Will Cable TV Change It's Name? and other stories about Marketing Fun.

An assignment for Marketing class.

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While looking for three organizations that utilize effective marketing through technology initiatives, the first one that I found was the NCAA athletic department. This one surprised me, until I started thinking about it. With the entertainment industry being very competitive, brand improvement within collegiate sports sought for an improvement of the market share for their ‘products’ (Cooper, 2010). This makes sense, since college athletes have a complex structure with athletes being paid for endorsement being frowned upon, and other barriers to getting their name out there.  Increasing their market share would of course produce favorable results financially, but create added benefits of sustainability as well, with increased brand recognition (p. 23). 

Sports have always been entertaining, whether in person or on the television, but with the increase of technology, there came a division of consumer interests. This principle will catch our attention later, but some examples will propel our discussion further. No longer do sports overall, whether NCAA or most other sports, need to be seen to be enjoyed (Kaynak, Salman, & Tatoglu, 2008). With the advent of podcasts, blogs, fantasy sports, and social media sights, the brand of sports can be reflected in far greater detail than just on a sports channel like ESPN (Cooper, 2010). Sports media has infused itself within a great deal of entertainment venues as well as branding through independent technologies like athletic websites (p. 27). Thus, although the amount and degree of a variety of entertainment as arguably never been higher, some of the oldest forms of American entertainment, such as baseball, are given new light through embracing new advances in marketing through technology.

The second product and organization is the goReader. It would appear that eBooks started to really start making headway around 2001, along with other dot com ventures (Hawkins, 2002). Interestingly, even in 2002, there appeared to be a mixture of emotions regarding the future of eBooks and readers, especially based on the title of the article Electronic Books: Reports of Their Deaths Have Been Greatly Exaggerated. One of the main challenges that this product faced, seen particularly through the goReader, is that it was a uni-tasker. The goReader, specifically made for college textbooks to help alleviate the costs, still cost about $1,150 (Still cheaper than textbooks, but only for reading textbooks!).  The authors Muniz, Billingsley, and Brill (2002) give a comprehensive study of how the goReader was able to go about marketing a new technology. Hurdles to overcome included generating and managing demand, assessing all of the available needs of the consumer, working with publishers to add value without posing a threat, and other factors (p. 68). Thinking that technology was on their side, and seeing how book products have continuously been improved technology, through CD-ROM, Project Guttenberg, the Sony Electronic Book Player (boasting the ability to store 30 titles!) and eventually a Sony Bookman weighing close to two pounds and costing around $900.00. The eventual result was that “neither of these devices were successful. Consequently, Sony withdrew from the electronic publishing market (Muniz, Billingsley, & Brill, 2002). 

Eventually devices came out that would help with every day readings like the TV Guide (a must have, from that generation!). With demand increasing, prices decreasing, and major companies like Amazon and Barnes and Noble publishing eBooks (but no Kindle or Nook yet) the market was murky but moving. As companies like Adobe continued to improve PDF software, more authors publishing online versions of their texts, and textbook costs still being an issue, the goReader was ready to go (p. 68-70)! Competition would continue to be a factor, and they, as a product, continued to focus primarily on students and colleges. As newer technology came about, uni-tasking technology would start to dissipate. While they may not be known as a formidable opponent in today’s technological battle, the strategies they devised, the consumers they sought, and the struggle through competition is a great example of what it takes to immerse a new product into an unknown market.

Cable television will give us our third example. With the division of interests created by the aforementioned technology increases (Internet, tablets, handheld devices, and so forth), the amount of entertainment available only through one venue (TV) is staggering (see Sreenan & Van der Merwe, 2006).

If one wanted to watch a show about anything, odds are, someone’s making it. Is this phenomenon unexpected, or new? An almost prophetic author writes in 1973:

Surely the most portentous development on the immediate horizon is that of cable television, already an important factor on the media scene and with growth estimates that range between 20 and 60 per cent of the households by 1980. Regardless of what cable's growth rate actually turns out to be, it seems rather certain that before the end of the century most homes in the country will have a cable connection that will vastly expand the range of TV choices, lead to more programming specialization, and facilitate the already existing trend for television viewing to become an individual rather than a family affair. As viewing audiences become more selective, the economics of television will change for the advertiser (Bogart, 1973).

