While the early part of the 20th Century witnessed the dominance of Industrial Age companies, the latter half of the century saw the flowering of Information Age companies. We are now seeing the emergence of the Relationship Age company, which incorporates new variables into the equation for success even as it borrows from each of its forerunners.

We can readily distinguish the companies of each age:

Industrial Age companies extract natural resources for use as raw materials and turn them into products. These are the companies that drove the U.S. economy until just a few decades ago; for example, General Motors, U.S. Steel, Union Pacific Railroad, Esso (now Exxon-Mobil), DuPont and many others founded in the 19th and early to mid 20th Centuries.

Management’s challenge in Industrial Age companies is to maximize productivity by optimizing the flow of materials from acquisition to processing to distribution. Companies need employees for their physical strength and manual dexterity, and view and account for them as expenses - and thus treat them as expendable. To succeed individually and as a company, the mantra is to work harder.

Information Age companies are built with - and sell - technology and information-based products and services. These companies range from the Intels, Microsofts, and Googles at one end of the spectrum to the law firm and financial advisor down the street at the other end. They have transformed the world of work and are a powerful economic force. They manage the flow of ideas and technologies from conception to development to testing to full commercialization. Competitive advantage lies in coupling superior technology and knowledge with fast time-to-market capabilities.

Employees in an Information Age company are viewed as knowledge workers who become primary sources of a company’s intellectual capital and thus valuable assets. Management focuses on creating a culture of learning and intellectual exploration in order to get and keep the best minds and facilitate innovation and creativity. To succeed individually and as a company, the mantra is to work smarter.

Relationship Age companies recognize the power of human relationships, not only to attract customers or to perform teamwork but also to define the business model. Avon Products and all the other direct marketing firms, for example, show that business can be done through person-to-person relationships just as easily and even more profitably than through mass marketing and advertising.

These companies create and maintain a vibrant network of suppliers, distributors, sales representatives, customers, strategic partners, employees - whatever drives the business. They manage the flow of human energy and spirit to satisfy customers, to take prudent risks, to pull together to get it done. To succeed individually and as a company, the mantra is to work collaboratively as one.

Four management principles distinguish the Relationship Age company:

People centered, not product or process or technology centered

The Relationship Age company is all about people. The product, the process, and the technology are all aspects of the business, but the talent and spirit of people are its core resource. Management’s primary focus is to provide opportunities for both to flourish.

The traditional business formula, stemming from the Industrial Age, puts serving shareholders (the company’s owners) at the top as the primary objective. Getting customers to buy products or services is the means of doing that. Then, within that context employees are merely a resource for making it all happen. Relationship Age companies turn that business formula upside down. David Neeleman, for example, founder of three successful airlines including JetBlue, when questioned about how he would explain to Wall Street why he put people first in his (highly successful) business model, said simply, “We serve our peoplee, who serve our customers, who serve our shareholders.”

A focus on purpose as well as process

In a Relationship Age company, success starts with the effort to create and communicate a clear and powerful purpose. All aspects of the company, from mission statement to policies to operations, are geared to elicit the passion and involvement of its people. When they understand and get excited about why their company exists - which involves serving others in some way - they feel greater motivation to come to work and to contribute far more than they would in a traditional company.

More traditional companies focus on process. They design business processes and practices, define each person’s job, and then expect success to result when everyone does what they’re supposed to. While process is important, it is not the stand-alone answer.

Chip Conley, founder and head of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, attributes in part the success of his company to recognizing that a job is more than the tasks that his employees perform. His company’s purpose is not just to serve customers but also to make them feel at home while staying in their hotels. Room cleaners can relate to this and attend, along with the entire staff of their hotel and customers too, weekend retreats to discuss this purpose and how they put it into practice. This shift of focus from task or process to purpose has led to a motivated work force with a turnover rate far below the industry average.

Values lived, not only spoken

Relationship Age companies live their values, from the business strategies they shape to the reward systems they create. Values guide the choices a company makes in every context and at each step of the way.

