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Aloha Fest and Aloha Leadership; It's a Small World!

Emceeing Aloha Fest in Boulder this past week was a fantastic experience! Not only were the thousands of people who attended treated to amazing Polynesian food and culture, but the spirit of Ohana was everywhere. Perhaps this is true in every small community, but whenever I attend a Hawaiian event I meet people that I instantly bond with. And sometimes, it happens after the event.

I left my briefcase next to the stage on Saturday night and didn't realize my mistake until I pulled into our driveway. A not-so-convenient 90 minute commute from Boulder. A call to the event organizer produced no results, so I fretted a bit about my misfortune and forgetfulness.

Three days later, I attended an ISES event (http://isesdenver.com/) to hear one of America's networking and networthing experts speak, my friend Sarah Michel CSP(http://www.perfectingconnecting.com/) I was fortunate to sit next to "Alyson", a complete stranger. We chatted after lunch, and as we talked it became apparent that we both had been at Aloha Fest that weekend. Further conversation revealed that Alyson's husband had helped me on stage. Another minute, and Alyson exclaimed "Mark has your briefcase!"

It truly is a small world, when you take the time to talk to strangers. And in Hawaii, no-one is a stranger. Check out some great video of Polynesian dancers at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6haG_7pDsE

I had a great conversation recently with Leigh Branham SPHR, founder and principal of Keeping the People Inc. Leigh's made a life-study of why good people leave jobs, what businesses do to drive them away, and what those same businesses can do to hang on to their talented workforce. Among the statistics that leap out at me from Leigh's work are the following:

• 88% of employees leave their jobs because of reasons other than compensation.
• 60% of employees feel ignored or taken for granted.
• When measuring areas of leadership focus, "Developing direct reports" came in 67th. Of 67 competencies.

People have questioned whether "Aloha Leadership" concentrates on so-called "soft skills" - the inference being that soft skills don't add to the bottom line. The answer is "Yes", Aloha is about developing soft skills; treating people fairly, being transparent in your leadership, recognizing that diversity is a strength and not a hindrance.

Soft skills are more critical to bottom line performance than compensation. Leigh Branham's work, along with that of myself and others proves that. If you can't pay people enough to influence them to stay (how many times have you heard someone say "I wouldn't take that job for all the money in the world!") then your leaders have to be adaptable enough to lead without a carrot or a stick.

When you adopt the principles of Aloha in your leadership practices, you and the people around you feel more valued. Employees have a stake in the success of their business because they know the business has a stake in their individual success. If that sounds like a place you'd like to work, then make the changes yourself.

Learn more about Leigh's work at http://www.keepingthepeople.com/ To find out more about Aloha Leadership, call our offices at 303.594.3097 or email Mike Faber at mike@mikefaber.com

Aloha!

Aloha Fest Comes to Boulder!

Anytime is a great time for Ohana ("Family" in Hawaiian) to congregate, and the local Hawaiian community will descend on Boulder, Colorado on September 18-19 to watch the Universities of Colorado and Hawai'i do battle on the football field. The "Warriors", or "Rainbow Warriors" as they have been known, have been playing football since 1921 and began playing a Division One-A schedule in the early seventies.

Football as we know it is a violent sport, though it's far tamer than it was at the beginning of the 20th century. President Theodore Roosevelt actually considered banning football from college campuses due to the many injuries and deaths of participants. Rule changes, including the forward pass and elimination of "wedge" blocking helped stem the carnage, and build the game we know today.

Football, however, has to take a back seat to the manly, and ancient, Hawaiian sport of "lava sledding." As described on www.mythichawaii.com, lava sledding means riding a steep, hardened lava field while atop a 12-foot board at speeds approaching fifty miles an hour. Something tells me the ancients didn't have helmet laws back then! Better to play a round of "Konane", a board game that sounds like a pastoral blend of checkers and chess.

Hope to see you at Aloha Fest, where I'll be emceeing Saturday's activities on the main stage. For more information, please see www.coloradoalohafest.com

What You Must Know About Aloha Leadership

The Hawaiian language is much deeper than 13 letters and a series of words (all seemingly with a vowel-to-consonant ratio of 4:1!) As I've explored the meaning of Aloha Leadership, it's become apparent to this haole (Mainlander) that to understand Hawaiian culture one has to put aside some preconceptions.

