Learning from the birds Playing the political cards

DECember 2012
Fall In-Service Workshop 2012
Learning from the birds
You can learn a lot from a few birds.
Shayne Clarke, the new director of Marking Communications,
brought three of his falcons for a talk about “Dangerous Trust and
Adapting to Change,” to open the 2012 In-Service Workshop, held
September 24–26.
Shayne got his first hawk at age 10 and has been practicing, studying
and writing about falconry ever since. (He’s the humor columnist for
American Falconry magazine.)
“Falconry is an art, not a science,” Shayne explained. “It’s the art of
developing trust. Falconry is all about borrowing from nature for a
little bit, and going out and doing what the birds do, which is hunt.
Trust is the foundation principle of falconry.”
It’s a “dangerous trust” that involves risk on both sides.
How is trust developed? With falcons, Shayne said, it’s “training versus
developing. I want Shockanah (a peregrine falcon) to have the same
potential as if she’d been in the wild.” He showed a video of how he
gradually, patiently taught her to trust him.
Handsome Rob, a prairie falcon from the wild, was different. “I was
the biggest predator he’d ever seen,” Shayne said. “He wanted to hunt
me. Eventually, over time, I was able to gain enough trust that I could
come up here with a piece of meat and he was able to trust me and let
me pick him up.”
His birds can fly away whenever they want, he said. “If they don’t like
what’s going on, they can leave.”
Then the point: “Do you have a client who might fly away because
there’s not enough trust?” he asked.
Trust, once established, can be lost. Shayne got a falcon named Ursula
from a friend, who told him she was trained. He tried to take over as
Ursula’s master without building a relationship of trust with her. He
failed, and finally had to give her away. Eventually Ursula had to go
back to her original owner, the one she trusted.
Katniss, who is half peregrine, half gyrfalcon, was born in captivity.
“I’ve been very careful to build a relationship,” Shayne said. “I see her
Shayne Clarke makes a point during his presentation.
every day, feed her.” He takes very careful, slow steps, watching her
body movements, watching her eyes.
If trust is broken with a bird, he has to go back and start over, he said.
“Some relationships are not reparable. Most are.”
Training a falcon requires example. “You can’t tell a falcon what
to do,” he said. “They only do what they see. I have to model the
behavior I’m after. A principle of trust for falcons and humans is
that trust is something you do, not just say. As director of Marketing
Communications, I have to earn your trust—show, not tell. We have
to deliver what we promise.”
Shockanah (“shock and awe”) is adapting to change, he said, noting
that at one time peregrines were on the verge of extinction. He told
how some peregrines were nesting on the Joseph Smith Memorial
Building in Salt Lake City, doing quite well. But one failed to adapt—
he flew into a building and died.
While working for WordPerfect in New York City, Shayne was
assigned to retrain the typing pool for Good Morning America to use
WordPerfect software on a PC. One woman refused to learn to use a
PC and had to be let go, he said. “Are you adapting to change? We’ve
been through the PC revolution, the Internet revolution, and the
social media revolution is going on right now.”
The Church has adapted well to the changes that have come, he noted,
pointing out that rather than protesting and fighting The Book of
Mormon Broadway musical, it has used the opportunity to encourage
people who see the play to “read the book.”
We too need to adapt to change, update and improve our skills, he
said. “Universal trust enables an environment of positive change.”
Playing the political cards
Quin Monson, BYU associate professor of political science, spoke
about the presidential race between Republican nominee Mitt
Romney and President Barack Obama. A headline from The Hill
summed up his take on it, he said. “Romney has strong hand, Obama
plays cards better.”
So far, the president is ahead because he’s playing his cards better,
Monson said. And at this point in the race, “there’s not a lot of room
for movement” among voters. Most have already decided their vote
and are not likely to change.
“One chance Romney has to catch up is to have a really good (voter)
turnout operation,” he said. “Democrats are consistently better at that
because they’ve been doing it for so long. The Romney campaign
is much better than McCain, who was really bad at it. But the
Democrats are likely better at it.”
The odd thing about this election is that Obama is up so high in the
polls when there are so many reasons for voters to be dissatisfied with
his performance, Monson said. His job approval was high through
2011, but now he is hovering around 50 percent. Still, the polls show
him winning.
Romney should follow Reagan’s strategy, he said. That is, “persuade
by reason and motivate through emotion.” “He needs to research
the issues that are important to voters and link them to fundamental
values,” Monson explained. But so far Romney has been unable to
capitalize on the poor economy and has no compelling message that
connects with voters.
“He still has a pile of money,” Monson said, “but if he pulls it out it will
be counter to my expectations and it will be a close election.”
All about the web team
The DCE Web Team gave a brief presentation on “everything you ever
wanted to know about the web team.”
Alfonso Flores is one of the driving forces behind the web team,
with skills in art, animation and creativity. Daniel Fuller, a web
developer, has been programming since age 8 and began his passion
for web developing in junior high school. He is a senior at BYU
majoring in computer science with emphasis on animation. Michael
Ivanyo specializes in software development, web structure, databases
and challenging programming problems.
Daniel noted that the new marketing web pages are created in the new
BYU template, which works very consistently in browsers.
The web team can do HTML email marketing, he also said. “We can
design it and provide you with email code, from smartphones to
desktops.”
Michael said the team can provide web analytics, providing reports on
the number of page views, next-page flow, traffic sources and visitors.
“We can send report via email on a weekly basis,” he said.
The team also does web consulting, design styling, usability studies,
multimedia, customizations, access to archives, etc.
Daniel explained how to start a web task. If the task is to update
existing web pages, the task should be emailed to wtt@byu.edu. If
it’s for something else, the client needs to see Jean Israel, Gracie
Hardie, Matt Southerland or Dane Rigby to coordinate resources.
To use the Web Task Tracker (WTT), put a meaningful title in the
subject line of your email, Michael said. Highlight the document part
that needs to be changed.