How accurate a picture did he depict? I especially wanted to recognize, besides the obvious remark that cable would be in almost every home, the ability of marketers being able to specialize their efforts at a remarkable rate because of this. Instead of marketing something that whole families, all presumably the same, would enjoy, marketers could now specialize to individuals, and lots of them. The companies, therefore, who can boast the most channels are not just a boon to the consumer, but to advertisers and marketers as well. If Comcast has xx number of channels, but Direct TV has xx + x channels, then marketers will naturally feel after the organization that boasts the most diverse consumer network.
 

While I normally tune out cable TV advertisements, I would think if one paid close attention, we could see why certain products are enhanced to be better than the competitor, and it may not always be to satisfy the consumer. Does anyone really want 5000 channels? Luckily the goReader can help us navigate through that monstrous TV guide, but other than that, it is really to reach the most diverse field of consumers possible. Cable TV is also becoming involved with higher technology by implementing applications in tablets software. Comcast’s XFinity is able to be watched on the go, with portable WiFi now, helping promote their brand even further. Now you don’t even need cable or a TV to watch Cable TV. I wonder what our friend Mr. Bogart would say about that?

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I hope you enjoyed the read!

Bogart, L. (1973). As Media Change, How Will Advertising?. Journal Of Advertising Research, 13(5), 25-29.

Cooper, C. G. (2010). New Media Marketing: The Innovative Use of Technology in NCAA Athletic Department E-Branding Initiatives. Journal Of Marketing Development & Competitiveness, 5(1), 23-32.

Hawkins, D. T. (2002). Electronic Books: Reports of Their Deaths Have Been Greatly Exaggerated, Infotoday.com, retrieved online from http://www.infotoday.com/online/jul02/hawkins.htm

Kaynak, E., Salman, G. G., & Tatoglu, E. (2008). An integrative framework linking brand associations and brand loyalty in professional sports. Journal Of Brand Management, 15(5), 336-357.

Muniz Jr., A. M., Billingsley, W., & Brill, T. (2002). THE goREADER LAUNCH: DEVELOPING MARKETING STRATEGY FOR AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY. Journal Of Interactive Marketing (John Wiley & Sons), 16(1), 67-88.

Sreenan, C. J., & Van der Merwe, K. (2006). ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKING. Communications Of The ACM, 49(11), 30-33

Gospel Doctrine Post 1, 2015 #WeBlogWednesday

 So, obviously I did not stay on task with keeping you updated on my thoughts from the Old Testament. Suffice it to say that it was a great year of teaching from it, and I hope to be able to explore more thoughts on here from it. 

Moving on into this year, I am excited about the study of the New Testament. While it is the smallest of the studied Standard Works for the years that we study, it makes up for in shear breadth and depth of the Saviors personal ministry. Indeed, there have been volumes upon volumes of New Testament commentary, hoping to shed some light on areas of the New Testament with the hoped for purpose of helping us understand the magnificent message contained therein. 

One of my favorite personal times of study was when I was in Northern California as a missionary and I obtained a copy of the Life and Teachings of Jesus & His Apostles Institute Manual. It was something I studied every day, and it was just a great experience that I highly recommend. One of the highlights from it was an introduction to why we have the four Gospels at the beginning. At a cursory glance, and as a youth, it can be assumed that they are simply four re-tellings of the same story, and even if that's all that it was, it would still be great to read each one for clarity and repetition.

 

(1-4) The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew’s gospel is characterized by a heavy emphasis on how the life of Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and includes many important discourses of the Master, such as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), a discourse on the parables of the kingdom (Matthew 13), and a long discourse critical of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). Matthew graphically portrays Jesus as the king and judge of Israel and one who teaches with great power and authority. His gospel would have particular power for Jewish readers.

(1-5) The Gospel of Mark

Mark’s is the shortest gospel and presents a picture of Jesus that is moving, full of action, and stresses the miraculous power of the Master. Because of this dynamic portrait, many scholars have thought Mark was writing with Roman readers in mind. Mark seems to have been closely associated with Peter after the death of the Savior, and many see influences of Peter’s narratives in Mark’s writing.