1. One size fits all. Hawaiians come in many shapes and sizes, and the "culture" of the islands is actually a revered mix of many nationalities and traditions. Trying to fit people into pre-conceived notions of who we think they ought to be is fraught with danger.

2. Strong communities need a just one leader to work. Like the proverbial chain, our society is as strong as the weakest link. Regardless of our backgrounds, we depend on each other to live and thrive. If one person lets the water out of the fish pond and all the koi die, we all suffer.

3. History is only a subject in school. The people who come before us, whether in our family, our community or our business, have lessons to teach us if we're willing to listen. Listening is the second part of the critical equation however; we first have to ask questions to plumb the depth of that wisdom.

When you think you understand another person's culture, ask yourself this. "What do I assume about this person and their background?" Our assumptions are nearly always based on what we think we know, filtered through our own life experience. Like the word "aloha", the people surrounding you have much more to share than meets the eye.

See the Aloha Leadership keynote at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj4IAFSY4zY

Hire Mike Faber for your next meeting, off-site or convention by calling 720.851.5208 (US/Intl)

Cultural Diversity Means Leadership Opportunity & Challenge

In recent interviews with Hawaiian business and community leaders, it's become apparent that leadership in a diverse environment presents both challenges and opportunities. The Islands are a melting pot of cultures, including but not limited to, native Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Mainland (or "Haole"), Portugese and Hispanic. As the influence of television and online media become greater, those cultures are assimilating each other and "foreign" characteristics at a dizzying pace.

What this means for leaders is as confusing as ordering off the menu at your favorite "Hawaiian, Portugese, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese" restaurant. Here are a couple of "tips" to keep in mind when you're managing a diverse workforce.

Recognize that "culture" doesn't just mean the shape of a face or where someone's parents came from. Culture starts with beliefs, behaviors and family history.

Every workforce is "diverse". It's up to your leadership to identify how each invidivual and group work best together and across cultural lines.

Increase your sensitivity to cultural "hot buttons" and be prepared to apologize when you accidentally cross a boundary. A "pat on the back" may be welcomed by your COO from Pepper Pike Ohio, but viewed as an affront on personal space by the VP from Basil, Switzerland.

Here's the best quote I've heard in a long time on the pursuit of success. This is from Lauren Kessler's book "Broken Twig", a story of three generations of the Japanese-American Yasui family in the 20th century. One of the second generation "Nisei" sons was Min, and he wrote to a friend from a jail cell in 1943.

"Too many people go through life without ever having made an intense enough effort to be called a failure."

As Paul Harvey used to say, to hear "the rest of the story" check out the book!

How to Make Aloha Leadership Work for You

The Hawaiian word "ohana" means "family", and if there's one thing that Hawaiians do best, it's treating everyone like family. At a recent hula gathering where we knew no-one before we walked in the door, my two sons were quickly surrounded by "aunties" and "uncles" who embraced them as though they were their own. Years ago, this familiar tendency put me off, but when I realized the depth of sincerity that accompanies these family ties I came to recognize that "ohana" is as strong as any blood-line.

Treating your employees like family doesn't mean that you're weak or that performance expectations are any lower. If anything, treating someone like family means you break down communication barriers quickly and get things done more efficiently because a high level of trust exists. Here's how to make "ohana" a part of your business model.

1. Establish communication guidelines within your working group. Respect and reason are non-negotiable, and so is listening!

2. Cultural differences don't mean division. Cultural differences do need to be recognized and honored for their unique contributions. Treating everyone the same lessens each individual's connection to the greater mission, so don't do it!

3. As Kevin Roberts F.A.C.H.E. and President/CEO of Castle Medical Center in Kailua says, "you don't have to conquer others to be successful." Look to build trust within your organization and outside it. The community can be your best sales-force if "aloha" is part of your guiding principles.

See a preview of the Aloha Leadership keynote at http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=105851563&TemplateId=156&lnkkey=Link2&utm_source=ORM&utm_medium=notification&utm_term=viewvideo&utm_campaign=Group41EmailVideo

Contact Mike to arrange for an Aloha Leadership presentation for your group at (720) 851.5208 or info@mikefaber.com

"We Are Family"

Cindy Kamikawa is the Chief Nursing Officer at Queens Medical Center in Honolulu. When I spoke with Cindy recently about Aloha Leadership, she made several remarks that are worth passing along.

