Saturday Briefing

By Ka‘ipo Ho — Over the past couple of months, a group of our Outrigger Alaka‘i, or Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a leaders, from the island of O‘ahu had the honor of participating in a cultural immersion program called Ola Hawai‘i offered by the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA). In 2007, NaHHA received a three- year federal grant from the Administration for Native Americans to develop and implement a cultural immersion program. In their search for corporate sponsorship, NaHHA invited Outrigger Enterprises to participate in the program. Outrigger’s values-based culture of Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a, and our long-standing commitment to perpetuating our host-cultures were cited as key considerations for NaHHA’s invitation.

The foundation of the Ola Hawai‘i program is a module entitled Chiefly Leadership. The Chiefly Leadership curriculum emphasizes the development of personal potential through the appreciation and practice of traditional Hawaiian cultural leadership principles that are still relevant today, for example, the Five Cs of Leadership: Character (pono – moral, proper), Courage (koa – bravery), Commitment (kupa‘a – loyalty), Competency (makaukau – readiness), and Compatibility (Aloha).

We also revisited the familiar Ho‘okipa Model of Place, Host, and Guest, and discussed Hawaiian values and creating a Hawaiian sense of place. Some of our Alaka‘i learned an oli, or chant, entitled E Ho Mai and performed this chant at the beginning of each class. Some learned the Hawaiian value of laulima, many hands working together, by constructing a Hawaiian loop and ball game called pala‘ie from braided coconut leaflets and other materials.  And another group explored the concept of sense-of-place by designing a resort hotel and building a three dimensional model of their design using clay, Lego, colored pipe-cleaners, and a variety of other supplies.

Throughout the pilot, the Alaka‘i were also given interesting homework assignments that included researching their family genealogy, writing a traditional Japanese Haiku, and having each Alaka‘i identify a mountain, river, valley, ocean, wind, and rain that had special meaning to them. In short, the Ola Hawai‘i program was a refreshing approach to reinforcing Outrigger’s values-based management culture of Ke ‘Ano Wa‘a and our 6-Paddles Process of celebrating who we are and where we come from.

On Wednesday, June 24, our 2009 Ola Hawai‘i program concluded with a closing and graduation ceremony at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, and each of Outrigger’s participants, along with others from various community and business organizations who attended the Ola Hawai‘i program, received certificates for their participation.

Mahalo to Outrigger’s recent Ola Hawai‘i graduates: Mark Burson, Russell Moeai, Pila Hanson, Michelle Dubach, Eddie Vierra, Les La’a, Ivy Kwok, Carol Ly, Napualei Lyons, Destiny Lee, Mercedes Lanza, Makamae Cacho, Tino Geronimo, Peggy Napaepae, Kalae Chung, Lorna Benigno, Ethan Chang, Neil Murakami, Sharon Pudiquet, Shyla Uyesato, Daniel Nakasone, Karen Gonzaga, Shantel Burns, Maile Okuma, Primie Marzan, Karl York, Joleen Achong, Kevin Nakamichi, Terri-Ann Chew, and Robert Dutcher. And a very special thanks to their managers for giving them the opportunity to experience Ola Hawai‘i.