Category: Hawaiian Values

The 3 “F’s” of Transformational Change

On By jandillIn Hawaiian ValuesLeave a comment

In a recent blog, I wrote about The Three “P’s” of Transformational Change: passion, pono, and perseverance. All three are integral in pursuing sustainable positive change in our communities and in facing the social challenges of poverty, social dysfunction, and institutional inertia. In response to the three P’s, I’ve had a lot of questions about how one practically implements transformational change within these concepts. Passion, pono, and perseverance are recognized elements, but what are the practical steps we need to take in order to turn these concepts into measurable, “kick the tires,” positive results in our community’s changed reality? Allow me to suggest three “F’s” to help us along the transformational change path.

The three disciplines of FOCUS, FOLLOW THROUGH, and FINISH are applicable to all of our activities. They become particularly important, however, as we approach the challenge of implementing significant and substantive change that shakes the status quo. If we intend to introduce transformational change, we need to make sure we clearly understand what the first step of focus means in the process.

-The secret of change is to Focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.--socrates

To focus on change, we must be sure we understand and precisely outline our goal. When will we know we have reached our goal? We will only know this if we have fully defined and focused our attention on what we propose to change and what the characteristics of this changed reality are. We often cannot control all of the variables of change, but we need to begin the process by defining our objective as much as possible in the process. We need the crucial element of focus. If our initial focus is clear, we can use it along the journey as a benchmark for any changes that need to be added to the goal.

The second element of success in implementing change is the simple, yet often very difficult, phase of follow through. Once we have done the job of defining and understanding the measures of our focus, we are confronted with the challenge of putting into place the actions necessary to move towards our goal.

We are often lulled into thinking that a clear and compelling definition of our focus is sufficient. We often shy away from the nuts and bolts of putting into place the pieces that make transformational change actually happen.

Inertia and the intrusion of other urgencies conspire to blur this phase of engineered change and we are left wondering what happened when our focus is lost. All of this calls us to a heightened awareness of the implementation phase of change, the follow through. We may find that as our plans are implemented and put to the test of reality that our goals may need to be modified. As mentioned above, a clear initial focus can be used as a benchmark when modifying these goals. In other words, although focus and follow through are often separated in our minds, they are in fact very much tied together in practice.

Finish

There is a lot more that can be said of follow through but the third element of change, the finish, should always be kept in the forefront of our implementation activities. We need to press on towards our focal point and make sure we achieve the goals we have set. So often we are tempted to leave the battlefield of transformational change with the change half done or done in such a manner that our original focus is lost or marred. This is the point at which we may need others to help keep us accountable to the goals we have set. They need to press us into completing what we began in the focus phase and implemented (and perhaps modified) in the follow through phase by finishing the process.

Lots of relatively simple concepts to this process, but at heart it is a complex web of activities and attitudes that can have great power in driving change in our relationships and our communities. I’ve also found this three step mantra to be a powerful challenge for the youth of our community or for all of those who are committed to moving the personal, professional, or public agendas of their lives. Try it. You’ll like it and blossom using it.

How about exploring servant leadership?

On By jandillIn Hawaiian ValuesLeave a comment

As we survey the challenges in our community in education, the economy, the environment, food sustainability, homelessness, and poverty in general (to cite a few), one can sink quickly into a state of despair. The way out is complicated and directly related to a powerful system that thrives on inertia and jealously guards the status quo.

If we turn to the Hawaiian culture for clues on how to deal with the multifaceted face of the establishment, I am struck by the power of the concept of “kuleana” as it has played in the sustaining and positive evolution of Native Hawaiian culture.

Kuleana is the term for “responsibility” and it was a concept clearly known by the Hawaiians and powerfully active in maintaining the culture’s stability while also allowing for change that would benefit the whole.

The ali‘i or ruling classes received their power from an assumed social compact with the larger governed classes. As long as they fulfilled their duties to protect and defend the community and promote it health and welfare, they were allowed to enjoy the trappings of power and prestige. Time and time again our traditions tell us that when the ali‘i failed to pursue their responsibilities, the consequences for them, were disastrous.