(1-6) The Gospel of Luke

Because of his highly polished Greek, and the compassionate picture of the Savior Luke portrays for us, many have thought he wrote to the Greeks of the ancient world. Luke’s gospel is characterized by an emphasis on forgiveness and love, pointing out through parables unique to his gospel (such as the Prodigal Son) that the sinner can find rest and peace in Jesus. Luke also gives important insights into the role women played during the ministry and life of Jesus. He alone tells of the visit of the angel to  Zacharias and of Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist; he alone tells of the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and of the actual birth of Jesus.

  

 This Commentary looks awesome, and it's eBook is only 2.99 right now!

(1-7) The Gospel of John

While John’s gospel gives us a more intimate picture of the Master, emphasizing his relationship to the Father, his associations with the Twelve, and so on, John’s purpose seems to have been more to bear witness of Jesus as the Christ rather than to chronicle in some detail the places and events of his ministry. From his writings come a powerful witness of Jesus as the Son of God, of Jesus as the Messiah, of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, of Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and of Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life.

 


Also helpful:

http://huntsmannewtestament.blogspot.com/

I'll write more later, but hopefully this helps you all!

Why do I read Biographies?

To be remembered is a wonderful thing

 ~ Elder David B. Haight, 1989

A question was posed in my last discussion that basically asked why do I read biographies? -- Is it for pure enjoyment, or do I become a better person by reading them. 

This is a valid question, and I honestly haven't thought about it much, but it's worth looking into. 

I wish we still had stuff like this.

First of all, I have always liked forms of biographies. As a youth, I read books about Wild Bill Hickock (Bill Cody), Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley (She was awesome!), Sam Colt (Inventor of the Colt 45, the first pistol that could shoot more than one round), Louis Braille (Inventor of, you guessed it: Braille. He was born with sight, but had a carpentry accident involving an awl which made him blind). And I didn't read them from action-based perspectives;  they were biographical in nature. I was probably around 12 when I read them. Is that weird? Sure. 

I assume this is funnier after reading it

I do remember thinking a few years ago, when someone else asked why I read Biographies, I tried to think of differences of biographies compared to other story-telling methods. Isn't Harry Potter a Biography, in a sense? (You'll have to tell me, because I haven't read them. You can yell at me in the comments section for that one). But stories like that, the Hunger Games, Star Wars, Twilight, and other stories, are biographical in nature as well. Often they are told autobiographically or at least in the mind of the first person, but told through the third person at times (P.S. I haven't read Twilight, Hunger Games, or Lord of the Rings, if that makes you feel better/worse). I get that they are more exciting usually, and focus on highlights, but so do biographies. Biographies don't tell us what people eat every day, or monotonous tasks, but usually the highlights of what makes that person recognized as a life well-lived, or at least recognized. 

 Biographies help understand perspectives, lives, situations, and historical events better, not only in the life of the individual being studied, but in the reader's as well. 

For example, I read a Biography on N. Eldon Tanner (A leader of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints) but in learning about him, I learned about the history of Cardston, Alberta, Canada, as well as Canada in general, implementations of gas pipelines and why that was necessary crossing through Canada and the US, and so forth. But in addition, I learned about the history of the Church to which he was a part, his family life, and his style/methodology of teaching through the experiences that he had. Normally, this would involve sifting through a number of books, much drier than the biography for sure.

 

Why understanding the perspectives of others can be helpful. 

 In addition to western folklore, I would eventually find great humor and perspective in biographies of Comedians and other television stars. Saturday Night Live Alum are especially interesting, albeit crude at times. Darrell Hammond, Chris Farley, Chevy Chase, and others like Steve Martin (One of the best autobiographies in the genre) and Bob Newhart (By default, the best autobiography of the Genre... I even have an awesome Christmas present signed copy version from my awesome wife)! Autobiographies, or ones with ghost-written assistance, help see the challenges that people face.

 

Darrell Hammond, (inset left) is a modern day Mel Blanc in my opinion. A  true 'man of 1000 voices and impressions'. He had a good amount of issues and had to deal with various forms of abuse as a child, but through some fierce determination and psychological prowess eventually overcame and was able to understand himself better. It was a very cathartic book for him to write, and can be an interesting read as well. Some language is involved, but an insightful autobiographical look at someone who we never really get to see on stage. He is hilarious!

Jodie Sweetin also wrote an interesting account about her still young life (reading biographies/autobiographies of someone your own age is both humbling, relieving, and motivating, all at once).

