Take a Hawaiian approach.
I returned several months ago from the PhoneSmart Hawaiian un-conference, which was an excellent event. We got wonderful feedback from the attendees and sponsors. I had a chance to act as a business speaker and MC the event. People thought the format and the discussions were very valuable. The location was awesome and soul-feeding. And we had a chance to learn just a little bit about Hawaiian culture. Some people tease me and call me “Mr. History”, because I love learning about the origins and the development of places and people. I won’t bore you with all the fascinating things I learned about the first Hawaii settlers, but I will share a few things that should help you in your business and in your life.
Beauty is not an option. Everywhere you turn in Hawaii there are beautiful flowers and beautiful landscapes and beautiful views. This affects every aspect of daily life. Keep this in mind for your business. Redecorate your office. Plant more flowers in front of your store. Wear colorful shirts. Take time to watch the sunset. If you follow this piece of advice, your customers will want to do business with you, because they appreciate a nod to beauty as well, even if they don’t know they do. You’ll also like coming to work better than you used to …and that will show, too.
Courage comes standard. The first settlers in Hawaii traveled 1,700 miles across the ocean in big double-hulled canoes. Then they settled on an island that was mostly lava rock. Do you have that kind of courage? I am not sure you need that much, but you do need a certain amount of courage to face today’s business environment without doing something short-sighted or stupid. You need courage to ask every one of your prospects to do business with you. And you need courage to continue to do your periodic price increases.
Adapt while remaining true to yourself. The pace and intensity of change that occurred in the Hawaiian islands since the first European ship anchored off the Kona coast during the time of the American Revolution has been relentless. Yet the Hawaiian people have adapted very well, while maintaining many of the core values that make them Hawaiian.
How are you and your business adapting to the changing world around you? Are you remaining true to yourself?