Drop-in features that have been tested include image galleries, audiovideo player, expanders (to be used when you have too much copy
and not enough space), email web forms, send-to-friend postcards,
and social media icons.
‘Defining the conversation’
Jesse Stay, the author of four books and a blog on social media who
is also the social media advisor in the Church’s Publishing Services
Department, explained how the Church is using social media to
“define the conversation.”
On December 15, 2007, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of
the Twelve said the following at a devotional at BYU–Hawaii:
There is perhaps no other time in the history, in our
history, when the Church has received more attention from
the news media and on the Internet than it does right now.
Obviously, that is being driven, in fact, by one of our own
faith, Mitt Romney, who is seeking the office of President
of the United States. It is as if a national conversation is
going on about the Church. The Church, of course, is
politically neutral. We do not get involved in politics.
Still, because of this attention, Public Affairs is making a
concerted effort to define the message of the Restoration
rather than letting others define our beliefs for us.
That word conversation is important. There are
conversations going on about the Church constantly. Those
conversations will continue whether or not we choose to
participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines
while others, including our critics, attempt to define
what the Church teaches. While some conversations have
audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are
much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact
on those who participate in them.
“So back in 2007 an apostle felt inspired to define the conversation,”
Jesse said. “Perceptions of the Church are established one
conversation at a time.”
He said that speaking to a BYU group is “part of my job because BYU
is a Church entity,” and that he’s “happy to help any of you in your
efforts.”
A single Facebook page can have a significant effect, he said. The
Church has nearly 200 Facebook pages, with an average of 136 friends
per user, and an average of 207 fans per page. The total number of
Church fans is 1.5 million, and the total of Church Facebook friends is
75 million.
The Church has 12 Twitter accounts with 33,000 followers on its main
account. The total followers from all Church accounts is 133,000. The
Church has nine main YouTube channels in 11 languages and has had
9 million channel views.
Regarding the mission of BYU Continuing Education, he asked, “How
can we extend the gospel-centered conversation beyond campus?
How do we continue the conversation?”
First, he said, you must know the tools—what’s available to spread
the word. Then you must build a foundation, execute your strategy
and measure. Measurement, he said, “is so important in terms of
marketing—knowing what the success metrics are.”
Facebook, with nearly 1 billion users worldwide, over half of which
log in at least once a day, is the largest tool, he said. “It’s the biggest
social media network in the world.” Facebook users have an average of
130 friends each. India and Indonesia are the second and third largest
users of Facebook, and Book of Mormon-related Facebook posts
targeted to Indonesia have resulted in the Church having more fans
there than Church members, he said. Just 800 fans can reach 51,000
people.
Twitter has 100 million active monthly users. “More and more people
use Twitter for public, searchable sharing of media, views and events,”
Jesse said. “There are 1 billion tweets every five days.”
Google+ should not be ignored, he said. “It’s not true that Google+ is
a ghost town. Google says it has 100 million users each month, which
is the same as Twitter. Google+ will improve your search campaigns,
raising SEO. And it’s Google, so it’s not going away. It’s a great network
Jesse Stay presents about social media at the fall retreat.
to go to, to get away from Facebook. You’re more likely to trend on
Google+ because it’s smaller.”
YouTube has 800 million users a month, he noted. Its audience is a
bit younger and less mature. Four billion hours of video are uploaded
to YouTube each month. Those videos are easily shared on any other
social network. He showed a video by Lindsey Stirling, a BYU student
hip-hop violinist who used YouTube to build her popularity and now
has an album in the top 20 on iTunes.
Social media structure is still in its infancy in the Church, Jesse
said, and at BYU things are evolving in a similar way. “Where do we
start?” he said. Create a Facebook page. Use Groups to coordinate
your outreach and build a community. Take advantage of Events and
Check-ins. On Google+ use Hangouts and Events. Share photos on
Pinterest to drive traffic to your websites.
To promote and sell, he said, “frame Facebook posts in terms of a
conversation, or ask people to ‘like’ it. Keep your updates personal.”
Measuring, he said, is the most important thing. “Don’t do anything
unless you measure. You can act on the results, the data, to evolve
your plans.”
JoAnn and Gerald Ottley tell about their choir experiences.
‘Roborant Reflections’
Gerald Ottley, former conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
and his wife JoAnn, a singer and former vocal coach with the choir,
spoke about their experiences in “Roborant Reflections.”
“History is what you get today,” JoAnn said, “from the ridiculous to
the sublime.”
The night before the choir was to sing at Snow College
commencement exercises, Gerald had a dream that when he gave
the downbeat, the choir started exercising, he told his wife. So she
secretly told the choir members to do just that.
“We got there, he gave the downbeat, and the choir started
exercising. He fell to his knees in laughter,” she said.
“Performing life is filled with serendipitous experiences,” Gerald
said. At the Vancouver Expo, it was extremely noisy, so he tried
to program the choir’s concert to fit the venue. However, he didn’t
know there was an air show 40 miles away, with persistent flyovers
of the expo site. While the choir was singing “When I Survey the
Wondrous Cross,” a very noisy plane flew over, he said. “I tried to
play with the tempo to make it work, slow it down. But an SST flew
over on the amen.”
In December 1992, the choir was invited by Jerusalem Mayor Teddy
Kollek to perform in concert to celebrate a new building on Mount
Scopus. “We were asked to go right after the Christmas concerts,”
Gerald said, noting that the choir had been busy for weeks.
During a sacrament meeting at the BYU Jerusalem Center, Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland told about Orson Hyde’s dream in which a
voice told him to go to many of the great cities of the world and in
particular, “speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem.” Elder Hyde told
Joseph Smith about the dream, and the Prophet encouraged him
to go to those world capitals. In October 1841, as he stood on the
Mount of Olives, Elder Hyde was overcome by emotion. He built an
altar and dedicated Israel for the return of the Jews.
Truman G. Madsen, also at the sacrament meeting, noted that Israel
has been dedicated several times for the return of the Jews, but
never for the preaching of the gospel to the Jews. He wondered if
perhaps Christ was planning to do the preaching himself.