She was Stephanie from Full House, in case you forgot. She had a fairly standard story as far as child stars go, with all of the unfortunate circumstances and lost identity that comes with that. It is articulated extremely well, and provides sharp perspective in what she goes through and motive as to why it happens so much. 

In Biographies, one can see things from another perspective, which is a crucial skill to develop. 

 To see things from the experience of another can increase empathy, sympathy, joy, sorrow, and awareness in others. They are funny, light-hearted at times, powerfully self-depricating at others, and just a way to get to know someone. If they have passed on, it is a way to relive their life with them. They feel alive in those moments, and friendships are made, however superficially. They can also help us be aware that there are people in our own lives who are just as impactful. History, and the lives of people are such an interesting thing, because people think it is a thing to study, read about, and learn from, but it is more than that. History is still going on today. People are still living, waiting to be learned from, waiting to have conversations with, and waiting to be cared for. I feel like it is more than a hobby for me. I read other things, but the sense of completion, emulation, and sadness when it is over, is felt deeper with biographies than with other books for me.

To give some credit to others, I once spoke with an individual while I was in California about church history, books, and so forth. She mentioned that she wanted to read a biography, and a book of the teachings, of each of the Prophets from this dispensation (There have been 16). I enjoyed that challenge, and am currently working on it as well; however, I plan on extending it, as much as possible, to each of the members of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Closer to 96 so far in the past 184 years). I obviously don't plan on doing this all at once, but it has been a good adventure so far. I also plan on mixing in some current comedians and others as they come about as well.

I also have started to enjoy a good footnote or endnote section of a biography because it leads me to the other resources that makes up that individuals life. Extra research! 

A bit of a pet peeve, or bit of trivia in my life, is that I absolutely cannot stand "the unauthorized biography" attached to a book. Even if it is not on the cover, it will often be in the preface, and it just shuts me down to where I will not read it, as excited as I am to read it. John Candy's is like this. I absolutely LOVE John Candy, so maybe I'll have to get approval to write the authorized one, because the current one is insufficient.

In summary, I have read, in addition to those early biographies of the old west, the following (although there are possibly a few missing):

The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt

Neal A Maxwell: A Disciple's Life (By Bruce C. Hafen) (the author spoke on what he learned from writing about Elder Maxwell's life here, if you have time sometime. these are pretty good).

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling -- Richard L. Bushman (Amazing book, and one of the best "cultural" biographies I have seen, meaning that he looks at as many possible cultural perspectives to diminish bias, while still remaining true to the individual, his message, and his mission - a particular challenge with religious biographies). 

Life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet -- By George Q. Cannon

Brigham Young: American Moses -- By Leonard Arrington (Fairly dry [no pun intended] with history of Utah, but also covers a lot of great elements of his life, teachings, problem areas, and historically significant events relating to Utah becoming a state).

The Life of John Taylor, by B.H. Roberts

The history and family record of Lorenzo Snow by Eliza R. Snow Smith

The Life of Joseph F. Smith, by Joseph Fielding Smith (Son)

George Albert Smith: Kind and Caring Christian, Prophet of God -- Francis Gibbons

Spencer W. Kimball -- Edward and Andrew Kimball (Although I am looking forward to some other ones that are out now). 

Ezra Taft Benson: A Biography -- By Sheri Dew (He served as secretary for the dept. of Agriculture for President Esienhower, and wrote some good stuff in the book Crossfire which I read parts of, but had to return to the library)

Howard W. Hunter -- Eleanor Knowles (He helped establish the BYU Jerusalem center, which led me to want to learn about Teddy Kolleck, Mayor of Jerusalem). 

Go Forward with Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley -- By Sheri Dew (Because he served in church responsibility since 1929 or so, it provides a wealth of information regarding the growth of the church through that time to the present). 

To the Rescue: The biography of Thomas S. Monson -- By Heidi Swinton (Very good way to study his teachings, as he uses a good amount of autobiographical material in his discourses. I have recently found this to be an effective way of studying discourses - Through the reference material!).

The Life of Heber C. Kimball (By Orson F. Whitney)

David B. Haight: The life story of a Disciple -- Lucille Tate

N. Eldon Tanner: His life and service -- G. Homer Durham

 

Russell M. Nelson: Father, Surgeon, Apostle -- Spencer J. Condie (He had nine daughters before they had one son!)