For example, when N.R. Narayan Murthy launched Infosys Technologies Ltd in 1981 with six colleagues, he believed that their success would come from setting and holding to high values. He put it this way in a Wall Street Journal interview: “While we recognized the challenges [of building a global IT company], we were certain of our value system. We believed that great companies are built to last hundreds of years, which requires a foundation that goes beyond revenues, profits and market capitalization. We pledged to seek respect from our stakeholders, which would automatically lead us to do the right thing by each of them. We would satisfy customers, be fair to employees, follow the highest principles in dealing with investors, and make a positive difference to society. If we did that, we agreed, revenue and profit would follow.”

Nobody can really prove the impact of these values, but it’s worth noting that the company has grown to 58,000 employees, hundreds of customers, and a market capitalization of $20 billion.

Relationships as assets, not incidentals

What is a company’s most important asset? In an Industrial Age Company, it is primarily its financial and physical assets. In an Information Age company, it is its Intellectual Property. In a Relationship Age company it is its relationships. These companies treat relationships as long-term assets that are not to be sacrificed in order to attain short-term goals. A fellow employee or a customer or a supplier is not just a party at the other end of a transaction but also part of a long-term relationship built on shared values and common goals and maintained through a continuing stream of collaborative interactions.

Managers in Relationship Age companies spend as much time nurturing group performance as individual performance. They find ways to develop and call forth the fruits of group energy by delegating responsibility for analysis, decision making, and implementation to project teams or standing committees. They also pay constant attention to relationships among people in the company and to the relationships employees form with people outside the company. The strength of these relationships is measured and assessed, and steps are taken as needed to strengthen them.

When Bill Catucci led the turnaround of a failing telecommunications company, he blocked out time for managing the company’s relationships with its major customers, important community and government leaders, and its employees. He also created a management system that fostered collaborative decision-making - and implementation - among top managers. In three years, the company achieved an industry leadership position, quintupled shareholder value, and raised employee morale.

Relationship Age companies also recognize that there is no one magic fix-that they have to do many things to succeed. While collaboration and unity of purpose and values are seen as the key to success, these companies also draw from the lessons of Industrial and Information Age companies, thus valuing efficiency and cost control (the focus of Industrial Age management) and innovation and creativity (the focus of Information Age management. They also recognize the need to take a holistic approach to management.

Even though your company may have mastered the important dimensions of Industrial and Information Age companies, you may take your company to a whole new level by focusing on the key drivers of Relationship Age companies. Begin by assessing all of the key relationships of your organization. Then find ways to capitalize on the strong relationships and take action to energize the flagging ones. While this is just the start, the benefits will quickly become apparent.



By: Darwin Gillett

About the Author:

It seems that everyone is complaining about problems, problems, problems. Very few, however, are discussing solutions - or the right ones, anyway. Most people become fixated on changing the world situation or their individual circumstances, but that is the wrong place to start.

 

The story of a father who was attempting to read while his five year old son kept interrupting will illustrate my point best. After the father became totally frustrated, he took a picture of the world from a magazine page and tore it into numerous pieces. He gave it to his son as a puzzle for him to put back together. Thinking that it would take some time for his son to complete the task, he was surprised when the son returned the completed picture in only a few minutes. When he inquired how the son had managed so quickly his son replied, “I didn’t know how to put together the world, but on the other side of the picture was a man, and I figured if I could get the man right, the world would be right too.”

 

I believe the child inadvertently said it all! The solution to the world’s problems is helping one individual at a time become a total person. A total person is a balanced person, one who has developed in all the important areas of his or her life.

 

You have a special gift!

 

We are all born as one-of-a-kind, completely unique, and filled with a special individual gift or gifts. For example, you may know someone who is especially gifted in music or math or sports. They arrived here with that gift and tend to concentrate on developing it, often neglecting some of the other very important areas of life.

 

I’ve known some very brilliant people that developed their mental capacities to the max and yet neglected their physical body, resulting in sickness and even an early death. On the other hand, I’ve known tremendous athletes that completely developed their physical side and yet failed to develop financially, often ending a stellar career completely broke.

 

The 6 important areas of life

 

I’ve found that there are six important areas of life that need to be developed, not just one or two. If you develop only the gift that is the most natural you will be off balance, similar to a wheel with a flat side. Not very effective!



Physical and Health: If you are too busy to exercise and eat well, you are too busy! Your body is God’s house and it must be cared for and reverenced.

Mental and Educational: It is estimated that between 80-90 percent of your mental abilities go underdeveloped. Imagine what you could do if you took the steps to educate yourself, to develop mentally.