Then Elder James E. Faust “tempered our concerns with an informal
apostolic blessing,” Gerald said.
That sacrament meeting prepared the choir spiritually for what was
to come. The choir program was chosen carefully—songs of sorrow
and adversity, including “Come, Come Ye Saints,” “Jerusalem of
Gold,” and others. “The two concerts with the Jerusalem Symphony
were one of two times when it was appropriate to sing Christian
music,” JoAnn said.
The choir had been warned that Jerusalem audiences are hard to
reach, but “hearts were touched, new friends were made,” Gerald
said. He could see the audience, and in particular noticed one older
man with an “OK, show me” attitude. During the concert, Gerald
watched as this man’s attitude changed. “He was the first one to
stand at the end and yell ‘Bravo!’”
Mayor Kollek told Gerald, “This was a night of such elation and
elevation,” and thanked the choir for coming. After the concert,
people swarmed the choir’s buses, expressing their love and thanks.
Prime Minister Shimon Peres asked for an audience with Elders
Faust and Holland, and told them, “You and your choir have lifted
our entire community.”
Many of the Palestinian people would not go to the Jewish concert,
so the choir held another concert in the Jerusalem Center. The
response again was overwhelming.
The choir was invited to sing at several outdoor venues, including
the Dominus Flevit Church on the Mount of Olives. The choir also
performed at the Garden Tomb. The curator of the tomb at first
was inclined to refuse permission because the site would have to
be closed to tourists for two hours. But when he learned that the
choir would sing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” he gave his
permission. It was a hymn he knew from his childhood.
After the choir tour, Elder Faust told them, “The end of the good
you have done will never cease.”
Sister Ottley sang “I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked” and “I
Will Praise Thee, My Redeemer,” accompanied by Lorelie Sander of
Conferences and Workshops.
Mark your calendar
for the Winter Workshop
Tuesday through Thursday, February 19–21, with the
reception to begin at 6:00 and the banquet at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday. Be sure to arrange early for a babysitter.
Also mark your calendar for the Fall Retreat:
September 24–26, 2013.
‘Ethical Blind Spots’
“Ethical Blind Spots” were the topic of Darin Oviatt, associate dean.
He pointed out that people from four generations work in BYU
Continuing Education, from the Greatest Generation to Generation
Y, and each generation has defining traits and attitudes. Gen Y (1988
and younger) is “techno-fused,” he said, and may have a blind spot
when it comes to keeping things confidential.
Ethical means “dealing with morals or principles of morality;
pertaining to right and wrong in conduct; being in accordance with
the rules and standards” (www.dictionary.com).
But the thirteenth Article of Faith is the best statement of the ethical
and moral foundation we aspire to,” Darin said. “If it governs the
work week, it’s likely we’re anchored to a strong ethical statement.”
In some situations, people may respond more to pressure than to
ethics, he said. “If we don’t recognize a situation’s ethical aspects,
how can we apply ethics rules?”
Compliance systems can change people’s views to rebellion against
constraints rather than ethics. We need to tell people the ethical
reasons why a particular compliance issue exists, he said.
A common blind spot is in the use of technology, where sensitive
information may be open to others when it’s stored on cloudbased applications. (Under Sarbanes-Oxley all work-related
communications must be archived, so employees must use their
BYU accounts for these.)
Other blind spot areas involve communications with partners, new
or unfamiliar transactions, limited sensitivity to possible decisions
requiring ethical judgment, limited maturity and training, and
generational differences and organizational expectations.
There’s usually less risk if the less mature employees make blackand-white decisions, leaving the gray areas to more mature people,
he said. People who make a lot of decisions have higher job grades;
those who refer most decisions have a lower job grade.
He advised administrators to walk around their area, notice if
people are not working, and set controls. “We limit the opportunity
so the person is less likely to fall into ethics problems. Be the
blind-spot detectors for people in the division and protect them
from those temptations. Watch out for each other,” he said. “An
ethical blind spot is not an accusation but an opportunity to mentor
students.”
signs,” including one for Waynetown, Illinois. “Wayne has a town,”
Lee observed, “but I have a county.” He showed a sign for Lee
County.
He also visited Nauvoo, where he saw a sign warning people not to
park in certain areas or their cars would be turned into rebar.
His last sign photos were from the West Jordan city dump: “Beware
of Signs” and “Speed Limit 23½.”
They’re “things that you just don’t expect when you go through the
routine of days,” Lee said. “Yesterday I was struck by the beauty of
the day as I went home over the Alpine Loop—just gorgeous. I was
able to see Timpanogos from a different angle and appreciate its
beauty. We might in some small way see things in our work a little
differently and not take them so routinely. Take the time to see what
we do with a newness, crispness, a sharpness that these fall colors
bring out.”
Noting that “many here have struggles,” Dean Wayne Lott urged
administrators to take time to be still so they can receive answers to
their troubles.
“I hope you will never give up,” he said. “Reach a little deeper, lean
on others. You’re here for a specific reason. Many of you could be
in other places making significantly more money than you are here.
It’s a sacrifice, which is one of the reasons you are here. Know that
what you do is recognized and appreciated. Sacrifices are worth it.
So stick with it, with what the Lord would have you do, whatever
that is.”
Highlights
Bruce Payne reported on the golf tournament at Hobble Creek
Golf Course. The winning team included Rob Holcomb, Scott
Harris, Jon Spackman and John Taylor. Steve Taggart had the
ball closest to the hole. Scott Harris won the long drive contest, and
Von Phillips had the longest putt.
Spotlights were of Shauna Hawkins (Financial Services) by Jen
Mortensen; Garren Durtschi (BYU Salt Lake Center) by Kevin
Bezzant; Tod Myers (EFY) by J.D. Hucks; and Scott Gutke
(Independent Study) by Glenn Anderson.
