Letter to Brother Adams

Brother Adams,
I have a few concerns concerning our comm. 250 class. Being that you are, almost without failure, always surrounded by students in need of your time I decided that this would be the most effective way of communicating with you. I would first like to say how excited I am about the opportunities your teaching style is creating for us as students. You are unlike any professor I have ever had and because of this the possibilities and potential of this class seem limitless. I am however somewhat unsure of a few things and for my own personal sanity need a bit of enlightenment. Below are some of the questions that I have formulated this last week. For some I think I understand their answer but I just want to get affirmation that I am on the right track.

∑ Come April 5th what should each of us, your students, walk away with? I am begging to understand the purpose of “The Firm” but being that “the Firm” is only an organizational that is to give us hands on experience as we reach our goal I want to make sure that I understand what the overall purpose is. From what I have gathered when each of us leave this class we should be able to:
o Understand the principles and tools needed for the effective organization of any type of group.
o Understand how to apply these principles in the various groups we are and will be in. (Elders Quorums, Relief societies, school societies, business etc.)


∑ What materials are we going to use to learn the principles and tools for effective group organizations? You have on multiple occasions made reference to resources such as “The 7 Habits.” I fortunately have read the majority of the material that you have made reference to and therefore am ready for “The Firm” as an opportunity to put these things into practice. However I do know that a good number of my classmates are unfamiliar with these materials and are at a loss for what exactly it takes to organize a group let alone help with the organizing of another company. Today for instance you began to teach us what the 7 habits are. My mind raced as I started putting these principles together in my head with what can be done to apply them to our current situation but when talking to others in the class I am realizing that they don’t seem to be connecting the dots.

Being that I am currently part of the group dynamics course I have had the fortunate opportunity to work on Harvard Manage Mentor Modules that teach the tools and principles needed for effective group organization. Is there any way we could implement some of these into our class curriculum to help arm us with the tools that the in class, hands on applications, our requiring of us?

∑ How will class and “The Firm” be lead and organized? You have made it clear that you want to only be a resource but until we have some type of class leadership we will remain dependent on you as the leader. Will we be able to organize our selves outside of individual groups and as a class as a whole? You have started calling assignments “suggestions” alluding to the idea that you want us to decide but as of yet I feel that we are powerless as we are not having the opportunity to make decisions. Do you want us to take more initiative and start organizing ourselves with out your prompting or will you be leading us into the process in future class periods?


Overall I want to understand what our purpose and goals are and what we are allowed to do in getting ourselves there. You have presented us with the exciting opportunity to take our education into our own hands at a level of control we have never before been entrusted with. I know that we have what it takes to meet the challenge but we need to have a thorough understanding of what the challenge is and what we are allowed to do in meeting it. Once this has been established I am confident that the resources, knowledge and creativity we have as individuals will be able to come together to create a synergy that will become a life changing experience in each of our lives!

Thank you for pushing us to new heights of education. Every time I am in class I feel like my paradigms of the way I view myself and my future work are being challenged and changed for the good!

Thank you,
Nathan H. Reagan