Social and Cultural: Help yourself by helping others; lift their spirits, encourage them, comfort them in grief. All the good you extend comes back your way.

Financial and Career: Set the right goals for the right reasons! I make all the money I can, but I always ask God what He wants me to do with it. I like to help and change people’s lives wherever I can.

Spiritual and Ethical: Follow the Golden Rule and treat others as you wish to be treated. Establish a firm value system so you will not waver when under crisis. Values guide your decisions, choices, and actions. Sadly, this is often the most neglected area of a person’s life, bringing grave consequences.

Family and Home: Build rich relationships that bless your life. If you neglect this area you will be lonely, filled with regret, and eventually despairing and bitter.



 

 

Genuine success demands a balanced life! A total person develops a high degree of magnetism; others admire them, want to be around them, and be like them. Because of this they have greater opportunities and enjoy the company of other successful people.

 

Expand into new areas!

 

In order to expand into a neglected area of your life, first identify the area where you are most gifted and transfer those same principles into the weakened areas. If you are very developed in the physical area, exercising on a consistent basis and eating healthy foods, transfer your traits of commitment and discipline to another area, perhaps to the mental and educational by returning to school for your degree or by taking adult classes in finance and investments.

 

Winners are sold out to excellence in every area of life! Greatness is inside of YOU too! But you must be the one to take charge and move forward. Remember, “Life is hard by the yard; a cinch by the inch.” You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish by sticking with one small goal at a time. Magnetize your life! Enjoy becoming a total person!



By: Paul J. Meyer

About the Author:

I talk.You don’t listen.

You talk. I don’t hear.

We both talk.

We both misunderstand.

You shout. I cry

I shout. You become angrier.

We both shout. We both cry.

You leave and I retreat

to a neutral corner.

————————————————–

No two individuals can view the world in a similar way, which makes it important that each of us learns to listen well, and to communicate to others our personal viewpoint.

Since we all view the world differently, the obvious next step is to learn to value the skills of compromise, both in personal relationships, and in the negotiations between nations.

To listen, communicate, and compromise effectively is what makes all relationships truly valuable and human.



By: June Stepansky

About the Author:

The general conscience is not many people like conflict unfortunately; however, it is a part of life and relationships. It is inevitable. Conflict is proof that we are all unique individuals with distinctive values, opinions and perceptions.

In the workplace as with all types of relationships, conflict can be either a positive “power driver” or counterproductive. Left unresolved, conflicts can sabotage the best of working environments and/or relationships. Conflict must be dealt with head-on, particularly when it is interfering with people working together as a team–whether at work or as partners, friends or any other type of relationship.

Conflicts run the gamete from minor to major. Anytime it interferes, whatever the conflict, it needs to be resolved. Confrontation is the only way. The trick, however, is to do it in a way in which the conversation stays productive and the relationship(s) remain intact. The skills needed to resolve a major conflict are the same skills needed to resolve a minor conflict. Let’s first take a look at the widely accepted five causes of conflict and their definitions.

Control - The basic human desire to effect the direction of events; to gain or retain power or resources.

Preferences - This refers to the way we go about doing things; our personal styles, habits, tendencies and methods.

Beliefs about Facts - What we believe to be true and how this may differ from the actual, real truth.

Values - Values are the essence of who we are and how we see the world. It is hard to resolve conflicts that involve values.

Relationship - This refers to the history that people may have with each other. This involves issues such as past experiences, past business, or the hierarchy or reporting structure if within a work environment.

Conflicts can arise due to one or more of these five factors. Other issues can also contribute to the situation–escalating a conflict beyond its initial causes to the point of a major conflict where the initial cause is almost if not forgotten.

So how do we resolve conflict? First there must be rational, unemotional communication. Often times, this is much harder than it sounds. But getting the emotion out of a conflict and looking at a situation logically is the first step. Additionally, look at the real, actual facts–the truth of the situation. Don’t beat around the bush and throw the kitchen sink into the discussion. Stick to the conflict at hand.

Other methods to resolve conflict include:

Collaborating: Asserting your views while also inviting others perspectives.

Compromising: Urge moderation and “split the difference” in an attempt to meet people halfway. Compromising is a good method to use in finding quick solutions to conflicts.

Accommodating: Accepting the other person’s view or acknowledging an error.