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What lessons emerge for us as we face the daunting challenges of today’s Hawai‘i? One clear step that stands out for me is our need to get very intentional about teaching and modeling for our children the concepts and responsibilities of servant leadership, as they will continue to shape the future of our State. In this world where social isolation is growing with electronic use and fascination with technology is challenging interpersonal relationships, it is critical that we work in a focused fashion to: teach our children about the poor and needy in our communities, challenge them to be part of the solution in changing the social conditions that allow poverty and homelessness to prosper, connect them to the host culture and the rich values that have made this place a very special place, and model for them how they can become servant leaders in the social circles they inhabit. It is like periodically pouring small quantities of salt in a stew and tasting the increasing impact it can have on the whole, or lighting a small candle in a very dark room and experiencing the amazing impact of light in the darkness.

Servant Leadership

For the last three years I’ve seen a small church commit itself to holding “servant/leadership” camps for teens. Short seven to ten day timeframes are committed to sharing with the teens the poor of our city, the blight of homelessness, and the work of groups that are helping the poor find a path to success. They also “prayer walk” through public housing areas and spend time relating to the children and adults they encounter.

The impact of these camps on the lives of these teenagers has been amazing. The glimmer of servant leadership is often ignited by their brief exposure to the realities of poverty in their community and the examples of servant leaders working to help overcome these realities. It is a small step in the lives of relatively few young people, but the hope is that they will take “kuleana” and commit to being servant leaders who are salt and light to their communities. If we can challenge young people to choose to lead lives measured by what they give rather than what they gain, we will take a small but powerful step on the “pono” path towards health and resiliency for our dear Hawai‘i nei.

PopeAs Pope Francis stated in his speech to the United Nations during his recent trip to the United States, “The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman, the poor, the elderly, children, the infirm, the unborn, the unemployed, the abandoned, those considered disposable because they are only considered as part of a statistic. This common home of all men and women must also be built on the understanding of a certain sacredness of created nature. Such understanding and respect call for a higher degree of wisdom, one which accepts transcendence, rejects the creation of an all-powerful elite, and recognizes that the full meaning of individual and collective life is found in selfless service to others and in the sage and respectful use of creation for the common good.”

Just think with me what a joy it would be to have true servant leaders to follow and not wannabe leaders looking for servants.

The 3 “P’s” of Transformational Change

On By pidfoundationIn Hawaiian Values1 Comment

As one surveys the daunting challenges in our communities, it is often difficult to see how true transformational change can take place. The odds are intimidating and the powers of social and political inertia won’t allow one to be overly optimistic! How do we start? How can we truly bring substantive and transformative change to the issues we face? I have no formula answers, but over the years I have been more and more impressed by the role the 3 “P’s” have in positive change. In my previous posts, I touched upon some examples of these “P’s” when I spoke about practicing our aloha and mālama to the homeless and reprioritizing our commitments in our communities. Let me share the 3 “P’s” with you in a more focused manner. Try them out. See if they can help us move the mountain of status quo we face.

Passion

The first “P” of transformation is “PASSION”. Passion for change and passion to be a part of the answer are foundational. We have to have a passionate commitment to help the poor children and families we serve. We have to join with like-minded passionate people in the labor, and we need to intentionally fan the flames of commitment and passion in our lives and in the lives of our colleagues. Without a robust passion to help the needy, we will quickly sink into disappointment and despair. With passion, we keep alive our energy and our focus on the work of change! It softens the blows of rejection and opposition and helps us to come together to solve the problems that often plague our efforts towards transformational change.

But passion left alone often becomes destructive and can lead to anarchy in our work. Unbridled and unfocused passion often leads to strengthening the status quo rather than fueling positive and significant change.

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Passion needs the second “P”, “PONO”, to clearly vet and focus the energy of transformational change. “Pono” in Hawaiian is a powerful and multi-faceted concept of right relationships, righteousness, completeness, and doing what is right. It is most publicly known as part of the motto of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the State of Hawai‘i: “Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘āina i ka pono” meaning “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”, was given to us by our Ali‘i as the core anchor of our community.