Dean’s Office remarks
Lee Glines, associate dean, spoke briefly about getting caught in
mindless routines until something unusual happens. He told of a
scary experience last February when he was driving in the Salt Lake
City area. “All of a sudden an orange pole comes shooting from the
left side of the freeway. It went across all the lanes before it stopped.”
Last summer during his travels he took pictures of some “unique
Pete Kadish finds a minute to catch up on his sleep at the
retreat.
Staff Seminar 2012
The 2012 staff seminar, with the theme “Sharing Bright Ideas,” featured
talks to help staff in their interactions with others. The seminar committee
this year included Janice Bristow, Denan Cox and Wilda Watts.
Church leaders: a unique
team with a unique coach
Brad Wilcox, a BYU associate professor of teacher education who often
presents for BYU Continuing Education, talked about the Quorum of the
Twelve and the First Presidency, and how they operate as a team.
“The apostles have a very unique team with a unique coach,” he said.
“They function in an incredible way, and we can learn from their
examples.”
As a young General Authority, Thomas S. Monson was told to take the
Bishop’s Handbook into East Germany, where it was much needed. He
wondered how he could sneak the book into the country at that time—
and was told to memorize the book, then type it out when he was inside
the country. He did it. President Monson was a publisher and a printer.
President Packer was a teacher in Seminaries and Institutes, and he
recently dedicated the new temple in his hometown of Brigham City,
Utah.
“Elder Perry is a large man. If he’s ever shaken your hand, you know he’s
shaken your hand. He lives with great enthusiasm. He has a deep passion
for the gospel and for life,” Brad said. Elder Perry was a business executive
before his call as a General Authority.
Elder Russell M. Nelson was a heart surgeon who was training doctors
all over the world in new techniques. Elder Dallin Oaks was president
of BYU and a regional representative, but on the day he was called as an
apostle he was teaching the 16-year-olds, Brad said. “The Church is led by
revelation all down the line. God knows who He wants in that quorum.”
Elder Ballard was a used-car salesman. “You didn’t think any of those
guys were going to heaven!” Brad joked.
Elder Richard Scott was a nuclear scientist who worked in the U.S. Navy
and other organizations.
“Elder (Robert D.) Hales’ life is a roller coaster, due to his health,” Brad
said. “He was an executive with Papermate. Whiteboards were his idea—a
way to sell more pens.” He formerly was the Presiding Bishop, managing
all Church funds.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was once president of BYU. Brad remembered
when Elder Holland came to Chile to reorganize the stakes there. “He
didn’t shy away from difficult decisions. He handled it so well, with his
wonderful sense of humor.”
Elder Henry B. Eyring is a former president of BYU–Idaho who also
taught at Stanford. Elder Dieter S. Uchtdorf’s wife “is delightful,” Brad
said. Before her husband’s call to be an apostle, she often told people they
were in the same ward with an apostle, Elder Hales. Since her husband’s
call, she tells them, “Now I sleep with one.”
Elder David A. Bednar also was a president of BYU–Idaho. Elder
Quentin L. Cook “put together Preach My Gospel. He knows what it takes
to run the Church,” Brad said.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson is a lawyer who worked in banking. Elder
Neil L. Anderson worked in real estate and hospital administration in the
Southeast.
“Why are they so effective as a team?” Brad asked. “They are unified
in their core values, but their diversity is a strength. They have
different strengths, interests and backgrounds. There is no junior-high
competitiveness. They celebrate their colleagues’ strengths. Their goal is to
promote the work of the Lord, not to get ahead themselves.”
We can do the same by focusing on the work, he said, and by yielding our
opinions to the Spirit.
“Many Christians in the world follow Christ. They love Jesus. But it is one
thing to follow Him. It is another thing entirely to be led by Him through
living prophets.”
Similarly, many Christian churches make much of being “Bible believing,”
relying on the Bible for their authority. But “the Bible is not religion—it
is the history of religion,” Brad said. “It is the history of people who had
religion, who didn’t have the Bible. They had apostles and prophets.”
Mike Forsyth tries to get “Justin Bieber” to open up and talk.
Seeing others as real people
Mike Forsyth brought cardboard cutouts of three people—Johnny
Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Justin Bieber, and Emma Watson
as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies. Mike “tried” to
get these three to open up and talk, berating them when they didn’t
respond, but had no luck.
Obviously, he said, “You don’t talk to cardboard cutouts like that.
They’re not real.” But unfortunately, “We talk to real people like
that.”
Relying on the writings of Jewish essayist and philosopher Martin
Buber, he said we look at people in one of two ways. One way is to
see them as objects—like cardboard cutouts—who make it difficult
to get what we want. Buber called those who do this “I-It” people.
“If you see people as obstructions, you are an I-It person—icy
cold, easily upset, cranky, manipulative, deceitful, self-absorbed,
insincere, grumpy, stuck-up, snooty, always accusing and blaming,”
he said. Such attitudes “can happen to all of us sometimes.”
But our attitudes change when we see people as “you” instead of “it”
and become I-You people. “We become quick to forgive, accepting,
friendly, concerned for the other, happy,” he said. “We ask others
what their names are. We treat them as if their concerns matter.”
The idea, he said, is not for the other person to change—it’s for us to
see them as real people and get to know them better.
“Christ is always patient with his arms stretched out, never taking
offense, because of His ability to see who others really are,” he said.
“When we see the truth about others, see them as they really are—
scared, concerned, needy—we then become the kind of person we
want to be. We become I-You people. Then they respond to us. It
starts with us. When we have the Spirit of the Lord with us, we just
love people. Be sure you’re doing what you’ve got to do to have the
Spirit in your life.”
Staff then toured the BYU Creamery and Central Kitchen, which is
just south of the Harman Building, and were given samples of BYU
ice cream.
After lunch, Bart Schaerrer, director of Computer Operations,
showed the YouTube video “A Day Made of Glass 2,” relating it to
long-term goals for the division.
“I want us to be able to do all this—and I welcome your emails and
comments to help us get down that road,” he said.
