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.