Ask the simple question: “He mea pono kēia no kākou āpau?” meaning “Is this pono for everyone?” Or is this pono only for me?

“Pono” therefore should be part of our march towards transformational change. The passion of our hearts needs to be aimed at that which is “pono” for our community, that which everyone will benefit from rather than the interests of a few. The discipline of “pono” helps to keep the work of transformational change on the right road. As we make decisions about actions we are about to take, we need to ask ourselves the simple question, “He mea pono kēia no kākou āpau?” meaning “Is this pono for everyone?” Or is this pono only for me? Applying the pono question helps protect ourselves from our narrow and well disguised self-interests in our work for our communities.

Finally, as we pour our passion into what is pono, what is the third and often most important “P” in our formula for success in transformational change?

Na Pono No Na Ohana started with two families, and now draws hundreds every week

The third “P” is “PERSEVERENCE,” the commitment we need to take into any process of change that says we will not quit until the defined goal is achieved. There is a lot to persevering during times of change. Before we begin any journey of change we need to calculate the costs and understand our resources. We need to clearly understand what we have set as our goal and how to determine if we have actually reached it. We need to understand the opposition we face and the tactics and strategies we pursue. It is critical to know the resources at our disposal and how to maximize their use.In the end, however, it is a matter of having our minds set to not allow half victories to clear us from the battlefield and to have the determination to carry on when it is often dark and discouraging. What I have found encouraging in the midst of pursuing change is the image of a red, inflamed, and itchy rash. This is what we seek to become on the conscience of our community regarding the issues we are addressing. We need to make people uncomfortable, we need to have them pay attention, we want them to itch and use resources to address the rash of transformational change. Let us commit to persevere in our work, daring to be a positive irritant until change is achieved.

PASSION, PONO, and PERSEVERANCE form a very effective formula for change that will transform our lives, families and communities. Try it, you’ll be amazed and blessed!

Hawaiian values: Are they real and/or relevant to us?

On By jandillIn Hawaiian Values1 Comment

jan w Values_B&WAbove me along the walls in my office march the five Hawaiian values Partners in Development Foundation has claimed to define who we are: aloha, lōkahi, mālama, pono, and po‘okela.

As Partners in Development Foundation was formed, it was very clear that we wanted to have traditional Hawaiian values and perspectives at the heart of the organization. Thanks to the help of language and cultural experts we came to the choice of the above five values and then began our journey.

Throughout the years, we have learned the power of traditional values and perspectives and have become aware of the importance of making them practically applicable to the challenges of our clients. As the Foundation continues to expand and as we deepen our involvement in the community, these five values have also become a growing challenge to us as we serve our community. I feel continually challenged to ask: are these values just cosmetic treatments to cover our tendency to use modern organizational principles, or are they truly the core and anchor values for our lives, our organization, and for the work we are committed to do with the children and families we serve? Big and unnerving questions.

What does “aloha” look like if I don’t like you?

For example, considering “aloha”, I must ask how this foundational value manifests itself in the life of the Foundation, in the ways we interact with each other and with the communities we serve? Further, in claiming this value professionally, I am pushed to ask how aloha appears in my daily behavior, thoughts, and particularly, in my personal engagement with others. For example, what does “aloha” look like if I don’t like you? Or if I don’t believe in what you are trying to do? As you can see, the process of putting Hawaiian values as a proclaimed set of anchors for an organization quickly intrudes into our personal lives and behavior. We are challenged to get serious about the values we have proclaimed as the “organizational language and culture” of the Foundation; our behavior should demonstrate to those watching that the core values are alive and that they are the framework in which we relate to each other and those we serve.

If they are not clearly present, we need to continue to challenge one another to make it so.

While this challenge perpetually stands before us, at the same time, this is an empowering moment when we see how relevant and useful these values are in facing individual and organizational challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. As we practice, we are undeniably tied to the kūpuna and traditions of Hawai`i nei. A most worthy and necessary task, but not an easy one!