Avoiding: Delaying your response or withdrawing from the situation. Only use this approach when one or both of the parties are angry and need time to cool off.

Forcing: Attempting to control the outcome by discouraging disagreement and insisting on your view. Force is best used in a work place environment when a quick resolution is needed. Avoid using force to resolve conflicts in personal relationships.

In conflict resolution, no single style is the better way to resolve the conflict. Knowing the relationship and the person who you are in conflict with will help you in determining which method is best to use.



By: Gates Briand

About the Author:

Many people start a new commitment to the spiritual path, or start defining their relationship with Spirit, and then immediately want wonderful things to manifest for them. Unfortunately, this is usually unrealistic. Before you are given access to the unlimited information, or powers of the universe, there is a respect and a trust that needs to develop between you and the spirit realm. Just as you are developing trust for the spirits, they are developing a trust for you. You are building a relationship that takes time, effort, and commitment. Once this trust is developed, there is a mutual responsibility and accountability. You can depend on the spirits and they will depend on you.

Spirit opens doors for you at your own individual level. It is like the employee being considered for promotion. As you prove yourself through time and effort, new opportunities will be presented for you to explore how Spirit, life, the laws of nature, and the laws of the universe work. Like a promotion at work, a promotion to greater consciousness comes with greater responsibility.

Knock, and the door will be opened for you; ask, and you shall receive. How true these words are. However, a relationship with Spirit is like building a relationship with a friend. It requires trust, shared experience, dedication, and much interaction. There is much to learn, and one needs to be prepared for the incredible power that becomes available in the learning.

As energy flows with intention between you and Spirit, and between different realities, your personality will change. You are opening your psychic centers and becoming more awake. Your entire being must make adjustments to include your new awareness. Spirit will monitor what you experience and at what levels you are able to receive information. Not only is trust being built between you and Spirit in this approach, but Spirit knows it is often better not to open too fast to new realities because sudden changes can feel chaotic and threatening. If you were suddenly opened up to completely new realities, the accompanying stress might be detrimental to your long-term growth. Spirit wants you to enjoy the transition, not be scared. Emotional breakthroughs may result in emotional breakdowns if you move too quickly. Be patient.

There are numerous accounts of people becoming spiritually awakened through near-death experiences or devastating illnesses; however, the awakening does not need to be so dramatic to create greater awareness and personal power. I often think of this analogy with my children, when they were small. They loved to sit in my lap and steer the car the short distance from the mailbox to the driveway. They insisted that I keep my hands off the steering wheel because they wanted to drive the car by themselves. I reluctantly agreed, but my caution came from knowing they were unaware of the power of this machine. Gradually, they would assume more responsibility for controlling the car, and one day they will be ready to drive solo. Hopefully, their experience will be a positive one.

One must enter the spiritual realm in the same way-with care and the expectation of adjustment. Awareness emerges in manageable doses until we are safely prepared. Sudden revelation and epiphany have their place in awakening, but one must not assume that they are the only avenues to enlightenment.

The patient path is one of developing a relationship with Spirit that is filled with integrity, love, and service. Do your part. Pray, meditate, practice journeying, and make yourself available for Spirit to work with you. Show respect for life and live from the heart chakra. Continue to self-examine and be committed to growth and spiritual development. As a demonstration of your effort, log your experiences in a journal. As you read and reread the entries, you will discover a subtle but sure change in your being. Many changes will occur, often without your conscious awareness. The journal will help you to retrace your journey and to recognize these changes. I think you will be amazed at how fast Spirit truly does intervene in your life. Be thankful.

There are many ways to connect with Spirit and finding a way to develop this intimate, personal relationship is up to you.



By: Jan Engels Smith

About the Author:

04  December, 2008

 

God Has Personally Spoken To Me Recently

 

In the past few months, God has spoken to me in my dreams, during my prayers, when I was reading the Bible and spiritual books.

