In 2023, Let’s Seek Harmony

Like many people, I reflect, recalibrate, and reenergize during the final weeks of the year. I love reading the “best of” lists, the hopes, and the resolutions. One good friend sent around a Spotify playlist that she curated under the title “Finding solace.” All this introspection can only lead to good things.

During the quiet days after family fetes and last-minute holiday shopping, I longed for a world in which we are not so fragile or emotionally sedentary that we can’t explore new ways of operating. I grew obsessed with the idea of seeking harmony.  I wish for a world where we can disagree without personal attack, where differing points of view can be respected, and dissention can be loyal. 

Adam Grant, one of the world’s most influential management thinkers, defines the concept well on his LinkedIn page: “Harmony is the pleasing arrangement of differ tones, voices or instruments, not the combination of identical sounds.”  

So, what can we do to seek harmony?

1.     Read a book by an author of a background different from your own. Reading diverse stories exposes us to other people’s cultures. It expands our horizon and offers an opportunity to stretch our minds and escape our intellectual ghettos. I applaud the booksellers and librarians who recommend and amplify marginalized voices.

2.     Support your local media. Harmony begins at home in our local communities. Caring for our neighbors is the first step. Local papers tell our stories and yet they are under pressure. Northwestern University’s Local News Initiative reported that since 2005 more than a quarter of the country’s newspapers have closed, and those that survived have 60% fewer journalists employed. I’m lucky to have the Sag Harbor Express thriving in my village and I applaud the team at 27East.com who have invested in and strengthened local media across the East End of Long Island.

 3.     Say the phrase, “You know, you just might be right,” to someone with whom you disagree. I first heard the phrase when I listened to a podcast of the same name sponsored by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and co-hosted by former Tennessee Governors Bredesen and Haslam—one Democrat, the other Republican. Its bi-partisan, open-minded, and constructive discourse is inspiring. The commitment to openness and the willingness to be persuaded is powerful.

I hope you agree that harmony is beautiful. In these divided times, it’s a worthy aspiration. Do you share my hunger for harmony? Do you have tips on how to foster a more harmonious world? If so, please share.

If you want to hear more thoughts on this subject, “Why is Everybody so Angry? Seek Harmony” is the final chapter of my soon-to-be-released book Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World published by HBR Press and available for pre-order now.