Computer Ops had been moving DCE server data to BYU’s Virtual
Data Center and was pleased with the results—“until the big crash,”
he said. They were able to pull the data back and run it out of our
data center. When they do move it back to the Virtual Data Center,
the pools for storage will be much larger, he said.
His department is also gradually replacing desktop and laptop
computers, about a third of them each year as needed. Windows 8 is
out, but “we’re pretty comfortable with 7,” Bart said. “We may wait
for 9.”
He cautioned staff about data security and privacy when it comes
to cloud computing. “The university doesn’t have to comply with
Sarbanes-Oxley,” he said. “But the Church says we will.” Employees
should use their university email accounts for business-related
communications so they are automatically archived.
Independent Study’s Glenn Anderson and Scott Gutke showed
the new video they made for BYU new-student orientation. The
university asked them to produce something focusing on the
spiritual history and aims of BYU, Glenn explained.
“Glenn wrote a beautiful script, and we definitely felt the Spirit
several times” while working on the movie, Scott said. “You do work
for a special place—it is a special place to be.”
The movie is called Brigham Young University—A House of Dreams.
Darin Oviatt, associate dean, gave the same presentation on
“Ethical Blind Spots” that he gave to administrators during the fall
retreat at Aspen Grove.
After Darin finished, Dean Wayne Lott told staff, “We are not
trying to limit your capabilities or say we don’t trust you. You are
loved for who you are, for what you do and what you will yet do.
You are trusted with the responsibilities you have.”
High-trust relationships
Hank Smith, a seminary teacher at Springville High School who
has taught at BYU (and is the brother of Jennefer Johnson of
Conferences and Workshops), spoke about “The Anatomy of HighTrust Relationships.”
“President McKay said it’s a greater compliment to be trusted than
loved,” he said. And Elder Packer said if you can’t be trusted, you
cannot be of real service to the Lord.
In our relationships, when conflict is quick, trust is probably low,
Hank Smith teaches staff about building trust in relationships.
Hank said. “So when you have contention in a relationship, see it
as an indication that trust is low. Can you see how much hope this
gives people?” Most often, he said, trust can be rebuilt, though there
are times when it cannot.
“We all need to reduce uncertainty in our lives,” he said. “Trust does
that.”
Some low-trust behaviors are concealing weaknesses and mistakes,
blaming others, hesitating to ask for help, holding grudges, and
low commitment to goals. Some high-trust behaviors are owning
up to mistakes, not being afraid to ask for help, helping others
easily, giving others the benefit of the doubt, offering and accepting
apologies, and enjoying coming to work.
He told about Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, who in the mid-1800s was
working in Italy in a hospital maternity ward. In one wing of the
hospital the mortality rate was very high—13 percent. In the other
wing, which was staffed by midwives instead of doctors, it was only
2 percent. Semmelweis tried to determine what made the difference.
He finally left for a few months, and when he returned, the mortality
rate in his ward had dropped to the same level as the other ward. He
was the problem, he finally realized. He had been spending a lot of
time researching in the cadaver lab, trying to figure out what caused
various deaths. He had been bringing germs from the dead patients
to the living patients, on his hands.
“When we have good intentions we automatically take ourselves off
the list as the problem,” Hank noted. Referring to the Johari window,
he said blind spots are things others see, but we don’t, about
ourselves.
“Trust can move you into the open arena and open blind spots,” he
said. But “without high trust, this doesn’t happen.”
Taking a relationship from low trust to high requires frequent
interaction (both one on one and in groups) that is personal
(talking, not just spending time together), positive, and low risk
(as unemotional as possible). Examples of this type of interaction
include visiting and home teaching, family home evening, family
scripture study and prayer.
Without trust, he said, “you have to rely on contracts, which are not
as reliable or effective. When you have high trust, you really speed
things up.”
He quoted Joseph Smith on relationships: “Nothing is so much
calculated to lead people to forsake sin as to take them by the hand,
and watch over them with tenderness.
“When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O
what power it has over my mind, while the opposite course has a
tendency to harrow up all the harsh feelings and depress the human
mind” (History of the Church 5:23–24).
Hank recommended four other things to increase trust in
relationships: compassion, openness, reliability and expertise.
He shared a quote from Joseph Fielding Smith, from a letter he
wrote to his son: “To win one’s respect and confidence, approach
him mildly and kindly. No friendship was ever gained by attack
upon principle or upon man, but by calm reason and the lowly spirit
of truth.
“If you have built for a man a better house than his own, and he
is willing to accept yours and forsake his, then, and not till then,
should you proceed to tear down the old structure. Rotten though
it may be, it will require some time for it to lose all its charms and
fond memories … therefore let him, not you, proceed to tear it
away.”
Hank told how Werner von Braun, a German rocket scientist who
was working for NASA, was approached by an employee who
admitted a costly error and expected to be fired for it. He told the
employee to come to work the next day as usual—and he held a
party for him.
“Reward the confession, or you are teaching others to hide their
errors,” Hank said.
People like to know what they are going to get with you, he said,
which is why reliable Old Faithful is far more popular at Yellowstone
National Park than the largest geyser, Steamboat.
Expertise, he said, can debunk almost anything. The more expert
you are, the more trust you get.
“You can’t force people into high-trust relationships,” he said. “But
you can lead them so they will want to follow you.”
How We’re Doing: Reports
Grant Taggart Symposium
Financial service professionals from Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and
Nevada gathered September 20–21 to network, learn and continue their
education within their industry at the Grant Taggart Symposium.
Seven main
platform speakers
gave insightful
presentations on
topics like ethics,
management,
financial planning,
investment strategies,
estate planning,
and health care over the two-day conference. Anthony Morris, an
international keynote speaker and practice development specialist, flew
in from Canada to present at the conference. Other presenters came
from Montana, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, Florida and Colorado.
Each presenter brought experience in financial services to enlighten
participants through main platform sessions and focus sessions.