 

It happened like this.  In 1978, when I was a university sophomore in China, my American English teacher led me in accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. Even though I went to worship Budda for a few years after that, God’s mercy and love finally brought me back to Him again. God has been good to me and my family. Although I believed that God was real, I did not have a personal relationship with Him. My understanding of Him was that He only existed two thousand years ago and had nothing to do with our lives today. My Christian life was the same as my old one -  still quick to anger, always finding fault with those who lived with me and those who worked for me, and wearing a long face all the time. For 30 years, I never finished reading the Bible. It took me a whole year or two to read a thin spiritual book, because every time when I picked up the Bible or a spiritual book to read, I always fell asleep at half way of the first page. I prayed almost every morning, but it was always the same, listing what I wanted God to do for me and it never lasted for more than 10 minutes. I admired those who could pray for more than half an hour. Sometimes I fasted as my church required, but at most for two meals. I was busy everyday with my business and with my golfing six days a week, but never gave time to God even though my heart wanted to. Then, God used a special way to bring me closer to Him and changed my life in a few days.

 

2  years ago, I established another company in New Zealand. Every month I went there to help my staff in running the business. I was holding a visitor’s visa, and every time when I entered the country, I was given a 1-month permit to stay. Before the permit expired, I left the country. Then, after a few days, I entered the country again. This continued for more than 2 years. My multiple visitor’s visa expired a few months ago. When I applied for the renewal of my visa, I was told that I could not be granted the same visa in the next 2 years. I knew a visitor’s visa holder could not stay in the country for more than 9 months a year. But I did not know that  it applied to me because I left the country before the 1-month permit expired. I must leave the country for the same period of time I stayed in the country. At that time, God let the immigration officer suggest to me to apply for a long term business visa. I knew about this visa before. It usually takes about 3 months to 6 months, or even 12 months to process such applications. The applicant must submit a business plan and some experts will assess it.  Because once it has been approved, the applicant is eligible to apply for permanent residency in New Zealand. it is not likely to be approved.

 

I had to stay in Tonga where my home and business were for at least 3 to 6 months. My wife and her relatives could manage the business without me. I decided to pray every morning before breakfast, and after breakfast, read the Bible from the first book to the last one, in the afternoon, evening and night, read spiritual books. Then, miracles took place. I suddenly realized that I could read more than 12 hours a day without falling asleep. What is more, I found out that I greatly delighted in reading the Bible and other spiritual books. I could finish reading a book in one or two days. Among the books I had read, there were books teaching you how to hear the voice of God and the efficient ways of prayers. I followed the steps taught in the books. To my surprise, the first time I tried, my prayer lasted one and half hours! I had to check another clock to make sure the time was right because it did not seem to be that long. The second day, I tried again. When I opened my eyes and looked at the time, it was two hours and forty-five minutes!! During my prayer, I felt like floating in the air and my spirit was with God. I had such a peace and joy in my heart. At that moment, I remembered another book I had read that taught how to hear the voice of God, and  I asked God to speak to me. I waited and waited for more than half an hour,  I guess. But I did not hear any voice. Just before I wanted to give up, I suddenly felt  warm air was surrounding me and my heart felt God was speaking to me: “You are in my arms of love.”

 

