My first two days back to work have been spent facilitating an Executive Retreat focused on visionary thinking for the New Year; Ka lā hiki ola hitting the ground running!
One of the things we talked about was choosing the continuity we want to carry over from 2006 into 2007, for this was a group of leaders who had done a whole lot of great things in the past twelve months! It brought to mind Ho‘omau for me (perseverance), and the strategies we employ to give staying power to the good in our lives.
We talked about it at this same time last year here on Talking Story, thinking about those fruits of our worthwhile work that we think of as “cherished keepers.” Remember this?
From the archives: Ho‘omau: Cause the good to last.
I don’t want to be discarding the old at all. Our old was so, so good! I want to perpetuate it going forward. I want to build on it, strengthen it, and do whatever else I can so it will last. Thus, our Ho‘ohana for the month of January is Ho‘omau: Cause the good to last.
Already nine days into January, my encouragement to you is to spend this shorter Ho‘ohana month thinking about exactly how you will do that. Connect together your purpose, your intention, and your strategy into the actions of your new beginnings. ... Perpetuate those good things you want to maintain, fortify, and keep your momentum with. At times it is about being selective and picky, and making deliberate decisions on what is worth keeping, and what should be discarded, whether for a better replacement, or just for more breathing room for what was kept. With more room, those cherished keepers will grow and develop more fully.
Sometimes, the “new” we want in a New Year is simply new energy and new commitment to the victories we have already achieved ... why not give yourself credit where credit is due?
Celebrate and Continue with Renewed Spirit. Sounds like a good mantra to me!
Something to think about;
What kinds of things must managers do to lend staying power to what they have already achieved?
I love those thoughts and that question, Rosa. So often we are rushing on to the next thing without enjoying what already is; we reach a milestone but see it as a measure of how far we still have to go.
What silly things we people are!
(Thanks for your kind gift at Christmas too! I'm still enjoying it!!)
Posted by: Pete Aldin | January 17, 2007 at 12:58 AM
Aloha Pete, mahalo for adding to this both here and on your blog!
Ho'ohana Community; read Pete's post, called "Satisfaction Guaranteed" here:
http://www.greatcircle.com.au/2007/01/17/satisfaction-guaranteed/
I am one of those people (one of those managers) who by nature cannot "leave well enough alone," instead opting to push forward so I can get from good to great. Savoring smaller successes is truly continuous learning for me, and I need to employ my own self-talk all the time in reminding myself to celebrate smaller victories and be more reasonable.
Beyond being more reasonable, this talent to see small improvements and celebrate them is a crucial one in coaching -- just as it is in managing: We have to make a fuss over those better behaviors we want to see repeated, savoring them, celebrating them, and rewarding them -- "catching people doing something right" as Ken Blanchard had written in the One Minute Manager.
Posted by: Rosa | January 17, 2007 at 01:33 PM