August 2007: ‘Ohana, Community, and The ‘Ohana in Business

Our value for the month of August 2007, is presented in Chapter 7 of Managing with Aloha;

‘Ohana Those who are family, and those you choose to call your family. ‘Ohana is a human circle of complete Aloha. ~ ‘Ohana is family. Our ‘Ohana includes those we have always known as our family, surrounding us with love at the time of our birth. ~ However ‘Ohana also includes those we choose to call our family, for the connection we share with them enriches our life. ~ ‘Ohana becomes a sacred form for sharing our lives with Aloha, for it gives us the unconditional gifts of love, understanding, forgiving, and acceptance. ~ ‘Ohana is the most secure and comfort-filled support we have for facing truth, for ‘Ohana never loses hope. ~ The bonds of ‘Ohana are strong yet supple: They flex with giving and with the love and acceptance of Aloha, yet they are made rigidly secure by those same supports. These bonds may be tested, but they cannot be broken. ‘Ohana is a human circle of complete Aloha.

‘Ohana is the word for family in Hawaii. From culture to culture we share the commonality of being human beings, and humans need to be in family groups of other human beings: The history of humankind repeatedly has shown us that we were not intended to be alone. We need connection to each other, it nurtures and sustains us.

Families can take on different forms, and they can embrace whomever they wish to include in their circle. The Hawaiian culture is one of those in which family may have nothing to do with bloodlines; If you are considered part of one’s ‘Ohana you are their family, plain and simple. Since ‘Ohana does not necessarily include birthright, you can easily belong to more than one ‘Ohana, and many people do.

‘Ohana gives us a feeling of belonging. And that’s something we all need.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ah, what a month this will be! There is such immense possibility for workplace reinventions within the value of ‘Ohana. I’ve been licking my chops for our arrival at this chapter. Hmmm ... how to start ...

Remember when you learned about primary colors in school? It may have been one of the earliest lessons we had, in which art and science blended so pleasingly well. It was back when we felt at our most creative and free-spirited selves, and this color lesson was one that made us so hopeful.

Messy? Messy was art!

There were crayons, pots of poster paint, and those magic prisms that our teacher would hold up to the sunlight to dazzle us with. Remember? The primary colors could mix for secondary colors, and my goodness, we’d blend, blend again, and blend again. There was so much experimenting we could do, and we did it tirelessly.

The teacher mentioned black and white, but she (or he) understood our impatience with them; they were boring. Those impressions were left to learn later in a different context, and in a different age. Our three primary colors of red, blue, and yellow were all we wanted, all we needed.

Similar to those bright and cheerful primary colors of infinite mixology, I think of three primary concepts within ‘Ohana; family, community, and chosen form. That “chosen form” we talk about in the Managing with Aloha philosophy is what we call the ‘Ohana in Business, and I will honestly tell you that I take supreme delight in the workplace mixology it creates.

As usual, our canvas is the biggest one possible, one that swaddles us heart, mind, body and soul; the canvas of our aloha spirit.

These are the subheadings of my chapter on ‘Ohana; do let me know if there is any section in particular you’d like to discuss as our month unfolds:

• ‘Ohana is family.
• ‘Ohana is form for the sharing of one’s life.
• Acceptance in ‘Ohana is unconditional.
• ‘Ohana is all-inclusive.
• The best human circle you can bring to business.
• Work is personal: a story.
• Bringing the customer into your ‘Ohana.
• Bringing community into ‘Ohana.
• Managers create their own ‘Ohana.
• Who are those you choose to call ‘Ohana?

This month, we strive for ‘Ohana, the human circle of complete Aloha.

‘Ohana gives us a feeling of belonging. And that’s something we all need.

Join us; let’s mix colors. Let’s create. Let’s get messy. And let’s Ho‘ohana.
~ Rosa

Comments

[Joanna Young]

Hello Rosa

Congratulations on the new site - and rationalising your writing efforts!

I'm sure this new blog will be full of 'Ohana: sharing, inclusive, accepting, welcoming customers, creating community, telling stories - the best human circle it can be :)

Joanna

[Rosa Say]

Mahalo Joanna. There IS a feeling I have of everything falling into place in this very pleasing rhythm, however it is one with just enough creative discontent to keep me moving and changing things up at a good clip. I too LOVE that ‘Ohana was next in my queue as our value of the month, for I do so think of it as that circle of comfort that is all about the people in our lives, and our having the vulnerability to admit we need them to keep fortifying us as they do. And you Joanna, have become one of those people for me! It is fittingly wonderful that you are the very first one to comment here at Managing with Aloha Coaching, thank you.

[Karen Wallace]

Rosa, Congratulations on MWAC!

It is obvious to me in your writing that you have found a lot of clarity around your new direction and the enthusiasm is just bubbling over. I really look forward to seeing what gorgeous colours, patterns and ideas end up on this enticing canvas you are about to paint...

Isn't it so exciting when there are these huge possibilities there waiting for us... once we can sense their presence the whole of life seems brighter, clearer... much more fun!

[Rosa Say]

Oh Karen, the biggest mahalo to you! I have FELT like I have much more clarity lately, and it is supremely satisfying to know that may show up in my writing: CLARITY is one of my favorite words to live by, and you have made my day.

And Karen, you are absolutely and deliciously right about something ~ This IS exciting for me, and I intend to make it fun for all of us.