Rudger Clawson: Making of a Mormon Apostle -- Roy and David Hoopes (Great man, and I love his teachings... His bio is a little unfulfilled, but still very good. He was also President of the Quorum of the twelve Apostles for over 20 years! -- During the also lengthy tenure of Heber J. Grant as President of the Church).

Mark E. Petersen -- Peggy Barton (You learn why he and another General Authority earn the nicknames "the butchers", which sounds far less exciting than it may appear). 

Bruce R. McConkie: Reflections of a son -- Joseph Fielding McConkie

Henry B. Eyring: I will lead you along -- Robert Eaton and Henry J. Eyring (Great history of CES, as well as his personal growth in an MBA program, and as an educator, as well as family life and as a member of the presiding Bishopric).

Bob Newhart: I shouldn't even be doing this!Steve Martin: Born Standing Up

I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not (Not autobiographical surprisingly).

(I just found out that Martin Short also wrote one, which would give me the plethora trifecta from the Three Amigos).

Darrell Hammond: God, if you're not there, I'm ******

The Chris Farley Show: A biography in Three acts By Tom Farley Jr and Tanner Colby (He was going to be the voice of Shrek that was mostly all recorded, and in a much different vein from the series we know now). 

Howie Mandel: Here's the deal; Don't touch me (Autobiography, and various humorous and historical points).

Ray Romano: Everything and a kite (Autobiographical)

Tim Allen: Don't stand too close to a naked man (Autobiographical)

Miracle Man: Nolan Ryan (an Autobiography)

Donald Trump: The Art of the Deal

I believe that is all, but I may have to go back in and update every now and then. I don't think of this as terribly exhaustive, and looking at them all now, I really didn't start reading most of those until I was twenty or twenty-one (I had a sci-fi phase as a teenager [Planet of the Apes! by Pierre Boulle], so went from western figures to science fiction to more biographical and spiritual, although I still enjoy a good novel, fiction or otherwise). It may be considered a lot, but I know there is still a lot to learn from the lives of others, and plenty of people who still need to be remembered.

Are there any that I missed, that you would add?

P.S. Still haven't read Harry Potter.

Now that you know why reading the lives of others are important, look forward to the next subject of this process:

Interesting aspects in the life of James E Faust (part one)

For those of you who don't know, I love reading biographies! Autobiographies, regular ones, all kinds. Of equal importance, I have learned from many painfully dry conversations with people that most of you do not, and that's OK. I can talk about other things too... Scriptural commentary, Bob Newhart, Financial topics, and a plethora of other also dry and painful subjects for people my age. Or whatever you want to to talk about. I'm flexible that way.

What I though I may do, is bring out a few highlights from biographies that I am currently reading so that you can glean the rewards while missing out on all of the harvest. Because that's fair... Think of it like a Cliff notes. Or Google. But instead of a guy named cliff, or random links that end in opedia, why not from this swell blog? 

So here goes: the main points that I found interesting from reading the first few chapters of "the life and teachings of James E Faust" by James P. Bell.

(Pre P.S. : in case you were wondering who he is in the first place, I suppose you can check back in a little bit, say part 2 or 3 and find out!)

1: James Esdras Faust: named after his two uncles at his birth. 

2: One of five sons, so surrounded by brothers, mischief, and hard work from farm life.

3: His first maternal ancestor to join the church was Edward Partridge, who was the first Presiding Bishop of the church. Bishop Partridge had a strong testimony of the restoration, was deeply persecuted for his devotion, including being tarred and feathered, eventually died due to the Missouri Persecutions at 46 in 1840 (around the time that Joseph Smith Sr. -Father of the prophet- and Don Carlos Smith - Brother of the prophet - died). 

4. James E Faust also had a paternal great grandfather and mother in the church who lived in Nauvoo, shortly before the exodus to Winter Quarters and Salt Lake. They were two of many to receive ordinances at the temple before the trek, and John Akerley (Great grandfather) passed away before they could make it out west. 

5: George Faust (James' father) served in WW I and then went to law school. His family was primarily all farmers, but he didn't have a knack for it. He and his family struggled through the Great Depression although he was able to have worked through a good amount of it. 

6: Very neat article entitled "A Christmas with no presents" in which he describes how joyous holidays can be when focused on the right things

7: Another article discussing "Gratitude as a saving principle" which shows him addressing when, due to the Great Depression as well as hard-working parents, he recognized the importance of gratitude for fresh-baked bread and other things. 