Participants had the opportunity to earn continuing education, CFP
and ethics credit at the conference through participating in the sessions
provided.
The third annual Grant Taggart Symposium Golf Tournament hosted
over 100 golfers, each walking away with a prize and great memories from
the beautiful Wasatch Mountain State Park.
—John Best
SLC tailgating party
On September 15, 2012 the BYU Salt Lake Center held its first tailgate
party in association with the BYU-Utah football game played at the
University of Utah. More than 300 people attended the event, including
students from the LDS Business College.
The main reason for the tailgate event was to raise local awareness of
the Salt Lake Center. It is surprising how many residents in the local
community do not know there is a BYU Salt Lake Center.
We served hot dogs, soda, and for anyone who agreed to “like” us on
Facebook, BYU brownies. The tailgate would have been better if BYU had
beat Utah, but there’s always the next time!
—Tyler King. graduate student in communications and BYU Salt Lake
Center social media coordinator, and Scott Howell, director
EFY Programs now offer
two new one-day options
EFY Programs are now offering two new one-day options for locations
around the USA. Both programs are for youth ages 14–18 and adult
leaders who would like to attend.
The first program is called EFY Express, which features two hours of
instruction, followed by dinner, a musical concert or variety show and
a two-hour EFY dance. EFY Express can be held at various venues,
including high schools, LDS Institute buildings and stake centers. EFY
brings a youth coordinator and numerous EFY counselors to help with
setup, check-in, conducting the meeting, chaperoning, and cleanup. We
use EFY faculty as speakers, get a local caterer to cater dinner, and then
use EFY’s equipment, DJ and playlists to conduct the dance. This program
generally costs $20 per youth and $10 for adults. EFY Express must be
held in locations where EFY can arrange for the facilities as well as have
access to YSA EFY counselors.
The other option, EFY Highlight, was just approved. It is less expensive
and will be held primarily in areas where it would not be possible to staff
an EFY Express. EFY Highlight will cost $6 per youth, with no charge for
adult leaders. It will be held mostly in stake centers with the approval of
the local stake president. It will feature one or two EFY speakers for two
hours of instruction. EFY will handle registration, conduct the meeting,
and prepare and clean the building. Any other activities surrounding this
program will be the responsibility of the local stake and will not be part of
the EFY offering. EFY will not advertise or participate in anything beyond
the two hours of teaching.
These two offerings are strictly BYU-sponsored events and are not
conducted or presided over by local priesthood leaders. They will be held
on Saturdays during the school year and provide a low-cost alternative
or supplement to the weeklong summer sessions. They will allow many
more youth, who may never have the chance to attend a summer session,
to have an EFY experience.
—Gary Bauer
Each October, Nishiyamato Gakuen, a private boys’ school in Japan, sends its ninth-grade class to Utah for an English language
immersion experience. The students stay with host families, attend a local junior high school for a day, participate in English
language activities held at the BYU Conference Center, and spend a day touring the BYU campus.
Coming & Going
Ellen Allred retires after
over 40 years at BYU
Life doesn’t always turn out the way you expect. Usually, though, it
turns out very well, said Ellen Allred, who sees her life over the past
40½ years as one blessing and opportunity after another.
“I have been so blessed to be in a place where I could learn and serve
and grow,” she said in an interview in October, about a month before
she retired. “The motto that I try to live by is ‘Live as well as you can,
for as long as you can, with the best people you can find.’ I’ve been
here a long time. I’ve tried to do good, and I’ve been with the best
people you could find.”
On graduating from BYU in May 1972 with a degree in business,
Ellen began working as the department secretary in the Home
Study Department. Five months later, she was promoted to the
supervisor of student services, a job she held for the next ten years.
“During Christmas break in 1981, we moved into this beautiful new
building,” she recalled. “It was wonderful to have the entire division
together in the same place instead of scattered from the Herald
R. Clark and Fletcher buildings, to the Gurr House, the Jolley
House, and other places across campus. Selectric typewriters, with
exchangeable type balls and liftoff tapes for correcting mistakes,
were wonderful. Then just before moving into the Harman Building
we purchased the first dedicated word processors—two IBM
Displaywriters. They were
great, big, huge things. We
were on our own to uncrate
them, set them up, and learn
how to use them.”
In Home Study,
Ellen supervised the
computerization of the
lesson processing, grade
submission, and payroll
functions. She saw great
growth in both the high
school and university
programs, including making
the first visits to high schools
around the state and a name
change to Independent Study.
In the fall of 1982, Ellen
became the coordinator of
Campus Education Week, where for the next 10 years she worked to
improve the quality of both the instruction and the operation of that
program. She saw attendance grow from around 18,000 to almost
33,000, felt great satisfaction, and was gratified to see that the work
she had done all year long really made a significant difference in
people’s lives.
“While running Education Week, I went back to school and earned
an MBA and finished most of the coursework for my PhD,” she said.
Her doctorate is in university administration, with an emphasis in
adult and continuing education. In January 1993 Ellen was asked
to go to Salt Lake City and work with Elaine Jack, the Relief
Society general president. For four and a half years, Ellen served
as administrative assistant (in effect, chief of staff) for the Relief
Society. “I ran the operational part of Relief Society,” she explained.
“It was both a calling and a job. It was busy. It was remarkable. I had
experiences and made friendships to last a lifetime and beyond.”
When Sister Jack and her counselors were released in 1997, Ellen
came back to BYU, working with CES South and Campus Education
Week again.
Then in 1998, the university decided to replace the Degrees in
Independent Study program with something new—the Bachelor of
General Studies program, which Ellen has directed since the fall of
1998. It’s been rewarding, helping students to complete their BYU
degree.
“The work we do really makes a difference in people’s lives,” she said.
“There are wonderful payoffs every day as we interact with these
adult students.”
Ellen’s last day of work was November 7. “Am I sorry about leaving?