Cindy's perspective on Aloha Spirit includes a strong emphasis on family. Not just family that you're blood-related to, but everyone you come in contact with. Here in Denver my family and I see this when we visit with our Hawaiian friends. No one is "Mr. Tanaka" or "Mrs. Kimata". Instead, kids call the adults "Uncle" or "Auntie". My family's experience on the Big Island when both our children were ill was more like what I'd expect from our blood relatives than from strangers.

Queens' has a corporate-wide devotion to the patient, and that devotion begins with attention to detail and to employees. Cindy's personal commitment to integrity, honesty and compassion is evident to everyone she comes in contact with. "No matter how difficult a situation is, we will treat a person with integrity and respect, with the goal of that person succeeding!"

For more on Aloha Leadership and how your organization can benefit, please sign up to follow our Aloha Leadership blog, and connect with Mike Faber on LinkedIn and Twitter. Our upcoming events are listed at http://www.mikefaber.com/events.php

Aloha Leadership - How A Diverse Culture Helps You Lead

I spent time on the phone recently with John Aeto, the General Manager at VRE in Hawai'i. John's input on the influence of Aloha Spirit in leadership has been formed by a lifetime on the Islands, and by his extensive experience in broadcasting, sales and marketing. Here is some of John's insight:

"Aloha Spirit means love, trust and the breath of life. It means being able to put yourself in a position where (as a leader) you see things from a 360 degree perspective."

John also talked about the principle of "Kina'ole". Briefly stated, this foundational principle of Aloha Leadership is based on a state of gratefulness and grace. For example, diverse opinions in the workplace can be source of conflict and dis-trust. As a leader, you can choose to be grateful for those differences and learn to leverage opposing viewpoints and perspective. There's more on Kina'ole in Georgia Patrick's wonderful post at "Customers Count" at http://service.ducttapemarketing.com/2008/04/the-power-of-ki.html

If you know of a fabulous leader in the business or volunteer community of the Hawaiian Islands, I'd love to interview them for my upcoming book "Aloha Leadership". Just pass along their contact information to me at mike@mikefaber.com, and I'll take it from there. The interview process lasts just 15-20 minutes, and each contributor receives a copy of the book when it is complete.

Mahalo!

Aloha Leadership; From Pineapples to Presidents

Hawai'i was ruled by Kings, Queens and Kahuna for hundreds of years before a President took over just before the 20th century. Sanford B. Dole (yes, the pineapple scion) declared himself President of the islands in 1894 just prior to the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani.

Dole's reign was just six years. In 1900, Hawai'i became a U.S. protectorate and fell under the jurisdiction of then-President William McKinley (he got shot in Buffalo N.Y. but that's another story!) Dole was the territorial governor for several years before retiring to become a District Judge.

Much of Hawaii's early political turmoil was the result of warring factions of native Hawaiians, immgrants from both the U.S. and Asia, and competing financial interests. Compounding that, communication in those days from Washington to Honolulu took weeks.

Everyone wanted their slice of a limited pie, both in dollars and credit. Sound familiar? Today's leaders could draw lessons from their forebearers. Paraphrasing President Kennedy, "Ask not what your special interests can do for you, but what you can do for the people you serve."

Aloha Leadership and Amazing Tales of Hawai'i

Missionaries arrived in what were then called the "Sandwich Islands" in the mid-nineteenth century. Like zealots everywhere, they quickly tried to mold native customs and practices into something more becoming a "God Fearing" nation. In the tropical heat, the Haole (Anglos) wore layers of black, woolen clothing. I can't find any references to how often these settlers bathed, but I imagine it wasn't enough!

Among the practices that the new arrivals looked down on were hula (too sexy), topless women (see #1!) and surfing. For a while, surfing was actually banned in Hawai'i. The Beach Boys never would have made a career of surf music if they'd been born 100 years too early.

Leaders in Hawai'i fought running battles in both the legislature and the streets for many decades. Often, these fights were centered on the clash between "new" world thinking and closely held tradition. Also at play were diverse financial interests from both home and overseas, pitted against a native population that realized their power lay in their land, culture and strategic location between Asia and the Americas.