8: He was a bit of a prankster, accidentally got shot in the leg on a hunting trip, and a brother once reminisced that the Faust boys would likely all end up in prison by the age of 18 due to rambunctiousness.

9: Henry D Moyle (later of the quorum of the twelve and first presidency) lived in his ward and was his stake president as a youth. 

10: He and his Cousin once biked (with permission) from cottonwood Utah to Oak City, a distance of 150 miles in a 24 hour period, leaving at midnight. (At about 14 years old)

11: He had a baby lamb to take care of, from which he learned a great lesson. More on that later as this weeks Sunday School lesson is on being true shepherds, and I don't want to spoil that... Not that anyone's still reading at this point. :) 

Hope you learned a few new and interesting things! 

Implementation versus Application, Part One

A discussion of Systems Thinking for my MBA Class, 22 Oct. 2014

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In thinking about Systems Thinking, especially as it relates to sustainable profits and the often contrarian thinking of environmental awareness, the author Shireman (1999) gives a thorough accounting. It brought to my mind a number of systems concerns, specifically how solutions are not always in the same generation as the issues at hand (Senge, 2006). Most of my professional experience has been involved with customer service and the retail environment. Recently, I have obtained about 5 years of experience in the education field as a Financial Aid planner. For my study this week, rather than think of a specific company, I wanted more so to address a common theme among all of these areas, specifically the middle manager.

At odds with the executive body of an organization, the middle manager must often be involved in somehow translating what is going on “upstairs” in the innovative, creative, and long-term nerve center, and then applying the ideas into day-to-day, rank and file duties that address immediate concerns. This is one area that Shireman does not address fully. While he speaks glowingly and accurately that businesses are living systems (1999) once it leaves the executive body through training, e-mails, mandates, or otherwise, they tend to drift right back into a mechanistic model, and Standard Operating Procedures that must be followed to the letter (At least in my experience, which is non-global and non-executive – two factors that are addressed differently by Shireman).

Of particular interest, and for greater clarification, the words Implementation and Application should receive some attention. The author suggests “Industrial Ecology as the Application of ecological principles to business and industrial practices” (Emphasis added). I wish to address that the Implementation of an idea is brought by the executive body, but the application of the idea/practice will come through the middle managers.

Speaking in a religious context, Robert D. Hales was serving as a Presiding Bishop (for purposes of this conversation, we shall say that he is part of the ‘General’ Authorities, or the Executive level of decision-makers) while the local, congregational Bishops are the ‘middle manager’ level decision-makers – those who directly influence on a weekly basis those who belong to the ‘organization’. In his initiatory address as Presiding Bishop, he quotes another leader who held a similar position as he, previously. “Now, Brethren, I understand all that we discussed, but until the [local] bishops move, nothing will happen. Everything above the bishop is all talk” (Hales, 1985, May). In saying this, he is addressing the above mentioned concern with Implementation versus Application. This is a bottleneck that is not fully addressed by Shireman. The ideas presented were well thought out, and it was great to see the examples of the leaders who were able to meet the needs of the environment while also focusing on profits – that is, leading change through decision-making.

The final thought of the article is a summation of my thoughts. Shireman states that a business must be integrated as an agent into the community. This involves action – Application – of key principles, and leads to an organization that has meaning, purpose, and is “vital, enriching, enlivening” (Shireman, 1999, quoting Kiuchi, 1997). This can only fully be completed as all members of the system are drawn into the vision, which is most strongly done with the middle managers and executive body working in harmony. 

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Let me know if you have any thoughts or personal applications to what I have written. More to come soon, as I look for how I can utilize this thought process more efficiently.

Thanks!

Hales, R. D. (1985, May). The Mantle of a Bishop, Ensign. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/ensign/1985/05/the-mantle-of-a-bishop?lang=eng

Kiuchi, T. (1997). What I learned in the rainforest. Technology Review, November, December.

Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Doubleday.

Shireman, W. K. (1999). Business strategies for sustainable profits: Systems thinking in practice. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Syst. Res., 16(5), 453–462.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

In the Strength of the Lord by David A. Bednar

Amazing Video about the enabling and strengthening power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, as well as the power of specific prayers.