Now let us come back to my application for the long term business visa. I had never seen a business plan and did not know how to write it. I brought it to God and prayed for his wisdom. For many nights, God gave me ideas in my dreams and taught me how to write. I completed the business plan and my application form in 3 weeks’ time and couriered them to the New Zealand Immigration, Business Migrate Branch in Wellington. One day, in my prayer I asked God when I could go back to New Zealand. Then God spoke to my heart that the day when  I got myself ready, I could go back again. It did not take me long to realize that God meant spiritual readiness because he had revealed a few visions to me. That was why I spent many hours everyday in reading the Bible and other spiritual books, and in prayers in order to equip myself for the work He wanted me to do. Four days after I sent out my application form and the business plan, I received an e-mail from a woman officer, telling me that it was in process and waited to be allocated to one of the case managers. Two weeks had passed, but I still did not hear from her. Then one night, God spoke to me in my dream and instructed me to write a letter to her. In the dream, I saw a letter from the woman officer who told me that my application was allocated to a case manager. The next morning, I wrote a long letter according to what God had instructed me. After a few hours, she replied and told me that she had to report it to her manager and would contact me soon. In the afternoon, she replied to me again and said that my application would be allocated to a case manager before they closed that day, and the case manager’s  name was given to me. Early next morning, I received an e-mail from the case manager. He asked me a few questions and the first one was why I stayed so long in New Zealand. I had prayed to God how to explain it beforehand, so I did not have difficulties answering this question. He told me that he had required my police certificate from New Zealand Police and expected to receive it within two weeks. I checked online the reasons for declining an application. The first reason was having violated the New Zealand Immigration Law. So, in my prayer I asked God to cover it up for me and let whoever assessing my application overlook it. Two weeks after that, I e-mailed the case manager asking him if he had received my police certificate. He replied very soon that he had not received it and would contact me when he did. The next Monday in the third week, I sent him another e-mail. Because he did not reply, I wrote him another two enquiry letters on Tuesday, one in the morning, the other one in the afternoon. But I still did not receive any reply from him. On that night, God told me in my dream, that the letter I would receive from the case manager was not to tell me that he had received my police certificate, but to inform me that my application had been approved. Then, God asked me to fast from Wednesday to Friday and said that I should not play golf for 3 days. God wanted me to deny myself and be humble before Him. He also reminded me to get a new passport. So, the next morning I took out my old passport and found out that there was only one blank page left because of so much travel in the past two years. I fasted and did not go to play golf for 3 days. On Monday in the fourth week, I was still waiting for the case manager to reply to me. I decided to fast and not to play golf again. But in my heart, I told myself to fast and not to play golf until I received the letter that God had promised me. On Wednesday, I felt God was speaking to me during my prayer. I felt that God was not happy with what I was doing because I was using my own decision to force Him to give me what I wanted. At the same time, I could feel the love of God for He cared for my physical body. I quickly asked God to forgive me and committed the whole thing into His hand. Then I said to Him that no matter my application was approved or not, I would still love Him and would not leave Him. On the same day, I told my wife that I would start to eat from Thursday. The next morning, about 30 minutes after I turned on my computer, the case manager replied to me. Before I opened it, I prayed to God and thanked Him. After I opened his reply, the first sentence appeared to me: “I am pleased to inform you that ……” I shouted Hallelujah even before I read the rest of the letter for I knew what it was going to tell me.

 

Since I encountered with God, He has been speaking to me in my dreams, in my prayers,  when I was reading the Bible and other spiritual books, and when I was looking at the nature and the people around me. My life has been changed immediately. I am no longer angry with the things that used to make me angry, nor finding fault with others, nor swearing, but having more understanding of others and more forgiveness. I have become a happy man. I have been set free from being addicted to golfing, and now I can live for a few days without it. I even promised to my wife that I would never make her cry any more for the rest of her life.

 

One night, I had a dream, in which I was riding a beautiful brown horse, then the horse changed to a pure white dog playing with me joyfully, then the dog changed to my only dear daughter. I asked God to interpret the dream to me that night, but He did not. The next morning when I was praying, God suddenly said to me: “Before, you used me as a horse to work for you, then we had a closer relationship as the dog related to human, then your relationship with me has become like that between a dear daughter and a loving father.” At that moment, I knew I was going back to New Zealand very soon. There was another reason for me to be sure of that because my new passport was ready to be picked up two days before I received the approval letter.

 

I had been longing for the Holy Spirit to baptize me and to give me the gift of speaking in tongues for more than 15 years. Many pastors had prayed for me, but it never happened. God had given me visions in the past few months to tell of all His wonderful works to millions of people. I said to God that the day when I received the gift of speaking in tongues, that would be the sign He gave me to start. Last Thursday morning when I was praying, I asked God to give me that gift. At first, I gave my tongue and my soul and my mind to God. Then, I opened my mouth and started to make some silly sound. But after a few moments, I found myself speaking fluent foreign languages although I did not understand what I was saying. It continued for nearly an hour. At the end, I had to use my will to stop it. At that moment, God reminded me my promise to Him. I asked Him how to reach out to millions of people. He reminded me my blog on a website. That night, I published my testimony in my blog. Now every day, there are a few hundred visits to it. I keep asking God and He has revealed more websites to me. When you are reading this testimony, you are already in God’s plan.

 

Jesus said: “If you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you.” I pray that God will touch your heart and bless you abundantly. You are welcome to contact me at noahsales@xtra.co.nz .

If you want to hear the writer sharing his testimonies personally, please go to the Christmas even called Carol & Icing, held by Vision Life International, on December 18th 2008, at 7:30pm, at Pakuranga Community Hall, 346 Pakuranga Road, Auckland, New Zealand.



By: Noah Huang

About the Author: