way that music enriches the lives of our students and families, this book will enrich your relationships at work and provide the tools you need to succeed.

Peggy S. Wise, Founder, Chicago Center for Music Education [ChiME], formerly Suzuki-Orff School for Young Musicians

Harmony at Work

Copyright 2022 Susan Spero

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

Disclaimer: The stories and information in this book are true and accurate to the best of the authors and publishers knowledge. The names of specific people described have been changed in the interests of confidentiality. All recommendations are made without guarantee and should not be considered as advice for any particular business or readers situation. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-7378680-0-2

ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-7378680-3-3

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-7378680-1-9

ISBN (audiobook): 978-1-7378680-2-6

Editorial services: Sandra Wendel, Write On, Inc.

Cover design: Miblart

Interior design: Megan McCullough

Author Photo: Victor Arango, Studio Candela

Published by Relationshift Publishing, Inc., Denver, CO

HarmonyAtWork.biz

Contact the author at

In memory of my parents,

Julie and Jerry Spero,

who created beautiful relationship harmony in our family and fostered our love of music.

My life flows on in endless song;

Above earths lamentation,

I hear the sweet, tho far-off hymn

That hails a new creation;

Thro all the tumult and the strife

I hear the music ringing;

It finds an echo in my soul

How can I keep from singing?

How Can I Keep from Singing?

American folk song originally composed by Robert Wadsworth Lowry in 1868

• Your boss. She is an industry leader, but she drives you crazy.
• Your team leader is your best friend, but theres no way you can ever figure him out.
• Your staff works hard but is impossible to manage. Its like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall.
• Your vendors. You love them, but you want to strangle them at times.