Understanding Kaona in our Ho‘omau Language of Intention

ALOHA ~ ~ ~ Have you newly arrived here at Managing with Aloha Coaching? Thank you for clicking in! Each month, we adopt a Hawaiian value to study together in a universal way, thus the tagline you see up top: Value Your Month, Value Your Life. I publish a new coaching essay here every Tuesday. They are essays, longer than most blog posts, and though you can read them through once in less than a Daily 5 Minutes, they are intended to give you a full week’s worth of Ho‘ohana-inspired self-coaching. This month we are learning about Ho‘omau: Reveal the Good, and Make it Last. Begin here: Day One Essay for a quick introduction. We’ll wait! Welcome! ~ Rosa Say

Our Value Study: Ho‘omau. Reveal the Good, and Make it Last.

In my Day One Essay, I asked you to think about the persistence and perseverance of Ho‘omau through two metaphors, anchors (which keep you steady or in safe harbor) and compass points (which give you direction).

You can think of the good in your life (and in your work) as the constancy you want keeping you anchored; you can “make it last” by choosing directional movement which fortifies and builds upon that good with connective opportunities, making it even stronger.

Let’s explore the metaphor a bit further today, by talking about one anchor and one compass point:

• The anchor: VALUES
• The compass point: LANGUAGE OF INTENTION

Third, I’d like to introduce a wonderful Hawaiian concept to you, called KAONA.

Values reveal the correct path to take.

Values teach us to seek goodness by their very nature, and the assumption we make when we use our values as an anchor, is that the best path will also be the right path, a good path.

Simply speaking the value of Ho‘omau can be a thought-provoking suggestion, one which causes us to self-coach, looking inward at our own choices with self-propelled action, instead of outward at variables that we tend to shift blame to, or justify circumstances with. When we say we want to persist, or persevere, it begs questions; Persist with what? Persevere with what? Why is it so important?

The result of answering these questions, is one of true ownership of the situation at hand (i.e. defining the what), where we begin to reach for our own values (i.e. defining the why), continuing to strive for what we believe in as “the right thing to do.” We then choose actions which are in alignment with our values with a greater sense of self-affirming confidence.

People are more apt to invest in and be committed to their own decisions than they are to following the marching orders of a leader—even a leader they respect and trust to make decisions for them. Their actions are much more immediate and definite. Their confident certainty creates a sense of urgency, because anything less will not do.

The reason is quite simple: If there is anything we trust in completely, it is trust in our own values, for in essence we trust in ourselves.

Choose your language; set your intention.

Language, vocabulary, and conversation combine as our primary tools in business communications. What we speak is fifty times more important than what we write; think about the tone, inflection and body language which accompanies our words and this is easy to understand.

The need for CLEAR, intentional, reliable and responsive communication is critical in thriving businesses. Drive communication of the right messages, and you drive momentum and worthwhile energies.

It makes perfect sense that a directional compass point must be clear too, doesn’t it. It would be unacceptable for a navigator to tell his Captain, “I think the compass is pointing in that direction as north most of the time.”

Momentum and energy is about movement forward, and it becomes directional (like a compass point) when it is clear and intentional; you have a destination in mind, a place (either physical or figuratively speaking) you want to arrive at having completed a successful journey.

So think about your language, vocabulary and conversation in this way: When you have a place in mind you would love to arrive at, as the culmination of your persistence and perseverance through all adversity;

• What is the forward momentum and energy you want created?
• Where do you want any and all movement to take you?
• When does language make a destination clearer, and thus more compelling, and when does language make it too complicated and fuzzy?
• What vocabulary excites? What vocabulary distracts?
• What conversation is necessary to keep all players in sync, and when does conversation do little more than interrupt momentum which is trying to achieve runaway without your intrusion slowing it down?

Now stop for a moment, and think about what we have done in our “language of Ho‘omau-intention” with our metaphors of anchors and compass points. We’ve created a kind of story, where it is easy to imagine adversity as a stormy sea; it is easy to imagine a laser sharp sail through the opportunity of a beautiful day with good conditions. It is easy to put story-descriptive words to what a happy ending would look like, sound like, feel like.

The story of the successful voyage has become the kaona, or storied meaning within the intentional work done by the ship’s crew; by your crew.

Kaona: Fewer words, more meaning.

As a manager, I found that the beauty of speaking the Hawaiian values was their promise of more meaning with far less words. Values are textured with hidden meanings for different people, yet these varied and unique interpretations will always circle back to the good intent at the very heart of the value in mind. When you incorporate the language of values into your own management culture, the unspoken message you give your peers and employees is that you have the faith and belief they will come up with the interpretation meaning the most to them. You imply the confidence you have that they will then choose the best path to take moving forward. In doing so, you’ve taken another step forward yourself toward building trust between you.

Ho‘omau is perhaps the best example of this, for in saying Ho‘omau you encourage others to continue, to persevere, often without even mentioning what it may be you want them to do. You say, simply and cleanly, “Ho‘omau.” What they hear, in a single word of encouragement, is “You know what to do” and “You are doing well so far—continue.” The implication is that you trust them with figuring out the what and the how, and you have faith that their decisions will be sound ones. You are encouraging them to simply continue on course, —on their charted course, and to never give up. For that person to feel that you have confidence, trust and faith in them is powerful stuff.

When we started the month, did you imagine that Ho‘omau would prove to be a good teacher with creating so much? To suppose that persistence and perseverance describes “trying harder” isn’t the Kaona, and hidden meaning of Ho‘omau. You now know it is being smarter and more deliberate; Ho‘omau is fully anchor smart and compass point intentional.

Next Time: Tuesday, November 18 — Decision-Making and Decision-Management

More about this:

“People are more apt to invest in and be committed to their own decisions than they are to following the marching orders of a leader—even a leader they respect and trust to make decisions for them.”
—from Managing with Aloha, page 58

We will Ho‘ohana together, Kākou.

~Rosa

Comments

[Paul]

Dear Rosa,

Your phrase, 'fewer words, more meaning' particularly resonated with me. Words intended to soothe or soften the blow of a difficult message can come from a good place but, over time, we have more respect and more favourable memories of the people who levelled with us up front (i.e. spoke with meaning) and worked with us on the lessons, issues and obstacles we faced.

I am looking forward to reading your upcoming posts on decision making and decision management!

With my best wishes,

Paul

[Rosa Say]

Aloha Paul, thank you for that addition; it's a great observation. I do think that people tend to underestimate each other in so many work settings, allowing their "political correctness" to hamper so much; we fall short, only scratching at the surface where we should dig in (to Ho'omau - continue, persevere) and have greater trust and confidence in each other.

[Steve Sherlock]

Rosa, your line "We’ve created a kind of story" is meaningful this morning. As I start my sabbatical, I am about to put together "my story". Where and how will I be able to optimize my 2 cents going forward? I will cotinue to follow and learn much here. You are living a great story, talking story. Thank you!

[Rosa Say]

The concept of story is both empowering and flexible to me Steve, for when we are the authors, we get to write it how we want it (thus it is empowering), AND we get to design quite a bit of meandering in it - which I prefer to think of as that ebbing and flowing flexibility which makes life so much more interesting. Perhaps it is that "slow leadership" concept which Adrian Savage speaks of so eloquently, where the slowness is about the simmering of great ideas.

The learning you speak of enriches the whole process too Steve, and I am very excited for you about this opportunity you have to write some terrific new chapters!