No, I’m not,” she said. “I’m satisfied. I’ve given my all and it’s time to
move on. But I will miss the relationships. Many of my colleagues
are close friends.” She continued, “I am eternally grateful for the
great mentors and teachers and friends I have been blessed to have
here in the Division of Continuing Education. The Lord brought
influential people and experiences into my life to help mold me into
the person I am supposed to be—but I’m not done yet.”
And her plans for retirement? “Whatever I want! And I want to do
good.”
Although she has not made specific immediate plans, she mentions
“temple work, family history, church service missions, helping
children to read, eventually a full-time mission. There are lots of
things out there to do. I’m ready to move on to another whole phase
of life—I didn’t expect to be here this long.” Her first concern is to
care for her 97- and 89-year-old parents, who live in Vernal, Utah.
She remembered as a senior in college, thinking how grateful she
was to be a woman and be able to stay home and raise a family
instead of having to get up and go to work every day. As it turned
out, she did have to do that—but she has found joy in a life of
learning and service.
“I’ve also been blessed to travel the world—something I’d like to do
more of, if I can find someone to go with me,” she said. “I have had
so many opportunities to grow, learn and serve; and I plan another
40 years of doing just that.”
Note: On November 16, Ellen fell and broke her right leg in three
places. The leg will be in a cast for two months and ankle pins will
be removed after four months. Ellen assures us that she has plenty of
help: “Mom and Dad are very attentive, and friends and neighbors
are lined up clear down the block to help,” she emailed Denan Cox
on November 19.
met my wife while we both performed with the BYU International Folk
Dance Ensemble as undergrads. I like to refer to our courtship as a ‘folk
dance romance.’
“I love international travel and reading good books. My favorite countries
visited are Slovakia and Italy, and my favorite book is The Education of
a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour. I was raised on a Montana barley
farm, fought wildfires during the summers as an undergrad, and served
in the National Guard. Some of my favorite pastimes include playing the
accordion and taking long country drives.”
Steve Taggart
Rob Holcomb
Scott Harris
New BGS, C&W directors
Dean Wayne Lott announced in October that Steve Taggart is the
new director of the Bachelor of General Studies program. In an email
to division employees, Wayne wrote, “There was a substantial pool of
applicants from many states across the nation with very good credentials
and experience. After interviewing a select pool, we have offered the
position to Steve Taggart, who has been the director of Conferences and
Workshops here at BYU for many years. Steve has accepted the offer.”
Rob Holcombe has accepted the appointment as the new director of
Conferences and Workshops. “Rob has provided many years of successful
service and leadership in the division,” Wayne noted.
Scott Harris accepted the program administrator position vacated by
Rob in Conferences and Workshops.
Benjamin C. Watson is a new outreach
administrator in Independent Study marketing.
He is from Fairfield, Montana. He has a BA in
communications from BYU and an MBA from
the University of Utah.
“I am married to Megan Watson and have
two children—a daughter, Liberty, and a son,
Charley, born a few weeks ago,” Ben says. “I
Ryan Strong is a new instructional designer in
Independent Study. From Springville, he has a
BS in English education.
“I am a husband and the father of four,” Ryan
says. “I graduated from UVU and went straight
into teaching English at Springville Junior High.
I love, not like, love teaching. It is a blast. I am an
avid movie watcher and Lego builder, and enjoy
many sports. I hope to one day discover the
perfect cup of hot chocolate.”
Jennifer Dobberfuhl Quinlan is a new instructional designer in
Independent Study’s Production area. She has a BA in English from
BYU and an MFA in professional French studies from the University
of Wisconsin–Madison. Her hometown is Barron, Wisconsin.
“I’m a mother of three boys, ranging in age from 6 to almost 12,”
Jennifer says. “My husband and I both
recently received employment in Provo,
which brought us from Wisconsin to Utah.
I have worked in marketing, journalism/
editing, and education.
“Early in our marriage, we moved to France,
where my husband and I both worked
in education. This experience fueled my
desire to work promoting nontraditional
educational programs. My interdisciplinary
graduate program integrated French, international education, and
marketing, and eventually led me to a position heading up a virtual
charter school in Wisconsin.
“Thanks largely to our involvement in international education and
nonprofit work, my family and I have traveled in Europe, Africa,
Asia, and Central America. I have a personal goal of hitting all
seven continents in this lifetime! As a family, we love to be outdoors.
All the males in my family are triathletes, and I’m a passionate
homesteader. We’re all excited to be here in Provo, and I’m especially
pleased to join BYU as an employee!”
Ryan Wells began work on December 3
as the noncredit programs accountant in
Financial Services. He replaced Duane
Dalby, who left to take a job as a controller
with a company in Idaho Falls, ID.
Ryan and his wife Nicole have three
children—Annie, Sophie, and Cooper. They
are moving to the Provo area from Twin
Falls, Idaho, where Ryan worked as a staff
accountant for a public accounting firm.
Ryan grew up in Texas and Nicole is from
California. They met at BYU–Idaho. He received an undergraduate
accounting degree from BYU–Idaho and then an MBA from Idaho
State University. He served a mission in El Salvador, and his wife
served in Spain.
“One of my goals is to take her back to Spain someday,” Ryan says.
“Even though I grew up in Texas, I have never been on a horse. I
enjoy sports and am a big Nebraska Cornhusker football fan. I am
grateful to have the opportunity to work here at BYU and with y’all
(a Texas term). I look forward to getting to know each of you and
working together to fulfill the purpose of the Division of Continuing
Education.”
Roberta Hadlock is a new testing supervisor
in Independent Study.
“I am from small Vernal, Utah, and I moved
to Provo to come to BYU,” Roberta says. “I
served a mission in Santa Rosa, California
and finished my degree in psychology when
I came back to school. I have been home for
almost three years.
“While I was going to school I worked at
Independent Study as a student employee. I
was excited to hear that a full-time position
was opening at the same time I was graduating, and I was very
happy to have a job so soon. I love working at Independent Study. I
look forward to learning a lot and gaining valuable experience as an
employee and a supervisor.”
