The Pound For Pound Principleናሙና

The Culture of Contenders  

What kind of culture exists in your family, friendships and workplace? 

Culture is the underlying, overarching environment of an organization that shapes its morals and values, which in turn determines its success. The culture, atmosphere, or environment of an organization, whether business or church, will heavily influence the organization’s level of success (or fruitfulness). 

People come from all over the world to Hawai’i to experience the surf, beaches, and to take in all the wonder of God’s creation.  Hawaii is best known for its white sandy beaches, crystal blue surf of the North Shore, lush vegetation of Kaua’i, or the volcanoes of the Big Island. If I were to tell you about the wonderful Hawaiian culture, I would start with the Hawaiian language and its critical role in perpetuating the culture. Take away the ʻolelo, or the language of the indigenous people, and the Hawaiian culture would disappear. Hawaiian culture is characterized by a word: ʻohana (family). Whether of Hawaiian ethnicity or not, Hawaii culture is one that strongly believes in the value of ʻohana. We even have a word that refers to a common practice in Hawaii where Hawaiians (or even non-Hawaiians) will welcome someone who is not blood-related in their family: hanai (adoption). Doesn’t all of this make you just want to get on a plane and experience the culture of our islands?

You can either create the kind of culture you want, or by default, a culture will be created for you. In order to cultivate a healthy and thriving culture, you have to identify the culture that already exists, own up to culture problems, deal with it, and then make the change. Protect and guard your culture. With careful diligence and follow-through, you and your organization will begin to elevate, creating your “new normal.”