Balancing heritage and new thinking are constant challenges for the "Aloha Leader", whether your office is on Oahu, Molokai or in land-locked Toledo, Ohio. How leaders work to "Honor Your Culture" is a key component of Mike Faber's "Aloha Leadership" presentation. To inquire about booking Mike, please call 720.851.5208 or email mike@mikefaber.com

Who Qualifies as "Hawaiian"?

A gentleman I interviewed recently on the topic of Aloha Leadership mentioned before our conversation that he wasn't "born here", meaning he isn't native Hawaiian. That said, he arrived on the islands for good in 1950, which by my reckoning gave him sixty years to acclimate.

We define ourselves in large part by where we live, where we were born, and who we cheer for. I was born in Boston, grew up in Western New York state, and have lived almost exclusively in the Rocky Mountain region since 1988. My immediate family lives in Boston, New York and Seattle. When people ask, I say I'm a native of Massachusetts with roots in Rochester NY and New Mexico. It gets kind of confusing.

The need to identify ourselves with a place or a culture is deeply set. When the cavemen introduced each other many years ago, I'm sure they said "My name is Phil, from Cave 16!" and so regional affiliations were born. In Hawai'i, those who can trace their roots back to "native" Hawaiians carry that proudly. It's important to remember where we come from, and to honor our native culture. It's also important to recognize that in the end we're all products of a cultural, social and regional mish-mash. Our differences may keep us apart from time to time, but our similarities create synergy that fosters creativity, healthy curiousity, and hopefully mutual respect.

Regardless of where we call "home", we're all native human beings after all.

Breakthrough Thinking from Aloha Leadership

My new friend Rosa Say is a talented coach, speaker and author based in Hawai'i and she shared some of her thoughts on Aloha Spirit and leadership in a phone call recently. I found a few of her quotes compelling enough to want to share them here.

"Everyone has the Aloha Spirit, it's leadership's responsibility to demonstrate that 'Aloha' is valued in the workplace."

"Time and money are not your greatest resources. Energy is your greatest resource and that only comes from engaged people."

The word "aloha" is a "catch-all" word in Hawaiian, like "Ciao" in Italian or "Hey" in American English. "Aloha" means literally "Hello, Good-bye, love" so its use and value is universal when you're seeking to build and maintain professional and personal relationships.

Find more great ideas and resources from Rosa at http://www.managingwithaloha.com/ Remember, when you visit the islands, open your eyes and ears to take in a new perspective on leadership. Bring home more than just a tan!

Aloha Leadership Combines Respect and Vision!

Hawai'i's beauty belies a violent past. From Kings and Kahuna fighting for dominance in the 18th and 19th centuries, to the smoldering eruptions beneath the sea that are still giving birth to this magnificent chain of islands.

As leaders sometimes we miss the formative stages of the people we rely on. When I started as a branch manager for a large brokerage firm back in the early 90's, I felt like I had to place my "stamp" on everything from office decor to the way customers were greeted. No detail was too small for me to comment upon, and the team I'd inherited must have felt like my input was trashing all that had come before me. Their culture had been shaped over years of working together, and while opportunities existed to improve performance, I didn't win any popularity awards (or improve performance) by speaking loudly and carrying a big stick.

Sometimes it takes upheaval to act as a catalyst for change. Without eruptions and steaming flows of lava, the islands wouldn't exist. But those eruptions happened for thousands of years deep in the ocean before the first signs of change appeared at the surface.

Think about the evolution of change, and the need for respect of an existing culture, before the bull in you invades the china shop.

The Menehune In All of Us

The "Menehune" are little people of myth who lived (and still do perhaps?) in the valleys and mountains of Hawai'i. Impish by nature, their claim to fame over the years is that they do amazing work, often completing feats of engineering that we humans can only marvel at. Legend says they completed their work at lightning speed, only when no-one was watching. This tribe enjoyed dancing, singing and archery. Some were as tall as two feet, others grew to barely six inches in height. Fish and bananas were their food staples.

Sounds like some colleagues I've worked with over the years. Not the height part, but the "unseen" deeds. "Unsung heros" we called them in the workplace. They did their most important work out of earshot and eye-sight, and yet the business would miss them the moment they were gone.

Who among your workforce completes tasks without tooting their own horn, for the betterment of all? Leaders need to have a bit of menehune in them. While recognition seems vital to getting ahead, the self-satisfaction of a job well-done lasts longer than any "employee of the month" plaque. Channel your inner menehune and see what you can create for yourself, your business and your customers.