Ryan Beckstead is a new course maintenance and corrections
supervisor in Independent Study. He was born in Pocatello, Idaho,
but moved to Utah when he was two years old
and has been here ever since, except for his
mission. He is the youngest of four children,
all of whom were born in a leap year.
Ryan graduated from Orem High
School, where he was an all-state football
quarterback, seminary council president and
a Sterling Scholar, and made many lifelong
friends.
“I attended BYU as a youth, but didn’t
graduate until I returned from my mission
and finished with a BGS family life degree in 2008,” he said. “I
served my mission in Bógota, Colombia, and love the wonderful
people there.
“I am blessed with an incredibly fabulous wife, Kristin, and four
fantastic children. My oldest son Trevor just returned from his
mission in New Zealand. My son Xane is 18, attending BYU, and
is well into the process of submitting his mission papers (thanks
to President Monson’s announcement in General Conference). My
only daughter Korin is 14, soon to be 15, and cannot wait to get her
driving learner’s permit. My youngest is Sam, 9, and he is loving the
Spanish immersion program in grade school.
“I love being with my family and enjoy cracking silly jokes. In fact,
a day in which my kids don’t say, ‘Dad, you are so weird,’ is a day
wasted. Among our hobbies are fishing, watching movies, playing
board games, selling products from Alison’s Pantry, and now
sending out missionaries. I am thrilled to be a part of Independent
Study and am grateful to be working with such great people.”
Steve Mott is a new instructional designer in BYU Independent
Study. He’s an MS candidate in instructional psychology and
technology and has a BA in English with a
minor in business management.
Steve grew up in several states. He currently
resides in Provo with his wife, Lily, a graduate
of BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School. They
have two daughters and have “way too much
fun,” he says.
When Steve isn’t studying or working, he
enjoys being with his family—in fact, he
loves being with his family even when he is
studying or working. He loves old books and
classic films, architecture, vintage illustration, music, astronomy,
and travel. He served in the Mexico Puebla Mission before returning
to BYU and graduating with a degree in English.
Prior to being accepted into the instructional psychology and
technology graduate program, he was studying pre-medicine while
working in a pharmacy and volunteering at a hospital emergency
room. Steve’s passion for teaching and learning eventually convinced
him to give up medicine and instead pursue a career in instructional
design. He worked for the Center for Teaching and Learning and
taught courses in the McKay School, an endeavor he enjoyed
tremendously.
Steve was a member of the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay Team and
carried the Olympic flame just outside Washington, D.C. He says he
loves people and hopes to be a little kinder, a little humbler—a little
more like Jesus—every day.
Lauri McPhillen, who was the student services administrator at
Independent Study, has accepted a position as the new faculty
coordinator there. Tyson Bell, who has been the instructor support
supervisor, took Lauri’s place as student services administrator.
Items of Interest
Cindy Woodward, undergraduate assistant at the BYU Salt Lake
Center, recently received the SAERA (Staff and Administrative
Employee Recognition Award).
Joanne Pratt of Human Resource Services said she nominated
Cindy “because she is extremely competent as she works with the
faculty in making sure their hiring paperwork is correct and on
time. Additionally, for the past two years Cindy has willingly taken
on the responsibility to complete I-9 forms for those living in the
Salt Lake area but working in Provo. Although this has no advantage
for her job, it prevents the faculty members from having to make an
extra trip to Provo well before their contract begins. This has been
very helpful both for me and for the faculty.”
All the filming took place outdoors under the hot August sun,
making heat exhaustion a major concern. The actors were constantly
reminded to drink plenty of water all day long.
“I felt the Spirit strongly during the filming,” Michael said. “The
experience gave me a better appreciation and understanding of the
environment and conditions that must have existed during Christ’s
ministry on earth.”
The current collection of LDS Bible videos is available for viewing
online at http://www.lds.org/bible-videos.
Amy Salmon (EFY) and her
husband Spencer had a baby boy
at 11:45 p.m. October 7. Maxwell
Salmon weighed 7 pounds, 2
ounces and was 20½ inches long.
Cindy Woodward shows off her SAERA, with Dean Wayne
Lott, left, and Lee Glines, right.
Scott Gutke also received the SAERA. Ellen Allred, who
nominated Scott, wrote, “Scott spent countless hours outside his
regular work to direct and film eight video web segments, six
30-second TV spots and six 15-second pre-roll ads for the BGS
program. He coordinated all his production efforts with MarCom
and BYUtv.”
Steven Park received the SAERA for his competence in
implementing the Brainhoney learning management system for
Independent Study.
Shelly Farmer of Computer Operations also received the SAERA.
She was nominated by Jon Spackman for demonstrating respect
for all individuals.
Dean Rigby, father of Dane Rigby (Salt Lake Center), passed away
on December 10. Dean was an English professor at BYU for many
years and also taught for a short time at the Salt Lake Center.
Michael Ivanyo from Marketing
Communications (the web team) recently
participated as a background player in the
filming of the New Testament videos by LDS
Motion Picture Studios.
When chosen, adult male actors are asked
to grow out their beards—which conflicts
with BYU grooming standards. But for cases
like this, the BYU Honor Code Office can
approve the issue of a “beard card” for an
individual.
Michael participated in five scenes related to Christ’s miracle of
feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fishes. This video has
not yet been released.
“Making movies can be hard work,” said Michael, who reported
to the set in Goshen, Utah, at 5:15 a.m. and finished at 8:30 p.m.
Chris Nielsen (dean’s office)
and her husband Steve are
grandparents for the 19th
time. McKall Bryn Nielsen
was born on November 9,
weighing in at 7 pounds, 12
ounces, and measuring 19
inches long. She is Mike and
Mistie Nielsen’s fifth child.
Scott Harris (Conferences
and Workshops) and his wife
Danette are grandparents
for the first time. Zachary
Landon Harris was born
November 30 to Landon and
Brittany Harris. He weighed 7
pounds, 4 ounces, and was 19
inches long.