This past Tuesday we compared initiative and humility a bit, mostly from that place of Alaka‘i leadership, where Ha‘aha‘a (humility) encourages initiative wholeheartedly, especially in respect to Kākou (inclusivity) and Lōkahi (collaborative teaming invitations):
Initiative, Humility and “the local way”
“I’ll Give You All I Can”” by Brandon Christopher Warren on Flickr
Let’s look at Ha‘aha‘a today thinking a bit more about our individual behavior. Tuesday’s post encouraged you to get involved, and actively demonstrate your initiative in the way which welcomes humility in the process. What else can humility teach us as we Ho‘ohanohano; learn to conduct ourselves with distinction, and the dignity of Ha‘aha‘a?
What follows is one of my older articles: I had initially written this back in 2006 in thinking about the examples of demonstrating humility in the workplace as a self-management practice. If you are the Alaka‘i Manager in a workplace, how are you cultivating a humble culture there?
Humility in the Workplace
‘Humility’ is a widely understood word. It’s not one of those words people will pause to look up the meaning for. Generally, people love the thought of humility. It’s one of those ‘good’ values we strive for; one we admire. Yes, most people feel they know what it means to be humble.
Demonstrating it however, is a whole other matter.
For instance, a person distracted by their Blackberry or cell phone, unable to focus on the conversation you are having with them face to face, is so filled with self-importance, they cannot possibly claim to be humble. Humility is the lack of self-importance, is it not?
My goodness. Three people totally missing out on enjoying each other. And the coffee is getting cold... Ya Internet by Miss Karen on Flickr
The person who impatiently shakes their head as you explain a new idea you are presenting to them, finally breaking in to say, “We’ve tried that here before, and it just doesn’t work,” cannot claim to be humble. Humility is being open-minded, and realizing that no matter how long you’ve been around, you couldn’t possibly have experienced everything there is to experience, right?
Then there’s the person who just got a promotion, and the first purchase order they write is for new business cards, despite the fact they have a box left of the old ones with the same mailing address, email address, and phone numbers. Never mind that they mostly attach v-cards electronically these days, and that’s why the old box lasted so long.
In new product development, there’s a discussion going on about complaints customers have with existing products, and someone says, “Well, they wouldn’t have that problem if they followed the instructions in the first place.” That can’t possibly be humility, when we stop listening to what our customers are asking for, and assume they just don’t ‘get it,’ right?
If some of our common behaviors in workplaces are an indication, we don’t understand humility very much at all.
Those who are humble, feel the rest of us are pretty interesting. Those with humility have a genuine desire to discover what other people can offer. They are intrigued by how others think, and how others feel differently from them.
We can be confident, and we can be self-assured; humility does not call for us to be meek, or consider ourselves lower in stature. We do not require less of ourselves, and we take our role and our responsibilities seriously. However what humility does, is create a sort of receptacle of acceptance in us, so we are open to being filled with the knowledge and opinions of others. Humility is a kind of hunger for more abundance. The greater our humility, the greater our fascination with the world around us, and the more we learn.
To have inner drive, to want to be successful is a good thing. I do believe that part of humility is believing in those possibilities which presently may be larger than life for you.
However humility also speaks to the demeanor and attitude we must have as we seek our success, so that our inner drive and desires are in balance with our composure, and our conduct with those who interact with us. After all, they could factor into being a big part of the success we eventually will enjoy.
One of the best definitions I have ever heard for humility came from one of my employees when I was still in corporate management. Short and sweet, it’s one I have never forgotten. He was talking about a new supervisor we’d recently hired into the department, explaining how she listened to everyone on staff in such a great way. Like they mattered. Like everything they did and said mattered. He had said she seemed very humble to him because as she demonstrated it, “Humility is an act of courtesy.”
I like that.
We were not put on this earth alone. Frankly, others have to live with us, and our own practice of open-minded, fill-me-up humility can make it a much more interesting and pleasant experience for all of us.
So… to repeat my earlier question: If you are the Alaka‘i Manager in a workplace, how are you cultivating a humble culture there?
I would love to learn more from you about this too; I think we all would! Optimist that I am, I believe there are a ton more great examples of humility practiced every day in our workplaces.
Will you tell us about one in yours? Demonstrate your talking story initiative :-)
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I like this way of defining humility as a way of making sure we learn from each other. Some of the biggest mistakes I’ve made over the years is not giving serious enough consideration to an individuals previous experience. I think this might be one of the defenses against a ‘no’ based culture. Tried it before thinking can wear on you if you’re not careful, but not paying attention can lead you right into the mistakes that killed things in the past.
And if you ever find yourself thinking the customer is stupid, get out of product design. Please.
.-= Fred H Schlegel ´s last blog ..The 2400 Year Old Problem =-.
I love when you comment here Fred, you always make me think!
On this part, you have me questioning how open-minded I have been within my own language of intention connected to experience and interviewing:
In our SLC coaching, we urge managers to spend less time on that laborious questioning of past experience on resumés and job applications, and focus instead on what the candidate will now do in the future with that past experience in light of their present Ho‘ohana, and the opportunity the job in question will offer. I stand by that part, but we have not been following up, and talking to them about the deep exploration of past experience which can then be exceptionally helpful once a new hire has been selected and put to work. There are important connections to be realized in the inventory of talent, skills, knowledge, and strengths, not to mention their intellectual and emotional capacities.
Today I was at work when this came through my phone and I started reading it. I had an employee, not one of mine, talking to me as I read the line, “For instance, a person distracted by their Blackberry or cell phone, unable to focus on the conversation” and closed the phone, put it away and apologized for my rudeness and asked them to start over. I made a point the rest of the day of being in the moment with the conversations instead of “multi-tasking.”
Thank you.
It’s not something I do with my employees, but just because I was out here training was no excuse to be rude. I’m supposed to be setting a good example and I was doing it completely wrong today. Perfect timing.
I’d gone into “shadowing” mode where I was just following the person I’d spent two weeks training so was trying hard to be in the background and was honestly not like that the whole time. I didn’t need to be rude though. What timing on the e-mail… and what a wake-up call.
.-= Rich Griffith ´s last blog ..“The most exciting time is between getting the job and starting it”” =-.
Happy to help Rich :-) And by the way, I’m really not stalking you…