You might have seen my LinkedIn posts that I spent a week in Hawaii a few weeks ago. Since this series is about my Random Thoughts, I had several when it comes to all things Hawaii. I want to start with the strong culture that Hawaii has since we can learn many things as it relates to business culture.
Hawaii has a rich and diverse culture that is rooted in the traditions of the Native Hawaiians. There is a strong sense of Ohana which means family, but the meaning goes much deeper than just your immediate family. Ohana includes friends and neighbors and helps shape the daily life of Hawaii, the traditions and the community support.
Hawaii also has many customs, music, legends and values that focus on storytelling and caring for the land. The culture is characterized by many of the ancient practices of their people. One example of this is the Hula which in today’s world is typically performed at a Luau. Hula is an artform and is used to tell a story of historical events and mythology in the movements and chants.
The word that is most frequently said in Hawaii is Aloha, and the word embodies a spirit that acknowledges the community between people and their goodwill toward each other. It is way more than the “hello” that we think it is.
So how do these pieces of Hawaiian culture relate to our business? I feel that the many things that Hawaiians have a sense of (Ohana, Aloha and the Hula) can resonate in our personal lives but then flow into our business lives. Every person has personal ethics to uphold which then flow into the ethics of our business. Those business ethics will flow into the integrity of our businesses, which are clearly an important part of our culture!
Picture is Luau at Aulani with Mickey & Minnie doing the Hula…you knew you would get some Disney!!
